Temporary Accommodation Officer

The Methodist Church in Britain; Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

Bank holidays

Hybrid working

Flexible working

Local Government Pension Scheme

Health, wellbeing & counselling

Learning & development portal

Season ticket loans

Bicycle loans

Cycle to work scheme

Electric vehicle leasing

Discounts for local amenities

Job summary

Kingston Council’s Temporary Accommodation Team is hiring a front-line housing officer. The role covers managing occupants, arranging viewings and inspections, tenancy sign-ups and move-outs, rent accounts, and site visits across Kingston and nearby boroughs. The position is full-time (36 hours) with hybrid working.

Experience in busy frontline housing or similar, and skills in partnership work and negotiating are important, along with strong organisational and communication abilities.

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy frontline housing service or similar.
• Experience of partnership working and using influencing or negotiating skills.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate with customers, advocates and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage occupants of interim and temporary accommodation
• Carry out property viewings and inspections
• Ensure accommodation is safe, clean and in good repair
• Arrange tenancy sign-ups, move-ins and check-outs
• Manage rent accounts and day-to-day placements
• Allocate accommodation to minimise service delivery costs
• Work as part of the Temporary Accommodation Team on a varied workload
• Travel to Kingston and neighbouring boroughs for site visits

Skills

Highly organised

Verbal and written communication

Relationship building

Independent / self-starter

Prioritising workloads & multi-tasking

Meeting targets & deadlines

Job description

This permanent front-line post sits in the Temporary Accommodation Team within Kingston Council's Community Housing Service, which supports vulnerable residents in interim and temporary accommodation. The work covers managing occupants, carrying out viewings and inspections, arranging tenancy sign-ups and move-outs, handling rent accounts, and keeping council-used properties safe and in repair. The role is full-time at 36 hours with hybrid working, and involves regular travel and site visits across Kingston and neighbouring boroughs. Visa sponsorship is not guaranteed for this role.

What the job involves

• Manage occupants of interim and temporary accommodation
• Carry out property viewings and inspections
• Ensure council-used accommodation is safe, clean and in good repair
• Arrange tenancy sign-ups, move-ins and check-outs
• Manage rent accounts
• Manage day-to-day placements
• Allocate accommodation in a way that minimises service delivery costs
• Work as part of the Temporary Accommodation Team on a varied workload

Experience

• Experience of working in a busy front-line housing service or similar, and/or technical experience
• Experience of partnership working and using influencing or negotiating skills to achieve outcomes

Skills & knowledge

• Highly organised, with an eye for detail and good interpersonal skills
• Communicating verbally and in writing with customers, advocates and external stakeholders
• Building relationships and working in partnership with internal and external agencies
• Working unsupervised, prioritising workloads, multi-tasking and meeting targets and deadlines

Other

• Travelling independently around Kingston and neighbouring boroughs
• Physically able to carry out site visits and property inspections

What’s offered

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (25 to 32 days depending on grade), and three volunteering days a year
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependants leave
• Hybrid and flexible working using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal with a range of courses
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Confidential health, wellbeing and counselling support
• Interest-free season ticket loans, bicycle loans, cycle to work scheme and electric vehicle leasing
• Discounts on local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres