The Empty Homes Agency

Information Pack

for applicants for the post of

Office and Finance Manager

The Empty Homes Agency

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 The Empty Homes Agency

May 2009

1. Introduction
The Empty Homes Agency is an independent campaigning charity. It has a two-fold
mandate:

• To raise awareness of the potential of empty homes across England

• To work with others to devise and promote solutions that will bring empty
homes back into use to meet housing need

2. Background to the Empty Homes Agency

The Empty Homes Agency was founded in 1992 at the instigation of Antony
Fletcher, who had previously been working as a Special Adviser on empty homes to
Sir George Young, the then Housing Minister in the Department of the Environment,
and had witnessed first hand the scandalous waste of empty property both public and
private across the country. Prior to this he had been Chief Executive of London and
Quadrant Housing Trust, one of the county’s largest housing associations, where
during the 1970’s he had established one of the first temporary lettings in a major
housing association.

Under the dynamic leadership of the late Bob Lawrence, the Agency’s first Chief
Executive, the Agency quickly developed a reputation in the housing sector for
promoting the need for more action on empty homes. In particular it targeted local
authorities and Government bodies actively working with them to reduce their many
empty homes. The Agency also promoted the need for local authorities to write
empty property strategies and to invest in a dedicated post of empty property officer
to help bring properties back into use. The fact that the vast majority of local
authorities now have empty property strategies is a testimony to these early years.

The Agency continued to develop under the leadership of Ashley Horsey, who was to
become the Government’s Bed & Breakfast supremo. He achieved notable campaign
successes around the reduction of VAT on the restoration of long-term empty
properties.

Arguably the greatest campaign success was achieved under the next Chief
Executive Jonathan Ellis. The agency successfully argued for new legislation for the
introduction of new powers for local authorities to bring empty homes back into use.
The government eventually agreed and in April 2006 Empty Dwelling Management
Orders were introduced in the Housing Act 2004

The Empty Homes Agency now under the leadership of current chief executive David
Ireland has continued to obtain significant campaign successes, including reductions
on VAT for refurbishing empty homes and funding for housing associations to buy
and renovate empty homes. The Agency is also taking a more hands-on role,
campaigning on individual empty properties and establishing Report Empty Homes
website to enable the public to seek action on empty homes more effectively.

Despite the campaign successes achieved by the Empty Homes Agency the
recession poses new challenges. The number of empty homes has begun to rise

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 The Empty Homes Agency
again, and across the UK is approaching a million. There is still a substantial amount
of work needed to be done to bring more of these properties back into use to meet
housing need and to assist with the overall campaign for greater numbers of
affordable homes.

The Agency needs to work harder to convince all local authorities to make a political
priority of tackling empty homes and to encourage communities affected by empty
homes to campaign for their reuse. We also need to persuade government that
bringing empty homes back into use can provide an important supply of housing at a
time when housebuilding rates are at their lowest for eighty years.

3. Agency Projects

Campaigns
Chief Executive: David Ireland Funding: core funding

• Promoting national campaigns that will help to bring empty homes back into
use
• Building alliances to support our campaigns
• Briefing politicians on the policy opportunities of empty homes

Communications
Communications Manager: Shashi Ioannides Funding: core funding

• Maintaining an up to date website

• Producing a monthly e-newsletter
• Responding to general information requests where possible

Our projects are supported by:

This post- Office and Finance Manager

And our invaluable team of volunteers

What we don’t do ….. at the moment!

• Provide lists of empty homes to individuals or companies

• Campaign on bringing empty commercial property back into use
• Manage any housing stock
• Offer planning advice

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 The Empty Homes Agency

4. The Empty Homes Agency Management Board

The Empty Homes Agency has a management board with up to 15 members. At

present the following are members of the Management Board, who are drawn from a
broad cross section and bring diverse experience and enthusiasm to the Agency:

• Nick Aldridge (Chair) - Chief Executive of Mission Fish

• Alan Collett – a partner of Allsop & Co LLP.
• Jon Fitzmaurice – a consultant for Agents For Change
• Gareth Hall – a partner at Devonshires Solicitors
• Nick Hughes – the Honorary Treasurer, who is a retired housing association
director
• Rachel Massey – of KPMG’s physical regeneration team.
• Nick Caprara – Pathmeads Housing Association
• Peter Archer – regeneration and housing consultant and Audit Commission
housing inspector
• Toby Taper – A visiting professor from Bristol University
• Ceri Edwards – Head of Communications and Marketing, London Councils

The Management Board meets on 5 occasions throughout the course of the year

The Management Board is responsible for the strategic direction of the Empty Homes
Agency, and the Chair and Hon Treasurer are responsible for working with the Chief
Executive on the operational management of the Agency.

5. Appointment of an Office and Finance Manager

The Empty Homes Agency is seeking to recruit to a new Office and Finance Manager
post Supporting the Chief Executive and a series of projects this post will perform a
vital role managing the smooth running of the agency and ensuring we have
maximum impact campaigning and helping return empty homes to use.

You must be organised, have the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines., and have
the skills to manage the finances and the functions of a small office.

Based in our London Bridge office in central London. The post is offered on a
permanent contract pro rata £25,000 (20 hours per week) i.e. £20,000 for four days a
week. The post benefits from a pension scheme with generous employer
contributions.

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 The Empty Homes Agency

Job Description:

Responsible for:

Administrative support-

Providing day-to-day office administrative support. This will include:

• Ensuring that all post is opened, dated and distributed.
• Managing stock control and ordering of supplies, including stationery.
• Ensuring that the office space is well maintained.
• Timely answering of telephone calls and responding to emails to the
EHA,s general number and in-box.
• Holding the budget for routine stationery and office supplies, and to
ensure that the EHA achieves value for money on these purchases.
• Managing staff personnel files, annual leave and sickness records.
• Providing administrative support to the management board and staff
meetings

Financial Support

Providing Finance and Fundraising administrative support to the chief

Executive
• Managing all aspects of staff payroll.
• Managing all aspects of invoicing.
• Maintaining an accurate record of the EHA’s expenditure and income
• Preparing monthly management accounts and reconciling balance
sheets of EHA’s expenditure and income
• Monitoring cash flow
• Assisting the chief executive with the preparation of year end
accounts
• Assisting the chief executive with reports to grant funders
• Assisting the chief executive with fundraising applications
• Ensuring that funding files are kept up to date
• Providing administration of petty cash

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 The Empty Homes Agency

ICT support

Managing ICT and Office Equipment. This will include:

• Ensuring that all office equipment is in working order.
• Assisting the website manager in posting updates on the EHA
websites.
• Ensuring proper liaison with the IT support service

Other
• Working with and assisting the campaign manager and chief
executive in assisting communities bring empty homes back into use.
Including occasional site visits and meetings with members of the
public and councils.
• Working with and assisting the campaign manager, communicating
with owners of empty homes, and agencies that can help get homes
back into use.
• Researching and assisting other staff with the organisation of the
EHA’s conference and other internal and external events. .
• Any other duties as required by the chief executive.

Person specification

• Enthusiasm for the cause of reusing empty homes and a

commitment to the ethos, values, aims and objectives of the EHA
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent numeric skills including a good understanding of financial
accounting
• Excellent telephone manner
• An ability to dealing appropriately with sensitive or difficult situations
• Good IT skills and experience of Microsoft Office software
• An ability to use advanced functions of word-processing software to
produce well presented, clear, grammatically correct documents.
• Good problem solving skills
• An ability to prioritise, plan and organise work, and willingness and
ability to work alone on occasion.
• Enthusiastic, with a commitment to providing a high quality work.
• Ability to maintain legible and accurate records, and develop and
maintaining effective office systems and procedures.
• Good self-motivational skills
• Willingness to work flexibly in response to changing organisational
requirements.

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 The Empty Homes Agency

6. Application Process
All candidates interested in the position of office and finance manager are invited to
complete the application form below
Short-listed candidates will be invited to interview. The selection process is being led
by the Chief Executive.

All applications should be sent to:

David Ireland
Chair of Recruitment Panel
Empty Homes Agency
Downstream building
1 London Bridge
London SE1 9BG

Or by e-mail to info@emptyhomes.com (Please write “Office and Finance

Manager” in the subject box if you are sending your application by email)

Or Fax: 020 7681 3214

The closing date is Thursday 4th June 2009. Please ensure we receive your
application by 5pm on Thursday 4th June 2009.

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 The Empty Homes Agency

Application form for Office and Finance Manager

Name

Address

Tel No: Home Work Mobile E-mail

Name of present
or last employer

Address

Position

Salary

Date Commenced Ended (where appropriate)

employment
Notice Period
Please give a brief description of your duties

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 The Empty Homes Agency

Previous Employment

Please list all of your past employment. Please specify months as well as
years (continue on a separate sheet if necessary)

Name. Address From To Reason for

and type of leaving
organisation

Name. Address From To Reason for

and type of leaving
organisation

Name. Address From To Reason for

and type of leaving
organisation

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Name. Address and From To Reason for leaving

type of organisation

Name. Address and From To Reason for leaving

type of organisation

Name. Address and From To Reason for leaving

type of organisation

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Education (please continue on a separate sheet if necessary)

School or From To Examinations and

University Results

School or From To Examinations and

University Results

School or From To Examinations and

University Results

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 The Empty Homes Agency
Additional Information
Please state why you think you would be suitable for this position. You should
refer to the Job Description and person Specification included with this
application.

(continue on a separate sheet if necessary – no more than 2 sides of A4)

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Referees
Please give the names of two people (not relatives) who can provide a
reference and comment on your abilities. Please note that one referee must
be your recent employer. The Empty Homes Agency will not contact any
referees without your permission.

Name Address Telephone

Position held /
relationship

Name Address Telephone

Position held /
relationship

I confirm that the details I have given above are true and accurate to the best
of my knowledge

Signature of applicant Date

…………………………………………..
…………………………….

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 The Empty Homes Agency

Please post fax or email your completed application to:

David Ireland
Chair of Recruitment Panel
The Empty Homes Agency
Downstream Building
1 London Bridge
London SE1 9BG

Fax: 020 7681 3214

Email: Info@emptyhomes.com (Please write “Office and Finance Manager” in
the subject box if you are sending your application by email)

To be received by 5pm on Thursday 4th June 2009.

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