Head of Policy and Performance

About Us

Are you passionate about making a difference and providing the best service to social housing residents and those approaching as homeless? 

Would you describe yourself as proactive, an effective leader and good at building and maintaining positive relationships?

Do you have a genuine interest and experience in national housing policies and issues, including development, homelessness, the green agenda, building safety and managing social housing properties?  

 If yes, we have the perfect role for you.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an adaptable, enthusiastic individual to lead our Policy and Performance Team.  

As part of the Shared Staffing Arrangement, you will have the opportunity to work in a unique environment where we provide services for both a large stock holding inner city local authority and a non-stock holding authority in outer London.

As Head of Housing Policy and Performance you will help deliver the policies of a new administration in Wandsworth including the retrofit agenda and for Richmond be part of the unique Tenant Champion’s Service.  You will identify areas of best practice, deliver housing strategies and policies and ensure continued high performance within the Department.

Our goals and vision

Our goal is to provide an excellent service to those living in our council stock and those approaching as homeless.  This includes making sure our homes are decent and safe places to live and that those approaching as homeless are treated with fairness and respect.

About the Department

The Department is responsible for housing advice and homelessness and housing management of our 33,000 council properties, including dealing with anti-social behaviour and tenancy matters, building safety, improving the energy efficiency of our stock, development of affordable housing, regeneration of estates and the delivery of housing strategies and policies. 

About the role

We are looking for a talented and self-motivated individual with a genuine interest and experience in national housing policies and issues.  You will have a proactive approach and willingness to build effective relationships with residents, other departmental teams and key stakeholders across the organisation.  

You will need to be a good communicator, well organised, have excellent written, numerical and analytical skills and sound IT abilities. You will be proactive in keeping yourself up to date on all Government and industry legislation and guidance relating to social housing.  

Rewards and Benefits

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know. 

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed hours and other arrangements. 

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 40 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities. 

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments. 

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date: 15 October  2023

Shortlisting Date: W/C 16 October 2023

Interview Date: TBC (include tests/presentation info)         

Useful Information:

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams, including (eg. females, BAME).   

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.