Carrington Blake Recruitment

A recruitment agency in the United Kingdom is looking for a candidate to diagnose building defects and recommend remedial actions. The role requires good organisational skills and offers an umbrella rate of £44.70 per hour. The ideal candidate may have a surveying or construction qualification and experience in social housing surveying is a plus. This position is office-based and access to pool vehicles is provided. Interested candidates should send their CV to the specified email.

Job Description Job Title: Accommodation Officer (Temporary Accommodation) Grade: G9 Service: Housing Services - Housing Needs Reports to: Team Manager - Accommodation Job Purpose To manage and oversee temporary accommodation, including Private Sector Leased (PSL) properties, for homeless households. The role ensures accommodation is safe, suitable, and legally compliant, while supporting residents to sustain tenancies and move towards longer-term housing solutions. Key Responsibilities Manage a patch of temporary accommodation properties, including voids, sign-ups, tenancy management, inspections, repairs, and landlord liaison. Ensure all accommodation meets health & safety, fire safety, and housing standards, carrying out regular inspections and follow-up actions. Act as lead case officer for residents in temporary accommodation, providing advice, support, and tenancy sustainment interventions. Monitor tenancy compliance, address anti-social behaviour, unauthorised occupation, abandonment, and potential fraud, and take enforcement action where necessary. Serve legal notices, prepare evidence, attend court, and recommend termination of licences or tenancies when appropriate. Support residents with housing options, welfare benefits, Discretionary Housing Payments, and referrals to partner agencies. Work with internal teams and external agencies on safeguarding, complex needs, and multi-agency case management. Manage complaints, member enquiries, and correspondence, maintaining high standards of customer service and record keeping. Liaise with landlords, agents, and accommodation providers to secure and retain suitable temporary accommodation. Skills and Experience Experience working directly with customers in a housing or homelessness-related service. Experience managing complex casework and dealing with people in challenging or stressful situations. Knowledge of tenancy management, housing standards, and homelessness-related processes. Ability to explain complex housing issues clearly and professionally. Strong organisational skills with accurate record keeping and attention to detail.

Job Title Temporary Accommodation Officer Contract & Location Permanent, Kingston Role Purpose To ensure the effective and efficient management of the Council's Temporary Accommodation portfolio in accordance with relevant legislation, policies, and procedures. Key Responsibilities Deliver a high-quality temporary accommodation management service across Council hostels, private sector leased accommodation, spot-purchased homes, and supported accommodation. Undertake property viewings, sign-ups, and lettings, ensuring residents understand licence/tenancy conditions and rent payment methods. Support residents to sustain accommodation by assisting with Housing Benefit applications at the start of lettings. Ensure rent accounts are correctly set up and closed, monitoring arrears and identifying cases requiring further action. Carry out property inspections at pre-void, void, re-let, and through planned inspection programmes. Ensure all properties meet repairing obligations and health and housing safety rating standards. Arrange, monitor, and follow up repairs with providers and contractors, ensuring completion within agreed timescales. Ensure compliance certification is in place, including fire safety and person-centred fire risk assessments. Record, escape, and refer unresolved hazards, disrepair, or compliance breaches appropriately. Minimise void turnaround times and reduce rent loss. Manage relationships with residents, responding to enquiries and complaints relating to property condition, repairs, and tenancy matters. Investigate and record anti-social behaviour, licence breaches, unauthorised occupation, sub-letting, and abandonment. Liaise with Legal Services on possession action and represent the Council at court hearings and evictions when required. Work with the Housing Access and Housing Solutions teams on suitability, transfers, alternative placements, and discharge of duty. Identify safeguarding risks, welfare needs, and support requirements of residents. Raise safeguarding alerts and attend multi-agency meetings. Refer residents to appropriate support services, including welfare benefits, debt advice, employment support, and social care. Build and maintain effective working relationships with temporary accommodation providers, housing associations, and private landlords. Work collaboratively with internal teams including Housing, Social Care, Finance, Benefits, Environmental Health, Building Control, and Fraud. Support the maximisation of private sector accommodation options to reduce reliance on bed and breakfast placements. Contribute to service planning, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives. Maintain accurate records and provide performance data and reports to the Team Manager. Keep up to date with relevant housing and homelessness legislation and policy, providing specialist advice to colleagues as required. Participate in the out-of-hours rota to support temporary accommodation residents during emergencies. Embed equality, fairness, inclusion, and respect in all aspects of service delivery and team working. Act in accordance with the Council's values and commitment to community cohesion. Person Specification Knowledge Knowledge of private sector housing law and security of tenure, including Assured Shorthold Tenancies. Knowledge of repairing and health and safety obligations relating to temporary accommodation. Understanding of the needs of homeless households in temporary accommodation. Knowledge of Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 and homelessness legislation (Desirable). Experience Experience working in a busy frontline housing or similar customer-facing service. Experience of managing complex casework. Experience of partnership working, negotiation, and influencing to achieve outcomes. Skills & Abilities Strong customer focus with the ability to manage challenging behaviour. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong organisational and administrative skills with attention to detail. Ability to interpret complex information and apply it effectively in practice. Ability to prioritise, problem-solve creatively, and meet deadlines in a pressured environment. Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills. Commitment to ongoing professional development and learning. Confident use of digital systems and agile working practices.

A prominent recruitment agency is looking for a Building Surveyor - Diagnostics based in Greater London. The role involves diagnosing building defects and ensuring effective repair solutions, focusing on damp and mould issues. Candidates should have strong analytical skills and the ability to produce accurate specifications. This position requires site visits and offers a professional environment with proactive workload management. A surveying qualification is desirable, with a strong emphasis on communication and organisation skills.

Job Title: Building Surveyor - Diagnostics Location Office based, with site visits as required. (Access to pool vehicles provided) Job Purpose To provide a specialist diagnostic surveying service, identifying building defects, determining root causes, and specifying appropriate remedial works. The role focuses on building pathology, particularly issues relating to damp, mould, and condensation, ensuring effective, compliant, and cost-controlled repair solutions. Key Responsibilities Carry out inspections of residential properties to diagnose building defects, identifying causes rather than symptoms. Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations for appropriate remedial works. Demonstrate strong understanding of building pathology, including damp, mould, condensation, and general construction defects. Prepare detailed specifications of works, using a Schedule of Rates (SoR) to define scope, materials, and workmanship. Ensure recommended solutions represent best value and are technically appropriate. Manage a personal caseload, prioritising work effectively and meeting required timescales. Maintain accurate records, reports, and technical documentation. Liaise professionally with internal teams, contractors, and other stakeholders as required. Undertake site visits as necessary, using pool vehicles where required. Skills, Knowledge & Experience Essential Proven ability to diagnose building defects and specify remedial actions. Good working knowledge of building construction and pathology. Strong understanding of damp, mould, and condensation issues. Ability to produce clear and accurate specifications of works using a Schedule of Rates. Well organised, proactive, and able to manage own diary and workload. Good written and verbal communication skills. Desirable A surveying or construction-related qualification. Experience working within social housing or residential property environments. Previous experience in a diagnostic or defects-focused surveying role. Personal Attributes Methodical and analytical approach to problem solving. Attention to detail and commitment to getting to the root cause of issues. Able to work independently with minimal supervision. Professional, resident-focused, and solutions-driven.