About the Borough  

This special place in South West London between the capital and the country has been a Royal borough longer than anywhere else - it is where the first kings of England were crowned.

Today it is a vibrant and diverse borough, with a long history and strong cultural and community heritage. Kingston's riverside location, fantastic retail offer, historic market place and church, parks and gardens all make Kingston town centre the vibrant space it is, and each of our district town centres (Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth and Chessington) have something unique to offer.

Situated in Zone 6, Kingston is among the best-connected town centres in London – with direct train links from Kingston and Surbiton stations to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and Tramlink.

Kingston’s people are innovative and entrepreneurial, and have a strong sense of community pride. The borough has been home to great industry and creativity for many years, reflected in assets such as the Rose Theatre, the International Youth Arts Festival and Kingston University, which boasts more new graduate business start-ups than any other.

We have seen tremendous generosity and compassion within our communities, particularly in response to COVID-19, which is a demonstration of Kingston’s key strength. The council offers a strong level of support to vulnerable groups and those who need additional support, which has also increased significantly as a result of the pandemic. Like most places, the average age of our population is rising as more people are living longer, so we are working closely with residents to help them maintain their independence and further improve the cost effectiveness of our service to meet the ongoing rise in demand.

Kingston is home to people from diverse and interesting cultures and backgrounds, which helps to create the rich sense of community shared across the borough. In particular, Kingston has a large Sri Lankan Tamil community and is home to more people from Korea than any other part of the UK.

About the Role  

RBK has an exciting opportunity for someone to join the housing services team in the role of Resident Engagement Officer. Leading the development of a modern, flexible approach to resident engagement which develops a culture where residents play an active role in the management of their home and communities, in a changing environment following the social housing white paper. 

What the job actually requires:

• Plan and deliver an outcome-based, customer-focused, resident engagement service to Kingston’s Council housing residents, circa 6,000 households ( Including leaseholders)
• The subject matter expert, providing coaching, training and  technical advice for colleagues on Resident Engagement. 
• Ensure compliance with Regulations on the Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard, setting the strategic direction and delivery of key measures of success
• Collaborating with colleagues on regeneration projects, specific regard for  Cambridge Road Estate, contributing to positive practice, innovation and community cohesion.
• Engaging with current engagement structures to build capacity and empower residents to co-create solutions in their communities building positive, pragmatic and resilient communities
• Deliver tenant engagement events, draft annual report, newsletters and bulletins,  

About Us  

The role reports directly to the Lead Officer, Housing Services, and is responsible for delivering resident engagement services and activities with Kingston Council housing residents, circa 6,000 households, new homes programme and contributing to the Cambridge Road regeneration project. The role will be the subject matter expert providing technical advice for colleagues on resident Engagement and ensuring compliance with Regulations on Tenant empowerment and Empowerment Standard

About You  

Any essential qualifications, experience and skills you are looking for in your successful candidate  (About the Person):

• Substantial experience in resident engagement and tenancy management in the social housing sector.
• Able to demonstrate positive outcomes working with and influencing a diverse range of community groups, using varied methodologies 
• Working knowledge of the regulatory framework 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• IT skills to optimise digital engagement, communications and agile working
• Experience in programme and project management of complex initiatives in a political environment, including strategy and policy development and stakeholder management 

Our Offer To You  

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

In addition we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff supported by our IT infrastructure, Google Chromebooks and Google Apps, which have acted as a key enabler for collaborative and streamlined working. The COVID-19 pandemic has required us to be even more flexible in how we work and manage staff workloads, ensuring they have the correct equipment and resources to be able to maximise their talents and looking after their wellbeing.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
• Three volunteering days per year
• Flexible and agile working arrangements
• Comprehensive learning and development programme
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
• Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
• Subsidised gym membership

Application Process  

Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.

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. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.