Location: Luton, Bedfordshire
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Hours: 39 hours per week
Job Type: Full-time
Reporting to: Facilities Manager
About Mary Seacole Housing Association
Mary Seacole Housing Association (MSHA) is a well-established Luton-based organisation providing supported accommodation and services to people experiencing homelessness and other disadvantages.
Our work goes beyond providing a roof over someone's head. We aim to create safe, well-maintained environments while supporting people to develop the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to progress towards greater independence.
We are looking for an experienced and practical Multiskilled Maintenance Operative to help us maintain our supported accommodation properties and offices across Luton.
About the Role
This is a varied, hands-on position for someone who is confident working across several maintenance trades and takes pride in solving problems properly.
You will carry out the majority of day-to-day repairs across our property portfolio, including basic plumbing, minor electrical work, carpentry, general building repairs, decorating and gardening. An important part of the role is knowing what you can safely and competently complete yourself and recognising when work must be escalated to an appropriately licensed or certified specialist.
You will work closely with our Facilities Manager and Service Managers, inspecting properties, responding to maintenance requirements and managing your workload across multiple sites.
Because our properties provide supported accommodation, this role also requires someone who can communicate positively and respectfully with residents from a wide range of backgrounds.
Key Responsibilities
Your responsibilities will include:
- Carrying out general and multiskilled maintenance, including basic plumbing, minor electrical work, carpentry, doors, locks and keys, general building repairs, decorating and gardening.
- Inspecting maintenance issues, diagnosing faults and deciding whether work can be completed safely in-house or requires a specialist contractor.
- Escalating regulated or specialist work appropriately, including areas such as Gas Safe work, certified electrical work, fire-door compliance and specialist damp/mould remediation.
- Carrying out cyclical and preventative maintenance and gardening across MSHA properties.
- Managing and prioritising your own workload across multiple sites.
- Accurately recording maintenance jobs, progress and completion details on MSHA's management system.
- Maintaining tools and equipment in accordance with health and safety requirements.
- Working with the Facilities Manager, Service Managers and external contractors.
- Promoting good health and safety practice throughout our properties.
- Producing basic reports on completed works, outstanding issues and recommended further action.
- Where appropriate, mentoring and supervising young residents in basic maintenance and practical trade skills.
The post is intended to resolve the great majority of routine maintenance requests directly, with genuinely licensed or certified work referred to the appropriate specialist.
Company Van Provided
A company van will be provided for use during working hours to travel between MSHA properties and carry out maintenance duties. The vehicle is for authorised business use only and will support you in transporting tools, equipment and materials between sites.
About You
We are looking for a dependable, practical and self-motivated individual with genuine experience across more than one maintenance trade.
You should have:
Essential requirements
- A full, clean UK driving licence.
- Practical experience working across more than one trade area, for example plumbing and carpentry, or electrical and general building repairs.
- Good general education.
- A working knowledge of health and safety requirements relevant to building maintenance.
- The ability to carry out risk assessments.
- The ability to diagnose maintenance problems and determine when specialist or certified contractors are required.
- The ability to deal calmly and effectively with emergency situations.
- The confidence to use your own initiative and make appropriate decisions.
- The ability to work unsupervised and manage your workload across multiple properties.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Basic report-writing skills.
- A practical, solutions-focused approach to maintenance problems.
- The ability to relate professionally and respectfully to people from all backgrounds.
- A flexible approach to working patterns and a strong commitment to teamwork.
Desirable
A recognised trade qualification or relevant training in one or more areas such as plumbing, electrical work, carpentry or general construction — for example NVQ, City & Guilds or equivalent demonstrable experience — would be advantageous. Experience within residential or supported housing and experience working in a multicultural community would also be beneficial.
Safer Recruitment and Pre-Employment Requirements
Mary Seacole Housing Association works with residents who may be vulnerable. We therefore take safeguarding and safer recruitment seriously.
The successful applicant will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check as part of our pre-employment checks.
Applicants must also meet the following requirements:
Right to work: Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK. Mary Seacole Housing Association does not offer visa sponsorship for this position.
Overseas criminal-record checks: Where an applicant has lived outside the UK for 10 years or more while aged 18 or over, they will be required to provide appropriate international/overseas police clearance as part of the pre-employment checking process.
Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory completion of the organisation's required pre-employment and safeguarding checks.
Why Join Mary Seacole Housing Association?
This is an opportunity to use your practical maintenance skills in a role where the quality of your work has a direct impact on people's everyday lives.
You won't simply be maintaining buildings. You will be helping to ensure that residents have safe, secure and well-maintained places to live, while working as part of an organisation with a long-standing commitment to supporting people in the Luton community.
If you're an experienced multiskilled operative who can work independently, solve problems, communicate well and understands the importance of working professionally within supported accommodation, we'd like to hear from you.
Pay: £30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company car
- Company events
- Company pension
- Free parking
- Gym membership
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
