Housing and Compliance Officer

Housing and Compliance Officer

Organisation: YMCA Wellington and District

Location: New College Apartments (main base), with compliance duties across all YMCA Wellington sites

Responsible to: Housing Manager

Job Purpose

This is a new combined role at YMCA Wellington and District. The Housing and Compliance Officer will act as the dedicated Housing Officer for New College Apartments while also holding organisation-wide responsibility for statutory compliance across all YMCA Wellington sites.

The postholder will manage the full housing journey for New College residents and ensure that all properties across all sites meet their legal compliance obligations, including gas safety, fire safety, electrical certification, and health and safety inspections.

We are looking for someone highly organised who takes compliance seriously and genuinely cares about providing a safe environment for the young people we support.

Life at YMCA Wellington

We’re a small team, but we punch well above our weight. At YMCA Wellington, you’ll find people who genuinely care about the work they do, the young people they support, and the colleagues they do it alongside. We work hard, we laugh, and we look out for each other. That’s not just something we say, it’s how we operate every single day.

The work is meaningful and the challenges are real, but so is the support you’ll receive. We invest in our people, celebrate each other’s successes, and make time to enjoy being a team, including three funded social events a year and genuine opportunities to grow within the organisation and across the wider YMCA movement.

If you’re looking for a role where your contribution matters, your wellbeing is valued, and you can build a career doing work that genuinely changes young people’s lives, this is it.

Key Responsibilities

1. Housing Management – New College Apartments

• Participate in the application and assessment process for New College Apartments, keeping the Housing Manager up to date with upcoming voids and any changes.
• Produce induction paperwork for new residents and carry out sign-up meetings, ensuring residents fully understand their rights and responsibilities.
• Assist residents to apply housing costs to their Universal Credit claim at sign-up and submit council tax information to the local authority in a timely manner.
• Submit and amend tenancy account details on the Tenancy Deposit Scheme within required timescales, and release or withhold deposits once signed off by the Housing Manager.
• Set up utility accounts for new residents where required and upload all relevant information to internal systems promptly.
• Assist with the resolution of housing-related complaints and issue warnings to residents who have breached their occupancy agreement.
• Carry out pre-void inspections, liaise with departing residents to ensure a smooth end of tenancy, and arrange void turnarounds as directed.
• Track assigned repairs via Arthur, carry out property checks, and undertake basic maintenance and safety tasks as required.

2. Statutory Compliance – All Sites

• Maintain an up-to-date compliance tracker covering all statutory checks across all YMCA Wellington sites, ensuring no certificates lapse.
• Coordinate and schedule all required safety checks, including:
  • Annual Landlord Gas Safety certificates
  • Fire safety checks and fire risk assessments
  • Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)
  • Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
  • Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) certification
  • Emergency lighting testing
• Carry out and record weekly fire alarm tests in conjunction with the maintenance team.
• Carry out routine health and safety inspections across all sites and report findings to the Housing Manager.
• Take reasonable steps to rectify immediate health and safety issues and report all others to the relevant senior staff member.
• Ensure contractor information is kept up to date, including valid liability insurance certificates on the repairs and housing management system.
• Participate in health and safety visits by external bodies and support the Housing Manager in addressing any actions raised.

3. Finance & Rent Management

• Apply for direct rent payments from Universal Credit and support residents applying for Discretionary Housing Payments.
• Log rent payments accurately, keep rent accounts up to date, and report monthly to the Housing Manager on all arrears and the plans in place.
• Prepare and circulate monthly rent account statements for residents.
• Update the void report weekly and submit the KPI spreadsheet to the Housing Manager monthly.
• Alert the Housing Manager to any issues relating to rent arrears, cancelled housing costs, or benefit changes.

4. Safeguarding, Conduct & General Responsibilities

• Actively promote safeguarding within the service and ensure any concerns are reported swiftly to the relevant manager.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with GDPR at all times, working within YMCA policies and procedures.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the role.
• Participate in regular supervision sessions and attend meetings and training as required.
• Undertake training and professional development to maintain knowledge of housing legislation, compliance requirements, and best practice.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties as requested by the Housing Manager or senior management team.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience in a housing officer or housing management role.
• Good working knowledge of housing legislation, tenancy management, and landlord obligations.
• Experience of sign-up processes, Universal Credit housing costs, and tenancy deposit schemes.
• Understanding of statutory compliance requirements including gas safety, fire safety, EICR, EPC, and PAT testing.
• Experience of maintaining compliance records and trackers to ensure certificates and checks remain current.
• Experience of managing rent accounts, monitoring arrears, and KPI reporting.
• Experience with Fixflo or a similar repairs or housing management system.
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Good IT and communication skills, with a commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Alignment with YMCA values.

Desirable

• CIH qualification or other relevant housing qualification.
• Health and safety qualification, such as IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent.
• Experience working in supported housing or with young or vulnerable people.
• Experience of carrying out or coordinating health and safety inspections.
• Full UK driving licence.

YMCA Values

All staff are expected to work in line with YMCA’s core values:

• Caring – Acting with compassion and empathy.
• Honesty – Being trustworthy, open, and fair.
• Respect – Valuing every individual.
• Responsibility – Being accountable for our actions.
• Inclusivity – Ensuring services are welcoming and accessible to all.

Benefits

• 22 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (FTE).
• Additional annual leave day awarded at 3, 5, and 10 years’ service.
• Employer pension contributions of a minimum 3% into a workplace pension scheme.
• 3 staff social events per year, fully funded by YMCA Wellington and District.
• Opportunity to visit and connect with other YMCA organisations across the country.
• Continuous professional development (CPD) and training opportunities.
• Free hot drinks facilities on site.

To apply please use the Apply Now button or email: seniorteam@ymcawellington.co.uk

For an informal chat, please contact Louisa Howells-Morgan (CEO) at louisa.howells-morgan@ymcawellington.co.uk.