Council tenants

High level overview of role

Functions/service areas falling under the responsibility of this role include:

The Executive Director of Place is a senior leadership role that oversees a broad range of operational and strategic services aimed at improving and maintaining the physical, economic, and social infrastructure of Thurrock.

The role ensures these services are delivered in a way that is both cost-effective and in line with broader strategic goals, while maintaining a focus on community needs and sustainability. They play key figure in shaping policy, setting priorities, and fostering partnerships across sectors.

• • Operations (Clean and Green, Waste, Corporate Property, Facilities Management, Highways, Transport Delivery, Arboriculture and Strategic Transport)
  • Planning (Development Management, Building Control, Strategic Planning and Planning Enforcement)
  • Housing, Economic Development and Regeneration (as listed below)

• The Housing, Economic Development, and Regeneration Service pillar within Thurrock Council’s Place Directorate is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents by providing essential housing services, fostering sustainable economic growth, and delivering key regeneration projects.
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• The service focuses on maintaining and improving Council housing, supporting local businesses, enhancing employability, and leading urban regeneration initiatives.

• • Employability and Skills
  • Economic Development
  • Regeneration
  • Housing Development
  • Housing Operations
  • Housing Solutions
  • Housing Enforcement
  • Housing Assets, Repairs and Compliance

• • To lead the Capital Delivery, Repairs and Maintenance, Compliance & Technical Services and Home Ownership teams.

• • Asset management
  • To ensure that the Council has the right strategies in place for maintaining our properties and the right partnerships, relationships. contracts and governance in place to deliver the strategic priorities

• Building and fire safety management

  • To lead and oversee all aspects of building safety including the management of a team of technical surveyors, engineers and building safety managers.

• Capital investment programmes (such as Transforming Homes)

To oversee efficient investment in stock to meet decent homes and sustainability targets and maximize the return on our assets

Homeownership Services:

• • • Right to Buy Administration:

  • Assisting eligible council tenants through the process of purchasing their homes under the Right to Buy scheme, ensuring the property is appropriately valued.

  • • Leasehold Management:

  • Overseeing the administration of lease agreements ensuring compliance with terms and addressing leaseholder inquiries.

  • • Service Charge Management:

  • Calculating and apportioning service charges for Council leaseholders for maintenance and communal services and providing detailed breakdowns of the charges within statutory timeframes.

  • • Income Collections – Enforcement

  • action to recover legitimate service charges including appearing at the First Tier Tribunal.

  • • Consultation and Communication:

  • Engaging with leaseholders on significant works or changes affecting their properties, ensuring transparency and compliance with statutory consultation requirements.

  • • Buyback of ex council properties and managing housing land under a garden Licence
  • • Repairs and planned maintenance

Functions/service areas falling under the responsibility of this role include:

Responsible for new council housing development and enabling work with housing associations

• New build housing development for rent within the Housing Revenue Account; working with housing associations to secure new build housing for rent and low-cost sale within Thurrock.

• Provides leadership and holds strategic and operational responsibility for the performance and delivery of Housing Operations’ Services including a mixed tenure housing management.
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• Ensures the delivery of high levels of satisfaction across all managed services and tenures, ensuring performance standards meet all KPIs and regulatory requirements i.e. Tenant Satisfaction Measures and Consumer Standards. 

Anti-social behaviour

• Responsible to conduct specialist investigations including in accordance with both civil and criminal legislation to fulfil the Council’s statutory duties under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.  Providing a response to all aspects of nuisance, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and hate related incidents.

Council-owned travellers’ site management

• • • Management of council-owned traveller sites, ensuring that pitches are well-maintained and comply with relevant legislation. The team manage site allocations, support residents with tenancy-related issues, and ensure that health, safety, and environmental standards are upheld by linking in with other services in the council. We work closely with the traveller community to address any concerns and promote inclusion and well-being

Estate caretaking

• • • Estate Services and caretakers are responsible for the daily maintenance and repair of the communal space at council managed blocks. The majority of housing blocks on estates that have communal areas, and environmental space will receive a caretaker service. Caretakers will regularly complete cleaning and caretaker tasks to keep blocks safe and clean places to live and visit.

Rents and welfare

• • • Responsibility for the setting, charging and collection of Rent, Service Charges and Water Rates on HRA residential properties, plots and garages, ensuring charges are correct and annual increases are actioned accurately. Rent and Welfare officers within the team are responsible for contact and interaction with all new tenants at the start of a tenancy and throughout its duration where required. Whilst they assist with benefits and debt issues, for those tenants experiencing new or increasing financial difficulties or struggling to make payment, a team of two Financial Inclusion Officers are also available for crisis work, benefit entitlement issues and income maximisation. The focus across the team is increasingly on tenancy sustainment and ways in which to support, assist and signpost those tenants' facing difficulties. Cross-department work with colleagues throughout Housing and the business, including Adults, Children’s and Aftercare is a large part of the team’s role. Close working with DWP, external partners (CA, voluntary services, Help Through Hardship, Trussell Trust etc).

Resident involvement and engagement

• • • Manage and coordinates activity to engage council tenants, other resident groups and community stakeholders, ensuring they have opportunities to influence decisions affecting their homes and neighbourhoods. Organising consultations, managing tenant panels, and facilitating communication between residents and the council.
      The team also manage community programmes, partnerships and projects that address well-being; environmental improvements and community capacity building.
       The team also coordinate regular estate inspections to ensure that council-owned sites and communal areas are well-maintained and meet the required standards of cleanliness, safety, and accessibility. Work with tenants, residents’ associations, and council teams to identify and address issues such as fly-tipping, vandalism, and identify repairs and environmental improvements.

Safeguarding

• • • Responsible to conduct specialist investigations and provide a proactive case work and advocacy service to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and violence, in order to fulfil the council statutory responsibilities and duties to provide safe accommodation under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.   Assess levels of risk and work with multi agency partners to provide a safeguarding service to survivors and their families.

Sheltered housing

• • • Oversee the sheltered housing service delivery
    • Oversight of the ongoing management of tenancies and relationships with the vulnerable tenants in sheltered housing. The team use a person-centred approach to focus on tenant wellbeing and tenancy sustainment and ensure that residents receive the ongoing support they need. This involves being a day-to-day point of contact for residents; managing communal issues; health and wellbeing plans; safeguarding and working with partner organisations. Providing the support to tenants enabling them to remain independent for as long as possible by providing a person-centred approach with holistic support and reducing the risk of eviction or homelessness.

Tenancy management (including garages management)

• • • Oversight of the ongoing management of tenancies and relationships with the tenants of council homes. The team use a person-centred approach to focus on tenancy sustainment and ensure that residents receive the support they need. This involves being a day-to-day point of contact for residents; managing community issues; complex cases in households; working with other council services and partner organisations to coordinate resources and ensure that households receive holistic support and reducing the risk of eviction or homelessness.
    • Management of council owned garages, including allocations; licence agreements; ensuring garages and sites are maintained in a safe and secure condition and generate revenue for the council as well as addressing any garage tenants’ concerns. Optimising the use of vacant garages, identifying potential opportunities for redevelopment or repurposing when appropriate.

Responsible for the allocation of social housing, provision of statutory services for those at risk of homeless, or who are homeless, as well as interim, temporary, and private sector housing solutions

Allocations and housing register application registrations

• • • Maintenance of the housing waiting list for Thurrock, assessment of applications in this regard, and the allocation of social housing owned and managed by the Council and RSL partners.  Also responsible for the administration of mutual exchanges, decant operations, and chain letting maximisation

Homelessness assessment and prevention

• • • Undertaking duties to those threatened with homelessness, and the homeless, in line with statute, case law, and Guidance.  Also responsible for the provision of support and accommodation services for rough sleepers.

Temporary accommodation

• • • Procurement, provision, and management of interim and temporary accommodation for those owed a duty under homelessness legislation, as well as private rented offers for these households.  Also provide support to other services, such as Tenancy Management, Leaving Care, and projects, in sourcing and providing accommodation outside of the Council’s own social stock.

Responsible for overseeing the enforcement of housing regulations, managing refugee resettlement operations, and administering the council’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) network.

This role aims to safeguard tenant rights, enhance housing standards, support refugees through housing services and intervention programs, and ensure the safety and security of public spaces, council properties, and residents.

• • Concierge and CCTV
  • A meet-and-greet service manages authorized access for residents, visitors, staff, and contractors in council tower blocks. The 24/7 CCTV surveillance control room helps deter crime, supports incident
    management, and enhances community safety, while ensuring compliance with data protection     and privacy regulations.

Housing Standards

• • Ensuring residential properties, including those in the private rented sector, are safe, habitable, and meet minimum housing standards. This involves maintaining hazard-free conditions, safeguarding tenant rights, and taking enforcement actions to address any instances of non-compliance. 

Licensing

• • Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and caravan licensing are regulatory frameworks designed to ensure the safety and quality of rental accommodations, providing a secure and safe living environment for residents.

Refugee Resettlement & Integration

• Ensures refugees receive the support they need for long-term stability, independence, help build local social connections and successful integration into their new communities.

Responsible for the development of housing strategy, policy, process and service improvement projects, and remaining informed and knowledgeable of changes in the wider housing landscape

• • Housing strategy, policy and process development, service and business improvement projects, regulatory compliance assessments