Emergency Temporary Accommodation Officer WCC

Emergency Temporary Accommodation Officer WCC
624003

Salary range: £34,359 - £38,637 per annum. Salary negotiable depending upon experience.
Work location: Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, SW1E 6QP

Hours per week: 36
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: 24 June 2026

Housing Needs in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. For Abbie, a Homelessness Officer, the work is often about stopping a crisis from happening at all

This might mean negotiating with landlords, working through financial difficulties with residents, or finding practical solutions that allow people to remain in their homes.

In one situation, Abbie worked with a resident who was at risk of losing their home after the rent became unaffordable and possession action had started. By working closely with the landlord, she took the time to understand what had driven the landlord to increase the rent and the residents’ financial situation. Through careful negotiation, she was able to secure an affordable agreement that worked for both parties.

The possession action was withdrawn and the resident was able to stay in their home.

At Westminster, we understand that homelessness is multifaceted and caused by various factors, and addressing homelessness often goes beyond providing emergency accommodation – it requires an in-depth understanding of the root causes. This is why, alongside her negotiation work with the landlord, Abbie worked with officers across the department and the wider Council to help maximise the resident’s income. For Abbie, cases like this are not only about securing housing in the interim, they are about ensuring that residents are also able to sustain their tenancies in the long‑term.

This kind of work requires persistence, judgement and empathy. Across Westminster, this is what our Housing Needs officers do every day: working with residents to turn difficult situations into new beginnings.

As an Emergency Temporary Accommodation Officer you can make your own powerful contribution to Westminster’s success. Our Homelessness service supports people in housing need and rough sleeping by fulfilling our statutory duties as we provide advice, guidance and assistance. We work across a number of key areas including homelessness prevention and support, housing allocations, temporary accommodation, casework for families and single households, and customer services.

We also focus on delivering high-quality, resident‑centred services that protect vulnerable households, improve housing outcomes and build strong partnerships with landlords, statutory agencies and the voluntary sector. When you join us in this vital role you’ll be responsible for arranging and managing households as they move to emergency temporary accommodation.

Your day‑to‑day tasks will include identifying and offering suitable temporary accommodation placements to eligible households, liaising with providers to confirm availability and secure bookings, and preparing and issuing booking packs and key information to our clients. You’ll also update case management systems and records, ensure housing applications and processes, referrals and related documentation are processed correctly, and maintain accurate records on our case management systems and databases.

You’ll have a number of additional responsibilities, including the preparation of letters, decision notices and reports, supporting colleagues with the collection and collation of evidence, assisting with the monitoring of performance returns, and responding to customer queries. We’ll also expect you to schedule appointments, meetings and engagements, liaise with landlords, residents and other agencies, provide administrative support to managers and teams, and support service improvements while contributing to the maintenance of an efficient, customer‑focused service.

To be a success in this important role you should have strong knowledge of related legislation, including the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Homelessness Code of Guidance, Domestic Abuse Act 2021, Localism Act 2011, Housing Act 1996 (Part VII), Equalities Act 2010 and the Housing Allocation…