Experience

Daventry District Council

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Standards and Scrutiny Support Officer

  • Jul 2010 - Present

  I provide impartial research and support to elected councillors conducting local service reviews. This includes taking and producing official minutes of meetings, producing information to official guidelines and within strict deadlines. My job also involves standards management, such as receiving any reported code of conduct breaches involving community representatives. I provide impartial research and support to elected councillors conducting local service reviews. This includes taking and producing official minutes of meetings, producing information to official guidelines and within strict deadlines. My job also involves standards management, such as receiving any reported code of conduct breaches involving community representatives.



Orbit Group

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Supporting People Officer

  • Jul 2003 - Jul 2010

  This job was a promotion from regional office level to work for the nationwide Orbit Group. As part of a corporate policy and business information team, I developed Group-wide intelligence on Supporting People contracts and negotiations and advised colleagues how to negotiate with commissioning teams across different regions.Explaining the strategic implications of emerging government policy to managers across the group was a fundamental part of this role. I also wrote and presented Group-wide briefings, reports, policies and procedures and developed a training programme on the topic of safeguarding children.Due to family changes in 2010, I needed to find work closer to home and secured a job at Daventry District Council. Show less

• Senior Housing Officer (Orbit HA)

  • Jul 2002 - Jul 2003

  Whilst working part-time at Northamptonshire County Council, I wanted to retain some property management experience and consequently applied for another part-time role at Orbit Housing Association.This job involved leading a team of eight people in a regional office. The team handled all aspects of housing management, including allocations, rent arrears, tenancy management, disputes and property maintenance. I was responsible for recruitment, management, team development and performance. I also helped to manage the association's new contracts under the Supporting People framework.After successfully completing my probationary period, this role was made permanent and I accepted the opportunity to go full-time with the association. Show less



Northamptonshire County Council

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Contracts Officer

  • Mar 2002 - Mar 2003

  My next role was to set up contracts under the national Supporting People framework. This part-time job involved working with a wide range of agencies to establish support contracts before new government regulations came into effect. My job was to negotiate support levels required and contract prices, ensuring that there was sufficient money in the county budget to afford what was being commissioned. I also researched and wrote bids for additional government funding, which brought additional money into Northamptonshire. Show less



Daventry District Council

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Principal Housing Officer (Older Persons'​ Services)

  • Apr 1990 - Apr 2001

  Leading a large sheltered housing team, I was responsible for developing and managing council housing schemes for elderly people across the district.This role involved managing the restructuring of housing services for the elderly and introduced the council-wide Call Care community response system. I also had responsibility for major modernisation programmes in three older persons' schemes. This was highly sensitive given the client group and need for continuing support whilst their homes were being extensively refurbished.In 2000, I took voluntary redundancy from the council at a time when government changes were set to transform support services. I successfully applied for a policy job at county level which built on my industry knowledge and offered the chance to develop my policy skills. Show less

• Homelessness Officer

  • Oct 1988 - Apr 1990

  This job involved assessing applications from homeless people in line with housing law - helping them to find appropriate accommodation, get debt advice and support and avoid eviction. A high-pressure role, working in homelessness required considerable tact and sensitivity, and initiative to find practical ways of helping people solve problems.

• Senior Housing Assistant (Development)

  • Sep 1983 - Oct 1988

  Promotion to this job entailed interviewing and assessing housing applications and managing a neighbourhood 'patch' of properties. It was my job to inspect properties before and after allocation, and when tenancies were due to be vacated. I also dealt with tenancy disputes and conducted follow-up visits in the event of any problems.I also managed a major repairs programme for the council in this role. My responsibilities included viewing architects' plans and visiting residents in their homes to consult them on proposed refurbishment designs. Following consultation and finalisation of plans, I worked with customers to organise the disconnection of utilities and removal services, so that properties were vacated and ready for work to begin at the scheduled project time. I then liaised with appointed contractors at regular intervals to ensure that refurbishment work was progressing on target and update customers if any unexpected changes occurred.I also commenced studying for the Chartered Institute of Housing professional qualification part-time, to complement my practical housing experience. Show less

• Housing Administration Assistant

  • Jun 1981 - Sep 1983

  This was a an administration role supporting a team of housing officers. I prepared forms for building inspections, booked appointments, sorted keys for property lettings and helped people to sign up for their new tenancies.

• Planning Assistant

  • Oct 1976 - Jun 1981

  Provided technical administration support to planning officers. This included checking planning applications were completed correctly, ensuring availability of plans, contacting applicants to resolve queries or secure additional information, arranging appointments and preparing all documentation for submission to the planners.



Barclaycard

• United Kingdom
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Clerk

  • Jul 1971 - Oct 1976

  My first role after leaving school was a clerical position with Barclaycard. This involved handling customer enquiries by telephone and letter, investigating fraud issues and communicating reports of lost and stolen cards to the authorised payments team. My first role after leaving school was a clerical position with Barclaycard. This involved handling customer enquiries by telephone and letter, investigating fraud issues and communicating reports of lost and stolen cards to the authorised payments team.