Care First Recruitment Ltd is currently recruiting for skilled ‘Procurement and Contract Officers’, to work for various Local Authorities across London
‘Procurement and Contract Officer’ (Housing Needs) – Role purpose:
- To support the Procurement and Contract Management Team Managers in securing the continuous development, improvement, efficiency and success of the Temporary Accommodation and Resettlement department as a whole
- To commission, procure, and manage the supply of accommodation, including temporary accommodation, direct lets, and private rented sector accommodation
- To ensure the effective supply of accommodation for households in housing need and providing effective contract monitoring. The post-holders will contribute to the delivery of ad hoc accommodation-related projects, delivery of property decant programmes, and new contract development
- Individuals will be accountable for the quality and professionalism of service delivery. The work will include implementing operational plans within the service area to fit with broader functional and Council strategy
- To assist with the effective management of the accommodation units held within the Council’s private leasing portfolio
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
The post holder is responsible for a portfolio of services which may be altered from time to time but currently includes responsibility for:
- To assist with developing and delivering strategies, policies and programmes to ensure the effective supply and management of accommodation for homeless cases, with a strong focus on reducing levels of usage and promoting value for money
- To commission, procure, and manage the supply of accommodation, including temporary accommodation, direct lets, and private rented sector accommodation
- To successfully tender, evaluate and let contracts to providers, ensuring quality, value for money and compliance with the Council’s financial regulations and legal requirements, as well as those imposed by external agencies such as London Councils and the MHCLG
- To develop and maintain effective relationships with private sector landlords, local managing and lettings agents and owners of empty properties in order to secure use of privately rented properties for households in housing need in the Borough
- To carry out inspections of properties in order to assess their suitability for households in housing need, investigate persistent disrepair complaints and/or to take property inventories for those properties. This will include some properties outside the Borough’s boundaries
- To ensure the effective supply of accommodation for households in housing need and providing effective contract monitoring support. Contributing to the delivery of ad hoc accommodation-related projects, including tenancy audits, delivery of property decant programmes and new contract development
- To ensure that demand and supply data and performance and financial information related to the accommodation portfolio is routinely collected, analysed and acted upon, in order to effectively shape commissioning decisions, anticipate and /or manage service problems and control financial expenditure
- To ensure that the performance of all accommodation-related projects, contracts and service level agreements is effectively reviewed, monitored and evaluated, and that any under-performance, service failure and/or financial and legal issues are addressed swiftly and appropriately
- To ensure that systems are in place to ensure effective move-on from emergency accommodation, helping to minimise high cost placements and subsidy loss
- Interpreting and assessing customer needs, preparing forecasts and supply plans, identifying trends or mix, type, location, etc
- To ensure that the performance of all accommodation-related projects, contracts and service level agreements is effectively reviewed, monitored and evaluated, and that any under-performance, service failure and/or financial and legal issues are addressed swiftly and appropriately
- To assess and authorise payments relating to the accommodation portfolio up to a certain limit and work with the finance team and Procurement and Contract Management Team Manager to ensure that effective systems for monitoring and evaluating the accommodation budget are in place
- To support the active promotion of the Council’s full range of procurement options at landlord forums, trade events and one-to-one meetings and contribute to the design and content of promotional materials
- To assist with all aspects of property and tenancy management for properties held under direct management by the Council. Management will include effective liaison with landlords, agents, freeholders, tenants, and contractors
- To actively liaise with landlords, providers and managing agents where accommodation-related problems are identified to ensure that actions are taken to resolve any issues raised
- To support senior managers in the Temporary Accommodation and Resettlement Service in the effective contract and performance management of providers supplying or supporting the delivery of the Council’s accommodation schemes, including analysis of contract performance data and complaints
- To act as a contact for supplying landlords with established tenancies who are experiencing difficulties, including negotiating and mediating with tenants/landlords to resolve problems, to ensure compliance with the legal framework and sustain or extend the length of tenancies
- To encourage landlords to develop good property management and property standards
- To understand, and keep abreast of, legislation and national and local policy relating to the supply and use of temporary accommodation, including housing benefit legislation
- To ensure that value for money is a key consideration in all decisions or recommendations made
- To reply promptly to enquiries and complaints from temporary accommodation clients and their advocates, including elected members, MPs and ombudsman cases in line with the Council’s procedure and attend court cases where required
- To create and maintain accurate records of the service to ensure compliance with reporting arrangements and provide management with the information required to monitor performance and service standards in accordance with Council policy and the legal framework. This will include producing writing performance and other written reports for managers in the Housing Needs Service as requested
- To understand the value of information to the council and to contribute to good information governance by keeping information safe, accurate and up to date and available to those who need it. The post holder must abide by the council’s information governance policies
- To develop and maintain a positive relationship with clients, residents organisations, council officers, housing providers, advocates, elected members and other stakeholders to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction are achieved
- The post holder is required to take reasonable care for the safety and health of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts; and to work with management to comply with Service/Unit procedures and protocols and with RBKC’s Health and Safety Policy and all guidance, instructions and risk assessments. In particular the jobholder is required to attend training relevant to their post in order to ensure their health and safety responsibilities are met
- To undertake any duties appropriate to the grading of this post, as requested by the Head of Temporary Accommodation and Resettlement, Procurement and Contract Management Team Managers or another manager within the Housing Needs Service.
Financial responsibility – Annual budgetary amounts with which the job is either directly or indirectly concerned
- The post-holder will contribute to the effective management of the Council’s temporary accommodation budget (circa £40m in 2020/21), including a range of leasing and licensing schemes in place with providers for around 2,300 units of accommodation. Overall budget responsibility will rest with the Procurement and Contract Management Team Manager.
About you:
The successful candidate will have:
- Previous experience working in a similar role, preferably within housing options, homelessness prevention, or social housing
- All staff are expected to carry out their job in compliance with the Councils Constitution. This means being familiar with the policies and procedures relevant to the job and asking for information and advice if you are unsure of the correct course of action. The Council’s Constitution is published on the Internet
- The duties and responsibilities outlined in this job profile are indicative of the role; however they are not exhaustive and may be subject to change. In addition, you will be required to undertake other reasonable duties as directed by your manager
- Willingness and ability to use and develop further new skills, to download data and to manipulate it into usable formats
- At least 2-3 years’ experience in a similar role
Please note that some Local Authorities and the nature of each individual post may require the candidate to hold an Enhanced DBS, and to be uploaded in the Update Service system. If you do not already possess an Enhanced DBS then you can still apply for this position as one may not be necessary for some clients, but having one may allow you to access more opportunities. You can obtain one through our agency at the time of registration or at a later period.
The role is office based, with an average of 35-hour working week. Depending on the department and to the manager’s discretion, hybrid work may be available, it all depends on the needs of the department, etc. and, if agreed, a hybrid schedule usually applies after all inductions have been completed at the office for a month-long period. To work from home the candidate is expected to have unlimited broadband, and access to a laptop or computer (depending on the L/A or client they may provide laptops where required).
This advert covers main role requirements, and depending on the client and seniority of the role there may be additional tasks.
Job Type: Temp to perm
Salary: £16.00-£26.00 per hour
Expected hours: 35 per week
Schedule: Monday to Friday
Ability to Commute:
London (required)
Work Location: In person (hybrid option depends on the L/A)