Housing Assistant

About Outward.

For 50 years, Outward has been providing high-quality support and care services to vulnerable people across London, predominantly in North East London. Established by families seeking alternatives to institutional care, we’ve grown into a respected provider of person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, and complex needs. We support over 1,000 people across nine boroughs, guided by our core values: engage, enable, and empower.

Outward is proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer. This means we are committed to paying the Real Living Wage – not just the government minimum or national living wage – to our frontline Support Workers and other eligible staff. We recognise the value of the work our teams do, and we are committed to ensuring fair pay that reflects the true cost of living. The Real Living Wage is updated annually by the Living Wage Foundation, and Outward remains committed to aligning our pay accordingly.

About the Role

We are looking for a proactive and passionate Housing Assistant to join our dedicated team providing housing management aimed at sustaining vulnerable people in their tenancies and assisting people to move on from short term services. We work with several registered housing providers and in conjunction with our Group partner Newlon Housing Trust to provide housing management to their supported housing homes.

As a Housing Assistant you will be expected to contribute to the efficient and effective administration of the Supported Housing Department and work closely with the Tenancy and Income Management Officers and the Housing Management Team to ensure that a comprehensive, sensitive and efficient housing management service is delivered to our tenants.

You will also work as part of the Housing team to ensure a seamless service is provided across the income, housing management and maintenance functions of the department including liaising effectively with internal departments, landlords, and external agencies in relation to Housing Management matters.

As a Housing Assistant, you will:

• Provide direct tenant support and customer service.
• Handle inquiries in person, by phone, or by email in a courteous and professional manner.
• Maintain accurate tenant records, databases, and filing systems (both electronic and paper)
• Prepare correspondence, reports, and notices related to rent, repairs, and tenancy issues.
• Liaise with maintenance teams and contractors to report and follow up on repairs or maintenance requests.
• Ensure all housing records are up to date and comply with data protection and confidentiality policies.
• Support compliance with housing laws, tenancy regulations, and organizational policies.
• Promote tenant participation and feedback to improve housing services.

Requirements

Essential Criteria

·        Efficient and effective administration of the Supported Housing Department

·        Ensure a comprehensive, sensitive and efficient housing management service is delivered to our tenants

·        Work closely with the Tenancy and Income Management Officers and the Housing Management Team

·        Ensure a seamless service is provided across the income, housing management and maintenance functions

·        Liaise effectively with internal departments, landlords, and external agencies in relation to Housing Management matters

·        Strong interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)

·        Empathy and patience, especially when dealing with tenants facing difficulties

·        Problem-solving mind-set and a proactive attitude

·        Organisational skills and attention to detail

·        Resilience and ability to manage difficult or sensitive situations professionally

Staff must have access to a smartphone capable of receiving SMS messages and installing authentication apps for secure systems access

Right to Work in the UK. Please note: Outward will not provide visa sponsorship.     

Desirable Criteria

·        Experience in call handling

How to Apply

The above is not an exhaustive list of requirements for the role.

If you think you are who we are looking for, please submit a CV and statement detailing how you feel your experiences meets the requirements of the role by referring to the Job Responsibilities and the Person Specification.

There is no specific closing date for this advert. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. It would be great to hear from you.

When you join us, you’ll have access to a wide range of benefits to support your wellbeing, development and work–life balance, including:

• Comprehensive Learning and Development Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Cycle‑to‑Work Scheme
• Blue Light Discounts Card
• Eye Care Vouchers
• Flu Jab Reimbursement
• Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme
• Option to purchase additional annual leave
• Refer‑a‑Friend Scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Discounted holidays at Nutley Edge Cottages
• Credit Union Scheme
• Outward Computing Scheme
• Death in Service Benefit

Full details of our rewards and benefits are available from our HR Team and through our Staff Room intranet.

Diversity and Safeguarding at Outward :

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Outward applies its Equal Opportunities Policy at all stages of recruitment and selection.  Shortlisting, interviewing and selection is carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age or trade union membership. 

As an employer, who aspire to become Disability Confident Committed, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. Please indicate clearly at the beginning of your supporting statement if you have a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010), and you wish to be considered for an Offer Of an Interview (OOI) Please note that the OOI is available to disabled candidates only. Regrettably, any false declaration of disability in order to secure an interview will impact on your overall application.

Outward is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk and expects all staff to share this commitment. If the post you apply for involves working with or having access to adults at risk and/or their records, we will require a DBS for successful candidates.