Housing Disrepair Team Leader

Job Title: Housing Disrepair Team Leader

Location: Manchester (with opportunity for hybrid working)

Reports to: Operations Manager

Responsible for: Fee Earners and Paralegals within a team

We can offer:

• Salary up to £50,000 (dependant on experience) + Bonus
• City centre location close to public transport
• Hybrid home/office working
• Flexible start and finish times
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays & day off on your birthday
• Pension scheme with 6% employer contribution
• Company sick pay
• Subsidised gym membership
• Casual dress

Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary

As a team leader you are responsible for supervising and managing your team to ensure that the firm’s policies and procedures are followed. You will lead by example and engage the team to achieve goals that contribute to the overall performance and growth of the firm. As a team leader you’ll recognize employee needs, incorporate clear guidelines, and set timelines. You will motivate and inspire your team by creating an environment that promotes positive communication, encourages bonding of team members, and demonstrates flexibility.

Why work for Antony Hodari Solicitors

Antony Hodari Solicitors has been established for over 40 years and is based in Manchester City Centre within easy access of public transport. We specialize in housing litigation for clients throughout the UK. We believe that no one should have to live in unsafe or unsuitable housing conditions. Delivering an unparalleled level of service to our clients - over 1000 satisfied clients rate us an average 4.8 on Trustpilot and Reviews.io. Reputation is very important to us, and we are seeking talented like-minded individuals to join our growing team.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Provide strong leadership and management of a team, to meet their targets, goals, and objectives.
• Enabling members to embrace and move forward with changes in a positive, enthusiastic, and effective way.
• Ensure that workloads are prioritised and allocated effectively.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with senior management, other team leaders, all other staff, clients, and external agencies.
• Chair meetings with your team, or other colleagues, when required.
• Responsible for maintenance of high standards of client service through monitoring performance, auditing, and workload distribution.
• To conduct investigations in accordance with the firm’s complaints policy and/or risk process and contribute to analysis of trends, making recommendations for improvements.
• Participate in the development of policy, procedures, and strategic plans for the department.
• To partake in the recruitment and induction of new staff.
• Keep abreast of developments in housing disrepair and ensure that staff are conversant with legislation, regulations, guidance, policies, and procedures relevant to their work.
• Ensure compliance with departmental and firmwide procedures, systems, policies, and practice standards.
• To carry out other such duties as may be required by or on behalf of the firm providing, they are within the scope indicated above.

Managing Team Members

• Deal with leave requests, including sickness notifications.
• Ensure business continuity within your team during periods of leave i.e., ensuring appropriate back up in place and proper preparation has been completed by staff member ahead of any planned leave. In terms of unplanned leave, implementing a contingency plan to ensure uninterrupted continuity of business.
• Return to Work meetings (unless absence threshold hit at which point there will be intervention by the Operations Manager and HR).
• Completion of probation reviews at monthly intervals in line with the firm’s probation Process.
• Quarterly 1-2-1 meetings with team members.
• Addressing individual performance issues with the support of Operations Manager (and HR where appropriate). This may include follow up actions such as assisting with the implementation of a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), or regular review meetings for example.
• Dealing with file queries / support requests in a timely manner.
• Some team members will need more support than others, but it’s critical that you show you have that level in interest in everyone around you to keep morale and interest high

Managing Performance

• Run your own caseload with the direct support of a Paralegal.
• Ensuring individual and team targets are met with tangible duties which may include, but is not limited to:
• Coaching and mentoring.
• Communicating goals.
• Setting objectives.
• Sharing feedback.
• Leading team meetings.
• Leading 1-2-1 meetings.
• Supporting social and wellbeing activities.
• Using incentives and rewards.

• Auditing and supervision of team members to understand the effectiveness of their work – what do they do well and where do they need to improve? This may include but is not limited to:
• Approval of key documents such as the LOC, expert report, instructions to Counsel and pleadings, until such time an expected standard is being consistently reached.
• Auditing by exception – reviewing all cases on the team’s ‘red list’ and providing constructive feedback, as well as acknowledging staff when they are doing well, or make significant improvement.

Managing overall performance & growth

• Liaise regularly with fellow team leaders to:
• Offer each other guidance and support.
• Deal with any operational challenges.
• Share knowledge – landlord tactics, hearing outcomes etc.
• Seek counsel on case-related queries or second opinions
• Consideration to if and how processes could be made more efficient or effective in conjunction with Operations Manager.
• Identify and report any business risk.
• Ensure each is aligned to the business objective.
• Identify any common training needs or suggested improvements.
• Set an agenda for forthcoming Compulsory Days.
• Set agenda for Team Leader / Operations meetings (every 2 weeks).

• Engage with other department managers to understand and rectify inter-department challenges i.e., liaising with BOC team in terms of difficulties they face in enforcing some of the HDR settlements and why? How and when should cases be referred to EPA for possible new claims? Feeding back to NCT Manager both positive and constructive feedback whilst understanding each team’s primary function. This is not an exhaustive list.
• Meet with Directors/s every quarter to understand the business objective and plans for growth, and to offer feedback and suggestions.
• Keep abreast of changes and developments within the legal sector.
• Work in accordance with the firm’s policies and processes.
• Work flexibly to meet business needs. Value each members contribution and help colleagues to the best of your abilities

Person Specification

Team management requires a certain skill set that involves a mix of technical and personal skills. Effectively managing a group of people requires adaptability, flexibility, and excellent communication skills as you work with varying types of people. Group dynamics can also affect your ability to manage your team. Expect to shift and change your management style based on the team you manage, and the firm’s objectives and goals.

• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written.
• Positive attitude and flexibility within requirements for the role, and to forge and maintain effective interdepartmental relationships.
• Tact and diplomacy in all interpersonal relationships with clients, third parties and staff.
• Tactful approach to problems, and to be able to handle difficult situations
• Methodical, organised approach to work, self-motivation, and personal drive to achieve quality of work, high standard of client care and performance against targets as an individual, and as a team.
• Willingness to grow, learn and develop and ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Confident and skillful negotiation skills.
• Decision making and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent time-management skills.
• Honesty and integrity.
• Computer literate and sound knowledge of Microsoft Office and Proclaim.

Requirements

Experience:

Minimum 2 years’ litigation experience

Minimum 6 months’ housing disrepair experience

Minimum 6 months' experience leading teams

Skills & competencies:

• Ability to handle volume work.
• Experience of Proclaim or other case management software is desirable, but not essential.
• Competent in use of Microsoft packages such as Word, Teams.
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and written.
• Ability to make decisions.
• Effective time-management.
• Ability to problem solve.
• Ability to work to strict deadlines and SLAS whilst maintaining excellent client care

Personal attributes:

• Initiative, optimism, confidence, adaptability, motivation, willingness to learn, resilience.

Apply directly by emailing hr@antonyhodari.co.uk