Disrepair Manager

Adecco are delighted to be partnering with the London Borough of Camden in their recruitment of a Disrepair Manager.

About the role

Legal disrepair consequential work delivery is a high-volume, fast-moving environment and can involve high pressure on a regular basis. Flexibility, adaptability and the need to make the right decisions quickly is vital as priorities frequently change and information can often be updated in real time. You will be expected to hold weekly cross departmental meetings, where highest priority cases are updated from all council stakeholders.

The Council has a live caseload of approximately 500 legal disrepair cases. Many are multifaceted and involve the suitability of the home for the household as well as its condition. The disrepair team needs to work closely with legal services, third party solicitors, neighbourhood's services, and its own in house repairs team to identify the most suitable approach to resolving the case. The Courts also issue orders related to cases that the Council needs to comply with, the disrepair team is accountable for making sure this happens. If orders are to be amended this has to be negotiated with the other parties and / or via the Courts. This role will programme manage the work across teams and within the service to make sure the Council complies with Court orders and cases are concluded with avoidance of breeches or punitive orders. This role directly supports Camden's ambition to have decent, safe, warm and family-friendly homes to support our communities.

You will be expected to join meetings in person and attend either Holmes Road Depot or 5 St Pancras Square days a week.

The key duties are:

• Lead the disrepair team in the Property Management Division.
• Lead the delivery of the housing disrepair program, proactively monitoring cases to ensure works are completed on time and to the appropriate standard.
• Work with the Head of Repairs & Operations to make sure sufficient supply chain resources are secured to deliver the volume of works required.
• Convene and lead cross service engagement including with internal and external lawyers , neighbourhood management, insurance, leasehold services and housing allocation teams to ensure effective resolution of cases including complex claims.
• Take an active part in discussing and agreeing consent orders, ensuring the Council follows and complies with any agreed terms including proactively monitoring completion of works within the imposed deadlines. Where Court orders need to be challenged or amended, make sure this is only done through the correct legal processes.
• Make sure the approved no access procedures are followed within the team and by the Council's contractors.
• Work with legal services to manage and commission third-party legal support and take responsibility for monitoring spend and payments to include monitoring spend on costs and compensation payments.
• Explore the development of alternative dispute resolution processes, or other initiatives that may help to stem the flow of legal disrepair cases coming to the Council.
• Work across property and housing services to identify ways to encourage residents to come to the Council first before engaging in the legal process and discourage them from approaching solicitors.

About you

You will have a strong track record in property or housing management with experience of leading multi-disciplinary teams. They are looking for someone who has:

• Proven experience at a managerial level in a social housing environment.
• Experience of developing services and strong performance management.
• Evidence of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with a range of teams.
• Experience of performance management and driving a programme of activity.
• Experience of commissioning and working professionally with third party suppliers, such as supply chain partners or legal services providers, driving performance as required.
• Good working knowledge of landlord and tenant law, and the processes that surround legal disrepair.
• Experience of Programme Management, understanding the importance of delivery and quality standards for residents that have in some cases lost faith in its landlord.