TA Visiting Officer

Carrington West; Slough; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

6-month contract

Competitive hourly rate

Job summary

Carrington West is seeking a TA Visiting Officer in Slough for a hybrid role. You will conduct property visits to temporary accommodation, assess suitability, and report health and safety issues to ensure compliant housing standards.

You will engage empathetically with vulnerable households, verify occupancy, and help identify any housing-related fraud, contributing to improved service delivery for a busy local authority housing team.

Qualifications

• Experience in housing, homelessness or related services.
• Knowledge of Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills.
• Full, clean UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Housing-related qualification would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Conduct regular visits to temporary accommodation properties, including B&B and nightly paid accommodation, completing suitability assessments.
• Identify and report health and safety risks, overcrowding, disrepair and poor property management, and take appropriate action.
• Engage sensitively with households, recognising the impact of temporary accommodation on wellbeing and safeguarding concerns.
• Verify occupancy and household composition, report potential housing-related fraud to protect public funds.
• Maintain accurate records and assessment reports, working with internal teams and providers to improve standards and reduce B&B use.

Skills

Housing services experience

Homelessness legislation

Public sector fraud awareness

Communication & reporting

Driving licence

CIH qualification

Education

CIH qualification

Job description

TA Visiting Officer

Slough | Hybrid Working
Rate: £30 per hour
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Initial Contract Length: 6 months
Working Hours: 37 hours per week

Role Summary

This is an excellent opportunity for a housing professional to play a key role in ensuring households placed in temporary accommodation are living in safe, suitable and well-maintained properties that meet statutory requirements.

The successful candidate will conduct property visits, complete suitability assessments, identify potential housing fraud and work closely with residents and accommodation providers to improve standards. We are looking for someone who can work independently, engage sensitively with vulnerable households and make a positive impact on housing services.

What You Will Do as a TA Visiting Officer

• Conduct regular visits to temporary accommodation properties, including bed and breakfast and nightly paid accommodation, completing suitability assessments in line with legislation and policies.
• Identify and report health and safety risks, overcrowding, disrepair and poor property management, ensuring appropriate action is taken to address concerns.
• Engage sensitively with households, recognising the impact of temporary accommodation on wellbeing, mental health, family life and children's education, while identifying safeguarding concerns.
• Verify occupancy and household composition, identifying and reporting potential housing-related fraud to protect public funds.
• Maintain accurate records and assessment reports, working collaboratively with internal teams and accommodation providers to improve standards and reduce reliance on bed and breakfast accommodation.

What You Will Need as a TA Visiting Officer

• Experience working within housing, homelessness or a related service, including conducting property visits and engaging with vulnerable individuals and households.
• Strong knowledge of homelessness legislation, including the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Reduction Act, temporary accommodation suitability requirements and welfare benefits.
• Understanding of housing standards, safeguarding procedures, fraud prevention and the challenges faced by households living in temporary accommodation.
• Excellent communication, assessment and report-writing skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload independently and demonstrate professionalism, integrity and empathy.
• Full, clean UK driving licence and access to a suitably insured vehicle - Essential, with the ability to undertake visits across Slough, surrounding areas and out-of-borough placements.
• A housing-related qualification (such as CIH), local authority experience, and training in safeguarding, fraud awareness or health and safety would be advantageous.

What's on Offer

• £30 per hour (Inside IR35).
• Initial 6-month contract, working 37 hours per week.
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to vulnerable households by improving temporary accommodation standards and supporting a busy local authority housing service.