Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services. Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions. Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients. In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research. We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit. Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’. The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients. We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS. Job overview The accommodation services department manages a portfolio of over 400 units of accommodation, located at both hospitals and in our local community, for the benefit of patients, staff and visitors to the Trust. The provision of high quality accommodation is seen as a crucial part in supporting first class clinical services for patients and attracting to the Trust staff which are difficult to recruit. The department delivers a range of designated in-house services including client liaison, project management, housekeeping and maintenance. The service has recently seen significant developments and investment and is continually evolving to ensure that the complex requirements of the client group are met. The post holder will join a dynamic and skilled team, with the ability to build on the strengths of the current accommodation service, yet flexible to adapt to future changes to ensure the delivery of the department’s vision is achieved. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of an efficient and effective operational and reception service for the accommodation estate; meeting the needs and objectives of both the department and the Trust. The post holder will be required to ensure compliance with the agreed standards are met, through monitoring and reporting deficiencies; and taking the appropriate action to remedy any issues in consultation with departmental management. Main duties of the job Responsible for the day to day operation of a consistently high quality reception service, ensuring all queries in person, via telephone or email are dealt with from a position of knowledge and in a highly professional manner. Responsible for ensuring the delivery of an efficient and effective operational and reception service for the accommodation estate; encompassing the provision, rental and maintenance of accommodation. Allocates accommodation in accordance with the residential accommodation policy or lodge placement guidelines; maintaining occupancy levels and abiding by any interim procedures to increase them. Responsible for maintaining accurate data entry for all departmental systems, ensuring that physical and electronic records are filed, audited and archived accordingly. Ensures that all repairs and maintenance issues are logged and dealt with effectively, to enable these issues to be resolved expediently. Develops and contributes to the continuous improvement of the service, increasing client satisfaction and flexible working practices; prepared to offer support and cover on a cross-site basis if necessary. Responsible for the day to day operation of a consistently high-quality reception service, ensuring all queries in person, via telephone or email are dealt with from a position of knowledge and in a highly professional manner. Working for our organisation Essentia is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. We employ over 1,600 people in Essentia. They are responsible for most non-clinical services at our hospitals and community sites. Essentia designs, builds and maintains healthcare infrastructure vital to the smooth running of our services. From our 5 main hospitals, and in the community, we provide a full range of lifelong, general and specialist care, as well as clinical research, innovation, education and training. We're a diverse and welcoming organisation, and are incredibly proud of our 23,600 staff and the dedication they show to our patients and each other. We aim to be outstanding in everything we do and to provide high quality and compassionate care and experience to all of our patients and families. We're guided by our values in everything we do and, as one of the largest employers in London, we reflect the diversity, opportunity and ambition of our communities and the people we serve. Organisational Values: Our values help us to define and develop our culture, what we do and how we do it. It is important that you understand and reflect these values throughout your employment with the Trust. The post holder will: · Put patients first · Take pride in what they do · Respect others · Strive to be the best · Act with integrity Our values and behaviours framework | describes what it means for every one of us in the Trust to put our values into action. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Operational Responsible for ensuring the delivery of an efficient and effective operational and reception service for the accommodation estate; encompassing the provision, rental and maintenance of accommodation. Allocates accommodation in accordance with the residential accommodation policy or lodge placement guidelines; maintaining occupancy levels and abiding by any interim procedures to increase them. Ensures all tenants and guests are issued with the correct keys, swipe cards/access codes and documentation at point of arrival. Manages the allocation of property keys and access cards, ensuring a full suite of copies and master keys are maintained at all times. Ensures that all repairs and maintenance issues are logged and dealt with effectively, to enable these issues to be resolved expediently. Assists with managing refurbishment projects and as a result any subsequent reconfiguration programme. Conducts weekly audits to ensure signed copies of tenancies or licenses have been received. Responsible for maintaining accurate data entry for all departmental systems, ensuring that physical and electronic records are filed, audited and archived accordingly. Monitors the use and implementation of the ‘image of the service’ initiatives, ensuring high presentation and commercial standards are maintained at all times. Ensures specific work is completed to a satisfactory standard, through monitoring and reporting deficiencies; and as appropriate, taking corrective action to ensure these standards are maintained. Develops and contributes to the continuous improvement of the service, increasing client satisfaction and flexible working practices; prepared to offer support and cover on a cross-site basis if necessary. Responds to and completes any reasonable tasks or requests placed by the accommodation management team. Technical Utilises fully the current and subsequent IT systems provided for the benefit of the accommodation department; ensuring the maintenance of these systems and their information are updated. Responsible for an assigned system and will ensure that all staff are trained and kept up to date on any changes related to the system, including amending associated policies and documentation. Responsible for maintaining an accurate and effective stock ordering/control system (Oracle), including liaising with procurement and suppliers. Observes and adheres to all aspects of health and safety legislation, whilst ensuring team members do likewise. In conjunction with the Trust’s security management and fire safety teams, ensures that procedures are followed for both fire safety, building and resident security. Wears the approved and correct uniform at all times when on duty and prominently displays their Trust ID badge. Communication Responsible for the day to day operation of a consistently high quality reception service, ensuring all queries in person, via telephone or email are dealt with from a position of knowledge and in a highly professional manner. Utilises problem solving qualities to respond to each query in a timely manner, using their own initiative to prioritise workload to deal with the high volume of enquiries. Responsible for sending and compiling the results of client satisfaction surveys, utilising the specific software to do so. Ensures all prospective tenants and guests receive standard departmental notification documents prior to their arrival. Assists in the production and distribution of information, to ensure all residents are fully informed of planned/reactive maintenance, refurbishment programmes and changes to service provision. Investigates and attempts to resolve complaints or disputes between neighbours and co-sharers. Resolving issues of anti-social behaviour, using legal guidance and support from the accommodation manager; whilst ensuring at all times the highest standards of customer service are maintained. Collects, sorts and delivers tenants’ post on a daily basis; and where necessary sends them electronic notification of parcel deliveries. Liaises with the housekeeping and maintenance teams to ensure service standards are maintained. Reports any maintenance faults, damage, theft or health and safety issues in their designated areas of responsibility. Completes IR1s for departmental accidents and adverse incidents. Cooperates with colleagues and management to assist in an effective and pro-active working environment. Financial Procurement and budgetary responsibility for all purchases up to the value of £1,000. Collects, receipts and banks all income (cash, cheques and debit/credit card transactions) on a daily basis; and issues the finance department with accurate information on all monies received. Ensures that the correct procedure is followed for the collection of rent from both tenants and visitors. Liaises with the payroll department to ensure that all monthly salary deductions for rent are accurate, including any amendments. Controls standing order deductions in accordance with specific policies. Maintains strict credit control of all tenant and guest accounts, debt chasing where necessary. Liaises with tenants using all means of communication available, to negotiate to clear or reduce account arrears. Manages the collection and refunds of tenant deposits via the Deposit Protection Scheme. Ensures that any financial procedure completed, is in accordance with both the department’s local procedures and that of the Trust’s standing financial instructions. Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Person specification Qualifications/Education Essential criteria • Minimum 5 GCSE’s (Grade A-C) including English and Maths. • NVQ Level III or comparable qualification in a related field. Desirable criteria • NVQ Level III in Business Administration or Customer Service. Previous Experience Essential criteria • Significant customer service and administrative experience within a large and complex facilities management department. • Demonstrable record in using IT systems including Microsoft Office packages and FM software. • Debt management and resolution experience. Desirable criteria • Experience of dealing directly with the general public in a customer focussed environment within the healthcare profession or hotel industry. Skills/Knowledge Essential criteria • Excellent knowledge of customer service and administrative procedures. • Excellent customer service skills with the ability to respond sensitively to tenant and guest queries. • Excellent command of the English language, including oral and written communication skills. • Typing skills of 30 wpm. • Willingness to take ownership for resolution of enquiries and complaints. • Ability to remain calm when dealing with difficult or distressed people. • Understanding of the need for confidentiality and discretion. • A methodical and accurate approach to work activities and capable of following procedures and systematic processes. • Excellent team member with the ability to communicate and engage effectively with all grades of staff, within a busy and challenging environment. • Ability and willingness to learn new skills and to attend training. • Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines, delegating work where appropriate. • Ability to manage time, organise and prioritise work; whilst showing initiative when working on their own and as part of a team. Desirable criteria • Understanding of NHS housing issues, including housing law and deposit protection schemes. • Committed and enthusiastic towards providing high customer service standards. Physical Requirements Essential criteria • Physically capable of carrying out all the duties contained within the job description, not withstanding the requirements of the Equality Act. Additional Information Essential criteria • Flexible and able to work shifts both during the week and at weekends cross-site. Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership. Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy. As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends. Flexible working We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personal circumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process. Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis. Please apply for this post by clicking "Apply Online Now." Applicant requirements The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions. Further details / informal visits contact Name Tariq Ropun Job title Accommodation Manager Email address [email protected] Telephone number 0207 188 0225