Come to Work with a Tenancy Services Officer
This week I spent the afternoon with Jamie Cooper, a member of our Tenancy Services team, to see what it is that she does on a day-to-day basis.
Hint: It’s a lot!
After spending her morning in meetings and catching up on admin, the first task of the afternoon was a nine month visit with one of the tenants she works with in a type two sheltered housing scheme. A nine-month visit is an opportunity for the Tenancy Officer to check in with new tenants and make sure they are happy with the service they are receiving.
The tenant we visited was settling in well and described his experience as ‘falling on his feet’. He was in the midst of redecorating his one bedroom flat with a few licks of paint and some new carpet. Jamie checked in on how he was doing personally and offered some advice regarding the help that he is entitled to when paying his rent. If you would like some similar advice, visit Housing Benefit | South Essex Homes.
Once we had finished talking to the tenant and noting down any repairs that he needed, we had a quick walk around the flat to make sure everything else was in working condition and that no other repairs needed to be raised. The tenant was then informed that his tenancy would be going secure once it reached a year since he had signed his contract.
After a friendly visit we walked to Crouchmans to have a look at the studio flats over there. A studio flat consists of a kitchen/living area, a bathroom, and a bedroom separated from the living area by a divider rather than a wall. They were surprisingly roomy and had beautiful sunny views of Friars Park.
We then headed back to the Civic Centre to complete the admin following the nine-month visit. Jamie had to get the document signed off by her manager and then had to scan it in to upload it onto the online system. The tenant was then sent a letter confirming that his tenancy would be made secure. Throughout this time a multitude of emails came in to be dealt with, from both colleagues and tenants through the contact centre.
After dealing with those there was one task left to complete. All Tenancy Services Officers now also raise their own repairs after a visit, following our visit, Jamie had to raise a repair to the tenant’s toilet. To do this she has to log it on an online system and enter the correct codes relating to the type of accommodation and the repair. An appointment was then booked with Morgan Sindall for them to visit the property.
We finished up a little earlier than usual as Jamie had to speed off to M&S to do some shopping for a tenant. Since the lockdown in 2020 she has been doing a weekly shop for an elderly resident who finds it difficult to get out to the shops herself, and she’s still doing it now! Taking the definition of above and beyond to a new level.