Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the centre of everything we do.
•Responsible for managing the strategic service that is responsible for analysing and managing all the information involving the activities of Cyngor Gwynedd Housing and act as the Operational Manager for the following areas:
-Housing Support Grant Unit
-Social Housing Grant and PDP
-Housing Policies and Strategies for the Housing and Property Department
-Gypsies and Travellers Service
-Strategic documents involving housing such as the Housing Prospectus and the Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA)
-Specialist Housing Group
-Rapid rehousing field.
•Ensure an effective and efficient service for applicants and residents, in accordance with the Council's policies and service arrangements, and any relevant legislation or guidance code by the Welsh Government.
Responsibility for functions
•Budget
Housing Support Grant: Revenue grant worth over £8 million per annum.
⁠Social Housing Grant:⁠ Capital grant worth £12.5 million per annum.
•Resources - All vehicles, equipment, property or facilities relevant to the work.
Main duties
•Ensure an environment within the team that promotes and encourages the well-being of staff. Ensure that the team contributes to the aims of the service and Council plans.
•Ensure an awareness of the legal and political climate that affects the Housing Field, ensuring that team members are aware of the wider context. ⁠
•Ensure that suitable arrangements are in place to work jointly with the Housing Associations and other partners including leading on the work areas of the Housing Partnership Sub-group as required, including chairing relevant meetings as needed. ⁠⁠
•Ensure that complaints receive due attention and that the team considers any lessons arising to improve the service.
•Deal with any concerns raised by Elected Members regarding the specific work areas. ⁠
•Assist the Assistant Head to ensure that relevant policies and plans are in place to realise the strategic objectives of the Service.
•Undertake work on housing policies at a regional and local level, prepare guidance and implement them on behalf of Cyngor Gwynedd and in cooperation with other partners.
•Contribute to the development and implementation of procedures and protocols to achieve the goals of the Housing Department's delivery plans and strategies and ensure statutory compliance.
•Motivate and/or mentor the teams to identify and act in a timely manner to remove barriers that prevent the ability to deliver what matters to the people of Gwynedd.
•Responsible for monitoring and updating the Common Housing Allocation Policy and ensure appropriate implementation and consideration of the legal requirements.
•Ensure that appropriate and efficient arrangements are in place to establish, develop and realise the Council's Housing Support Grant spending programme, equivalent to £8.2 million per annum.
•Ensure that housing needs assessments and other statutory assessments are undertaken promptly and to the highest standard.
•Responsible for the service that provides tenancy support for the Gypsy and Travellers community who reside on local authority sites.
•Responsible for the co-ordination of arrangements to prepare the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) and various need assessments and act on any recommendations.
•Represent the Department on working groups, groups and relevant internal and external meetings, including meetings outside normal working hours as required.
•Responsible for Specialist Housing Groups' arrangements, close joint working with Social Services to assist in providing housing for people with specialist needs.
•Undertake a prominent role to prepare and update the Council's Homelessness Strategy and ensure that it is in keeping with the Council's other strategic plans.
•Lead on research to identify strategic factors which influence the county's housing market.
•Develop and lead on relevant plans as noted by the Assistant Head of Housing.
•Assist with preparing the financial bids for suitable grants in the Housing and Regeneration Field (where relevant).
•Responsible for ensuring that the Social Housing Grant delivers the Department's strategic aims together with maximising expenditure to assist the projects which contribute to meeting the county's housing needs.
•Work in partnership with Housing Associations to enable the development of affordable housing schemes that get to grips with the strategic priorities as noted in Cyngor Gwynedd's Housing Prospectus.
•Assist in discussions with the Housing Associations and the Planning Unit to ensure that fair consideration is given to the provision of affordable housing through the planning system as well as other policies.
•Assist with the evaluation of information regarding performance provided by the Partnership Board.
•Assist with the production and analysis of the Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA) together with relevant research to assess the need for housing and the housing market.
•Act as a deputy for the Head of Department and the Assistant Head as required to provide help for officers and to attend relevant meetings.
•Participate in the work of managing and developing performance systems and arrangements that are adopted by the Department which includes reporting on relevant targets to the Challenge Performance forum.
•Assist with the recruitment, selection and induction of staff as required.
•Make recommendations for change through evaluation and research, to ensure that the strategic housing role is fulfilled based on the latest developments in housing practice and policy.
•Develop effective frameworks for effective partnership working arrangements with a range of organisations to address strategic priorities for housing.
•Act as the lead officer on technical and professional matters relating to housing standards and Social Housing policies within the Council.
•Ensure guidance is provided to the One Stop Shop so that Cyngor Gwynedd operates in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, guidance and policies.
•Responsible for self-development.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
•Responsibility for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management standards and guidelines.  Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
•Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds with the salary level and responsibility level of the job.⁠
•Responsible for reporting any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.
Special circumstances
There will be a need to work outside normal working hours on occasion, such as to attend Council Committees or meetings with residents, applicants or relevant partners. Situations may also arise where the input or the response of the post-holder is required in an emergency service situation or emergency outside working hours.