Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide comprehensive information/education/assistance to the public regarding rights and obligations of landlords and tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA).

To receive, screen, and process new applications and supporting documentation filed with the Landlord and Tenant Board; to enter relevant data into the Board's case management system (CMS) in a timely manner; and to appropriately schedule the resulting hearing.

To provide adjudicative support by drafting RTA orders from Members' hearing order preparation sheets and written instructions.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Providing counter services to clients by: guiding in the preparation and scanning of applications; scheduling hearing though the Board's provincial case management system within the set time frames allocated for each type of application; providing information to clients so that they can complete any necessary forms required; providing detailed information with regard to procedures followed in hearing proceedings and the mediating process; reviewing/ screening applications prior to filing/scanning for procedural correctness and completeness in accordance with the Board's procedures; providing commission services for clients filing affidavits or statutory declarations.

2. Provide comprehensive information and client services to the public in both English and French on a provincial basis with regard to landlord and tenant's rights and obligations under various laws in the area of residential tenancies, including: responding to client's information requests; probing clients for additional information in order to sufficiently identify, clarify and assess their information needs; interpreting and applying relevant sections of legislation applicable to the client's situation; providing comprehensive explanations of house legislation and processes (e.g. notice requirements, documentation to be filed with applications), to ensure that the client understands their rights and obligations; researching legislation, procedural manuals and electronic databases as necessary to obtain and/or verify information pertinent to a client's individual situation: informing clients of resolution methods; referring clients as appropriate to a number of external agencies (e.g. legal clinics, other ministries or level of government, social agencies, law enforcement agencies).

3. As part of the call centre team to ensure that appropriate call centre techniques, procedures and policies are adhered to (i.e. utilizing proper call centre codes for various telephone activities such as: ACW, ACD), and that call centre standards are met in regard to set benchmarks (i.e. call wait times, length of calls, number of calls taken).

4. Receiving and processing fees for applications and other services by: printing daily reports from the CMS to accurately balance/ reconcile information/data (fees/revenue) entered with actual revenue receipts (cash, cheque, credit/debit card) on hand; identifying errors both in data entry and/or revenue intake and making appropriate corrections when necessary.

5. Preparing draft orders, based on member direction. Including but not limited to: hearing Orders.

6. Providing quality assurance to member by proofreading orders to verify content for correctness and completeness.

7. Performing data entry of submissions and decisions into CMS; ensuring that information is correct and complete; identifying discrepancies/errors and making corrections where necessary or applicable. Linking/scanning documents and orders to applicable case file in CMS, ensuring case results are linked to correct case file.

8. Review s.206 consent agreement repayment plans to determine if calculations are accurate, if information is missing or agreement is incomplete, and to ensure that the agreement meets legislative requirements. At the direction of a member, contacts clients to provide information to properly complete the requirement documents so that to Consent Order may be issued.

9. Preparing daily redaction of identified orders by removing personal information as required under FIPPA.

10. Call back to clients as required, including but not limited to: application screening, scheduling, and member direction.

11. Identifying public education opportunities among the stakeholders; preparing and making presentations to groups of varying sizes, sophistications, and interest.

12. Providing input and recommendations to management for improvements to operational procedures and processes.

13. Perform additional duties as per Manager's right to assign.

Staffing and Licensing :

Advanced level oral French language skills

Knowledge :

Job requires in-depth knowledge of the RTA, its regulations, Rules of Practice, guidelines, policies and procedures, and the mediation process in order to accurately and thoroughly provide information. Processing applications and other documents and prepare draft orders for member approval. Job requires knowledge of the judicial and quasi judicial decision-making process to accurately respond to clients' questions about their rights and obligations. Job requires knowledge of Statutory Powers Procedure Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Job requires knowledge of computerized databases such as CMS and other relevant software in order to search and retrieve information to respond to inquiries, and to correctly and accurately enter applications, fees, and schedule hearings. Job requires issuing various notices from the system, and preparing draft orders. Job requires knowledge of mathematics to perform rent calculations in response to inquiries, verify orders, and to balance revenue intake on a daily basis. Job requires knowledge of word processing software such as Word to compose and produce draft orders from templates, standard letters to clients, and ad hoc reports for management. Job requires knowledge of Internet technology and familiarity with the Board's website in order to confirm information and respond to client inquiries.

Skills :

Job requires analytical, evaluative, problem-solving skills, as well as attention to detail in order to: determine appropriate questions to ask clients in order to establish the facts relevant to their inquiry; determine and interpret relevant applicable sections of legislation and apply this to a variety of client situations; review and assess applications, notices and supporting documents for completeness against the requirement of various acts. Job requires interpreting legislation, rules and guidelines and utilizing the Board's procedural manual, staff resources, form letters and information data contained in provincial CMS to accurately respond to clients' inquiries, explaining complex scheduling and hearing information as it relates to their particular case. Job requires oral communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to interview callers in order to elicit sufficient information required to appropriately respond to complex inquiries. Job requires reasoning, logical thinking and evaluative skills to recognize irate clients/callers who may be verbally/physically aggressive and to determine appropriate approach and language to respond to and calm the client. Job requires the ability to deal compassionately with clients representing varied levels of sophistication and knowledge who present resolution. Mathematical skills are required to ensure rent calculations are correct on orders and to balance revenue intake. Communication and interpersonal skills are required to fully explain legislation, regulation, Board procedures/ guidelines to the public, both in writing, by telephone, and to deliver public education programs.
Job requires ability to communicate in plain language, draft, edit, and proofread orders, letters and notices for clarity and accuracy.
Job requires oral French language skills to Ontario Government standards.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working within internal operating policies and in accordance with relevant legislation and regulations. Job incumbent is expected to work independently and under minimal supervision, resolving highly complex or contentious problems/issues.

Job requires independent judgment and initiative in determining the nature of the clients' inquiries and deciding relevant information (e.g. legislation, regulations, rules of practice, guidelines) to be provided. Job requires the recognition and evaluation of various time-sensitive applications (e.g. request for reviews with evictions pending, request for set-asides) which requires immediate attention. Work is occasionally monitored to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information. Job requires initiative to ensure that a large number of applications and orders are produced accurately and with completeness of information and in a timely fashion. Job requires initiative to ensure that a large number of orders are produced accurately and with completeness of information. Job requires consulting with immediate supervisor potentially sensitive or contentious situations (e.g. situations which fall outside of the legislation; complex and potentially sensitive issues). Job requires delivering public education information sessions.

As part of the call centre team, the job requires ensuring that appropriate call centre techniques, procedures and policies are adhered to, such as utilizing proper call centre codes for various telephone activities (e.g. ACW, ACD) and that call centre standards are met in regard to set benchmarks (i.e. call wait times, length of calls, number of calls taken etc.).