Accommodation warden Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Accommodation warden

Hours

37 per week
Starting salary

£13,000 + per year

Accommodation wardens manage the day-to-day running of services such as sheltered housing, youth hostels and student residences. This job often involves looking after both the building and the people that live there. If you enjoy organising and managing, and you want to look after people's welfare, this could be the perfect job for you.

To become an accommodation warden, you will need to have a caring and friendly manner. You will need strong communication skills. You’ll also need to be a good listener.

Some employers may prefer you to have GCSEs, although your personal qualities and 'people skills' will be more important.

The work

As an accommodation warden your duties could include:

supervising catering, cleaning and maintenance staff
responding to emergencies, and contacting doctors, social workers or community nurses when needed
looking after the welfare of residents, checking on them each morning to make sure that they are well
making sure that effective security is provided
arranging for repairs to be carried out.

Your work would vary according to the type of accommodation and the needs of the people living there.

In sheltered or supported housing, or specially adapted accommodation, residents may include homeless people, older people or those with some level of physical disability. In these settings your work would include arranging activities for residents, such as bingo, lunch clubs and guest speakers.

In a youth hostel setting, you would provide information on local activities and tourist attractions.

Hours

You would normally work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Some jobs may involve working weekends or providing a 24-hour on-call service.

In supported or sheltered accommodation, you might need to travel between sites or live on site.

Income

Wardens can earn between £13,000 and £15,000 a year. With experience, this can rise to around £22,000 or more.

Accommodation managers with responsibility for several units and wardens may earn around £35,000.

Some jobs also include rent-free or reduced rent accommodation. Additional payments may be made for shift work and overtime.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

Some employers may prefer you to have GCSEs, although your personal qualities and 'people skills' are usually more important.

It would help you if you have experience (paid or voluntary) of working with vulnerable groups, and a qualification such as NVQ level 2 or 3 in Health and Social Care. Having experience in a care setting may be essential if, for example, you want to work as a warden with elderly people.

A good way to prepare for working with the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) could be to work as a voluntary warden. Check the YHA website for opportunities.

Youth Hostel Association (YHA) - volunteering

To work with some groups such as children, you will need Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance. See the CRB website for details.

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)

Training and development

You will usually receive on-the-job training from your employer, which may be combined with working towards relevant qualifications.

As a warden for sheltered or supported housing, you would regularly do short courses in subjects such as health and safety, hygiene, moving and handling, and first aid. You may also take qualifications such as:

NVQ Levels 3 and 4 in Health and Social Care
NVQ Level 4 in Leadership and Management for Care Services
NVQ Level 3 in Property and Caretaking Supervision
a relevant foundation degree such as Supported and Community Housing.

With the Youth Hostel Association (YHA), you could begin as an assistant and work towards NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Customer Service. You may be able to progress to senior assistant. With experience you could apply for hostel manager posts and work towards the NVQ Level 4 in Management.

Whichever type of accommodation you run, you could take qualifications offered by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). These range from a Level 2 Certificate in Housing to a Level 4 Diploma in Housing, with options in supported housing and student accommodation. NVQ levels 2, 3 and 4 in Housing could also be useful for you. For more information, see the CIH website.

Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH)

Skills and knowledge

To become an accommodation warden, you will need to have:

a caring, friendly and outgoing manner
strong written and spoken communication skills
the ability to relate to a wide variety of people
good listening skills
a well organised approach to work
strong observational skills
the ability to remain calm under pressure
basic computer skills
good maths skills for budget planning.

More information

LG Jobs (Opens new window)
www.lgcareers.com

Youth Hostels Associations (YHA) (Opens new window)
National Office
Trevelyan House
Dimple Road
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 3YH
Tel: 0800 019 1700
www.yha.org.uk

Asset Skills (Opens new window)
2 The Courtyard
48 New North Road
Exeter
Devon
EX4 4EP
Tel: 01392 423399
Careers Advice: careers@assetskills.org
www.assetskills.org

Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) (Opens new window)
Octavia House
Westwood Business Park
Westwood Way
Coventry
CV4 8JP
Tel: 024 7685 1700
www.cih.org

Centre for Housing and Support (Opens new window)
1st Floor
Elgar House
Shrub Hill Road
Worcester
WR4 9EE
Tel: 01905 727272
www.chs.ac.uk

Opportunities

You are likely to find most jobs with local authorities. Other employers include housing associations, private companies, voluntary and charitable organisations, and educational institutions.

With experience, you could move into accommodation management with responsibility for several centres and wardens, or into housing or block management. With relevant qualifications, you could also work in related fields such as social work or counselling.

Jobs can be advertised in the local and national press, and in Jobcentre Plus offices. You may also find the following websites useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):

Directgov (Jobseekers page)
LGJobs
Inside Housing
CIH
YHA (jobs site)

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The housing industry is part of the facilities management, property and planning, cleaning and support services, and parking sector, represented by Asset Skills Sector Skills Council. The sector workforce, which has continued to grow since 1998, represents 3% of the total UK workforce.

The housing industry covers all forms of social housing including: housing associations; private landlords; the sustainable communities' agenda; and local authorities.

Key facts:

The housing industry plays an instrumental role in meeting key government targets in relation to communities and social inclusion.
Almost 9 out of 10 councils are experiencing or anticipate an increase in demand for social housing as a direct result of the recession.
There are 242,800 people working in the housing industry in 73,300 companies.
96% of all housing and property organisations have 10 or less employees.

Jobs in the industry include: housing officer; housing manager; neighbourhood manager; and emerging jobs, such as regeneration officer and community engagement officer.

National and regional data

The following provides a breakdown of the number of housing sector employees in each of the Nations and English regions.

Region	Number of employees	Regional key characteristics
East Midlands	14,100	Nearly half (44%) of the housing workforce in the East Midlands is aged 50 and over. A higher than average proportion is employed part‐time (37%)
East Of England	18,500	A significant proportion of the housing sector workforce in the East of England is female (63%)
London	40,700	London is the largest employer of the housing sector workforce in England (17%). A significantly high proportion is employed full‐time (86%) and 32% of employees are black and ethnic minorities
North East	11,800	The North East employs 5% of the total housing sector workforce in England
North West	31,000	The North West employs 12% of the total housing sector workforce in England
South East	36,300	After London, the South East is the second highest employer of the housing sector workforce in England (15%)
South West	17,400	In comparison to a number of English regions, the South East employs less people on a full‐time basis (65%). A significantly high proportion of the housing sector workforce is white (98%)
West Midlands	19,600	In comparison to other English regions, the West Midlands employs less people (8%) aged between 20 to 29
Yorkshire & the Humber	19,700	The housing sector in Yorkshire and the Humber region is very similar to England. Characterised by a higher proportion of female employment, 68% are aged 40 and over, the majority of the workforce is white (92%) and employed on a full‐time basis (72%)
Northern Ireland	2,900	Northern Ireland employs 1% of the total housing sector workforce across the UK. In comparison to the UK, the profile differs in a number of ways: a higher proportion of female employment (69%); an even age distribution; and a higher proportion of the workforce is employed on a full‐time basis (84%)
Scotland	20,500	Scotland employs 9% of the total UK housing sector workforce. Over half of the workforce is male (51%) and the majority of the workforce is white (94%)
Wales	10,400	Wales employs 4% of the total UK housing sector workforce. In comparison to the UK, a higher proportion of the workforce is female (58%), 98% of the workforce is white and a slightly higher proportion is employed on a part‐time basis (26%)