A residents' liaison officer is the main link between a council or housing association and its tenants. RLOs deal with any complaints or queries residents may have and explain new strategies. An RLO must also carry out residents' questionnaires to identify key housing issues that need to be addressed.
The role involves finding a balance between conflicting interests, such as the potential clash between residents' concerns regarding their homes and belongings and maintenance teams driven by the desire to finish work on programme and to budget. It is the RLO's job to gauge these situations, resolving problems before they become major issues. To help this, RLOs generally report to contract managers, who are required to take an overview and provide all parties with a fair hearing.
Sounds like a job for a diplomat
Liaising with residents can be challenging. "You may have to talk to a resident who has limited or no English, or who is elderly, frightened and unwilling to have strangers in their house. In these cases, you have to reassure them and explain the benefits of the proposed work," states Tariq Mahmood, a residents' liaison officer for construction consultant Hall & Partners.
"Occasionally you come across a confrontational resident and you have to use all your diplomacy and people skills to bring them round. We get special training to help us deal with confrontation."
What other qualities would I need?
Apart from people skills, coming from a customer-focused background is a definite advantage. No formal qualifications are required, although you would need to be IT literate.
Occasionally you come across a confrontational resident … you have to use all your diplomacy and people skills to bring them round
Tariq Mahmood, RLO, Hall & Partners
So is it all work and no play?
"As an integral part of the construction team, our hours generally reflect the hours kept by the site itself.
"We need to be there when the work is being done, so a would-be residents' liaison officer should be prepared for some early starts," says Mahmood.
A bright future?
The prospects are good, both in terms of pay and career advancement.
New starters work in the field with more experienced residents' liaison officers, to gain practical knowledge. As individuals advance, they get to make more decisions and act on their own initiative, ultimately taking charge of their own sites.
Source
Housing Today
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