HOUSING OMBUDSMAN SERVICE
Role: Formal Resolution Casework (title of job role to be confirmed)
Job Profile & Person Specification
This is intended to reflect the Purpose, Key Result Areas and Competencies relevant to the
role held by the employee and should be considered in conjunction with the organisation’s
current Mission, Vision, Values and Primary Outcomes.
Purpose
Expert in investigation, identify cases for investigation and carry out
investigation. Develop internal expertise in Ombudsman work
Accountable to
Casework Line Manager
Responsible for
(Supervisory
Responsibility)
N/A
Working
relationships
Landlords, tenants, tenant panels, MPs, Councillors, dispute
resolution team members (refer to section 1 in the narrative) and
other members of the organisation.
Key result areas
Customer satisfaction
Dispute resolution
Compliance
Value added
Appropriate decisions
Optimise learning
Quality assured
Standards applicable Casework quality standards, customer care standards, policy,
to role
jurisdiction, guidance and dispute resolution principles
Knowledge and
Skills
Apply their expert knowledge of housing law, customer care, Role
of Ombudsman, dispute resolution and complaint handling to
determine a case by way of formal investigation
Competencies (skills Taking action
& behaviours to be
Being pro-active in identifying and resolving problems, anticipating
able to do the role)
others’ needs so they can be addressed before becoming a big
issue. Working autonomously, progressing issues in a timely
manner and making independent decisions; seeking to use your
own initiative. Reacting appropriately to situations, appreciating the
wider impact of decisions made by others as well as yourself.
Organised
Planning and prioritising activities, managing a multiple task
workload. Letting others know about progress and if there are any
risks that may cause delay, seeking to exceed your delivery targets.
Also being aware of, and help organise, the team case load,
highlighting any resource issues and helping others manage their
workload.
Talking to others
Speaking confidently, clearly and fluently using professional,
objective language, avoiding jargon or criticism. Actively listening to
and probing others with questions to explore their needs. Adjusting
your approach in conversation (e.g. tone of voice, volume, level of
language, empathic language) in response to their reactions, using
your discretion. Being aware of your impact on others in
conversation.
Working collaboratively
Seeking to understand others' motivations and reactions of others.
Encouraging others to share their views and listening to them.
Looking to achieve a better outcome by working with others on
issues, actively supporting collaborative working.
Seeking to learn
Engaging in self-development activities, spotting what needs to
change and looking to address these to bring about improvements
within yourself. Pro-actively seeking to learn new techniques and
technology. Able to make meaning of information and probe for
additional information to reinforce your learning. Pro-actively
helping others in their learning, for example sharing knowledge and
skills, helping them improve their quality of work and helping others
have more effective discussions around complicated cases.
Seeking improvement
Spotting what needs to change and looking to address these to
bring about improvements both within the organisation and ‘whole
system’. Pro-actively scan for and consider the merits of use of new
and emerging techniques and technology to improve system and
processes. . Pro-actively helping others in their learning, for
example sharing knowledge and skills, helping them improve their
quality of work and helping others have more effective discussions
around complicated cases and dispute resolution.
Able to influence mindset and behaviour change in others.
Is able, having attempted to achieve an objective or problem solve
on different occasions, to modify the objective or underlying norms
and polices in the light of experience or possibly even reject the
objective and redefine it (‘double loop learning’).
Ensuring others and your work is of a good quality, seeking and
giving feedback.
Objective analysis
Probing information and assumptions to separate opinion from fact,
identifying and gathering the key information. Logically weighing up
the information and evidence. Intervening early and reacting
appropriately to situations as they arise. Drawing well-reasoned
conclusions and solutions from the information, considering the
consequences of your decisions. Analysing highly complicated
situations, spotting the wider impact to resolve underlying issues.
Effective writing
Excellent writing skills and your documents are error free, logically
structured and clear. Your writing demonstrates a reasoned
balance of the information and the path of your decisions and
conclusions are easy to follow. Influencing others by articulating
complex arguments and decisions well in writing. Adjusting your
style of writing appropriately for your audience. Able to write
complicated bespoke documents.
Effective conversations
Speaking to others as a means to achieve a resolution, adjusting
what you are saying according to their response. Facilitating
effective conversations using a variety of techniques (e.g. role
modelling, seed sowing, coaching) to bring people together to work
towards a common goal. Articulating complex arguments, handling
objections effectively and negotiating difficult decisions verbally.
Key Strengths
(energised by and
contributes to high
performance in the
role)
Playing to strengths is part of our people management philosophy
and understanding how individuals deploy their strengths forms part
of our selection process.
Presently we have not identified a profile of ideal ‘key strengths’
necessary for this role.
Additional ad-hoc activities
It is essential that all employees contribute to the achievement of the business plan, and
other projects and activities from time to time that are broadly consistent with those outlined
in the role profile and grade.
Equality and Diversity
All employees must uphold the standards set out in the organisation’s Equality and Diversity
Policy in respect of promoting equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion.
Health and Safety
All employees are required to ensure their own actions reduce risks to health and safety for
themselves and colleagues and that health and safety requirements are met in areas of
responsibility as set out in the organisation’s Health & Safety Manual.
Formal resolution – role narrative
Section 1
This role will be working daily with:
 Complaints identified as being suitable for investigation
 Landlords and tenants to determine cases by way of formal investigation
 Landlords, tenants, MPs, Councillors and tenant panels to improve and expand the
understanding of dispute resolution
 Dispute resolution team members
Section 2
Appropriate decision making will entail (including by reference to standards as on page one):
 Whether case is in jurisdiction/ suitable for intervention/ investigation threshold
criteria apply
 Issues to be resolved through investigation
 Parameters of the investigation
 Evidence and information required
 Whether systemic issues arise
 Appropriate outcome (no maladministration/maladministration/service failure)
 Appropriate orders/ recommendations
 Whether there is merit in requests to review determination
 What sort of compliance is appropriate
 Whether enforcement action is necessary
 When a complaint is being made against HOS
 Data Protection Act/ Freedom of Information requests and passing legitimate
requests on to senior colleagues
 Casework distribution (in collaboration with the team)
Section 3
Activities to include
 Articulation of decisions on jurisdiction/ intervention/ investigation threshold criteria
(15%)
 Communication/liaison with the parties to the complaint
 Obtain evidence and information as required
 Investigate and issue determination of complaint
 Review determinations
 Compliance monitored and reviewed
 Appropriate enforcement activity
 Identify and disseminate learning from casework internally and externally
 Capture and use information and date clearly, concisely, accurately and in ways that
promote understanding internally and externally
 Referral of complaint against HOS/ Freedom of Information/ Data Protection Act
request to casework manager
 Advice to colleague (
 Report Writing
Section 4
Customer satisfaction requirements:
 Timely
 Maintain communication with parties during investigation
 Demonstration that representations considered
 Orders complied with
 Recommendations followed up
 Customer satisfaction survey outcomes
Section 5
Data capture requirements
 Outside of Jurisdiction/ threshold/ intervention decisions
 Investigation outcome
 Review decision
 Measure for time to completion
 Systemic issues identified
 Compliance requirements
 Orders and recommendations