Grant Support Officer

About the role

The successful candidate will:

• Assist the Disabled Facilities Grants Team in Private Sector Housing, with the day-to-day operational delivery of grant administration for the provision of mandatory adaptation grants.
• Provide advice and support primarily to clients but also to contractors and Occupational Therapists.

What will you be doing?

Principal responsibilities

• Utilise North Northamptonshire Council’s (NNC) PSH Policy to provide grants.
• Acknowledge receipt of new referrals from the Occupational Therapists.
• Acknowledge receipt of new Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) enquiry forms and record electronically.
• Carry out an initial means test using the FERRET software system.
• Send out formal applications via post and on email as required.
• Liaise with applicants and other parties throughout the application process and ensure that they are kept fully informed of progress at all stages of the process. This may include visits to applicants’ homes, as required.
• Take responsibility for DFGs that require equipment installations. Issue tender documents, carry out tender analyses, liaise with approved contractors and assist with ensuring work is progressed in a timely manner.
• Carry out inspections to verify equipment works are completed to specification in association with the Private Sector Housing Surveyor as required.
• Arrange payment for works to contractors once all relevant parties have signed off approvals.
• Maintain accurate electronic records at all stages of all grant applications on Uniform and on Teams.
• Provide data and information to the Disabled Facilities Grant Manager as requested, for regular reporting and performance monitoring purposes.
• Maintain up to date databases of contractors and other spreadsheets as and when required.
• Assist in the production and population of payment spreadsheets and the reconciliation of grant payments against ERP transaction reports, for auditing purposes.
• Provide assistance for any other statistical reports needed for performance monitoring and statutory returns.
• Assist in the promotion of Disabled Facilities Grants.
• Assist with other Private Sector Housing team members, as and when required dependent on service needs, with issues such as energy enquiries and general administration of the wider service.
• Assist in the development and implementation of software packages within the department.

About you

For this role you will need:

• Educated to GCSE standard Grade C or above (or equivalent) in Maths and English, or equivalent experience. Minimum of 5 GCSEs
• Experience of working in a customer focussed environment.
• Proven experience of working with and understanding vulnerable clients and their differing needs, adapting approach when dealing with clients with different disabilities to ensure that they have fair access to the service.
• Demonstrable previous experience of working with others on projects including liaison with contractors.
• Ability and willingness to provide organised and timely administrative support
• An understanding of service performance and risk management.
• An understanding of procurement and best value procedures and financial regulations
• Experience in operating within an office environment following procedures/processes
• Able to work to deadlines
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills
• Able to develop and maintain relationships
• Ability to be able to travel around the county
• Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people’s behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the safe working practices that apply to this role.
• Full driving licence and access to a car for work or ability to travel throughout the Borough

Willing to work outside normal office hours as required.

Our Benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment. For further information please click here The Employment and Disability Service (EADS) | North Northamptonshire Council

Armed Forces Community

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)