Part-time researcher required to help identify accommodation for clients seeking sanctuary in Richmond upon Thames

Paid opportunity at £20 per hour, up to £5,480 over 25 weeks, with an extension possible.

Refugees Welcome in Richmond (RWinR) is a registered charity led by volunteers in support of people seeking sanctuary in and around the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (LBRUT). 

RWinR is looking for a paid part-time Housing Researcher to help volunteers identify suitable accommodation for clients with refugee status and, where possible, those seeking asylum, as part of a project called “Improving Access to Housing for People Seeking Sanctuary in Richmond”.

The project looks to enhance the welfare of sanctuary seekers by increasing access to appropriate and affordable housing. We will do this by making contact with community networks willing to engage with house owners (“landlords”) who might be open to letting their properties (or rooms in shared accommodation) at rents coverable by the prescribed LBRUT Housing Allowance for housing of particular sizes in specified areas of the LBRUT. 

This project aims to complement the second-year objective of LBRUT Council’s Borough of Sanctuary Strategy Action Plan to identify at least 20 private rented properties for sanctuary seeking residents. It also aims to support sanctuary seeking clients not covered by UK government schemes such as the Afghan Resettlement Programme. The part-time Housing Researcher is currently the only paid person expected to work on this project. 

This project is supported by LBRUT Council’s Borough of Sanctuary Grant Scheme.

Main tasks

The main tasks of the Housing Researcher will be to:

1. Identify lead/key members of the local community, faith and philanthropic organisations recommended by RWinR and the LBRUT Council, with the potential to inform and with trustees and volunteers of RWinR, engage other members of their organisations to help in finding suitable accommodation for clients seeking sanctuary. 
2. Support RWinR volunteers and partners in cooperating with the Home Office to find suitable accommodation for clients seeking asylum. 
3. Liaise with estate agents operating in the LBRUT to identify landlords amenable to offering private rental accommodation to clients seeking sanctuary. 
4. Follow up with identified landlords and liaise with LBRUT to facilitate the provision of private social housing, including arranging any necessary inspections by the Council’s Housing Department or other responsible bodies to check that properties meet required standards. 
5. Suggest other appropriate organisations not yet specified by RWinR in task 1, 2, 3 and 4. 
6. Work with RWinR volunteers to develop a database of contacts including names, property details (such as availabilities, conditions, expected rents, locations, sizes and types), email addresses, phone numbers, engagement history (such as interactions with whom, when and key discussion points), roles and other relevant criteria relating to people and organisations who might be willing to cooperate with RWinR on this project. 
7. Prepare and present a progress report at each RWinR Board meeting which typically takes place on Monday evenings every six to eight weeks. These reports should include details of contacts engaged according to criteria set out in the database described in task 6, as well as the Researcher’s plans for next steps.
8. Collaborate and attend meetings with the LBRUT Council’s Refugee Services team and (if requested with advanced notice) present to the Richmond Borough of Sanctuary Partnership and Board meetings.
9. Lead work on a final evaluation report in collaboration with appropriate contacts to share with RWinR volunteers and the LBRUT Council.
10. Create and maintain a work plan and time sheet to organise the tasks above according to timelines agreed with RWinR trustees.

Contract terms and remuneration

The Housing Researcher will report at least twice a week to the RWinR Housing Officer and more widely to the Board of Trustees at least once every two weeks. RWinR trustees expect the Researcher to work with the LBRUT Council’s Refugee Services team and Housing Department, which are shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth.

The part-time Housing Researcher will be self employed and responsible for their own tax and National Insurance arrangements for an initial term of 25 weeks, at £20 per hour for an average of 12 hours per week, with the possibility of an extension. The distribution of hours may vary by week. The total value of the initial period is 274 hours’ work is £5,480. RWinR trustees expect the Researcher to start by January 2026 or as soon as possible. 

The part-time Housing Researcher will be allowed to claim pre-agreed expenses for work related travel. This includes bus and train fares, fuel and parking costs, and in exceptional circumstances taxi and private car hire. The Researcher may also claim pre-agreed printing expenses but will be expected to cover their own costs for phone and internet access. Expenses must be pre-agreed with RWinR’s Housing Officer, Chair of Trustees and Treasurer. 

RWinR trustees require the part-time Housing Researcher to submit an invoice in arrears with an updated work plan and time sheet pre-agreed with the Housing Officer, Chair of Trustees and Treasurer every 28 days. RWinR will pay the invoice within 30 days of receiving it. 

RWinR trustees expect the part-time Housing Researcher to establish contact with people from an average of at least four community organisations and two different offices of estate agencies in the Borough each week. In the 25 weeks the Researcher will have followed up on correspondence and actions (and meetings where possible) with all contacts who responded with any expression of interest.

If the project is successful and further funding available, the contract will be extendable for an unspecified period. The project’s outputs, including the report and contact database, will be recognised as the property of RWinR on creation, completion and/or termination of the project and must be compatible with RWinR’s existing systems and infrastructure. 

Termination of contract

RWinR trustees reserve the right to terminate the contract with immediate effect at any time should the Housing Researcher fail to meet the expectations of this contract, a written warning will be issued by email from the Chair of Trustees. Failure to meet expectations within 14 calendar days of the warning will automatically trigger instant termination of the contract. Further, the contract can be instantly terminated in the following circumstances:

• The Researcher demonstrably fails to respect the RWinR Code of Conduct or Safeguarding Policies;
• The Researcher abuses their position, such as requesting remuneration from a potential client or landlord;
• The Researcher damages or jeopardises the reputation of RWinR.

Any problems making it impossible for the Housing Researcher to fulfil their obligations under the contract should be reported to the Housing Officer at the Researcher’s earliest convenience. Should the Board of Trustees agree that the task is impossible, the contract may be amended where possible or terminated if necessary with 14 calendar days’ notice. The Researcher will receive remuneration based on the hours worked on any outstanding activities approved by the Trustee responsible for Housing, along with any outstanding expenses as covered in the contract and agreed by the Board of Trustees.

Eligibility criteria

The Housing Researcher should be someone who can demonstrate:

1. Qualifications and/or training in at least one of the following areas:
   1. Housing administration/policy; 
   2. Property management/surveying;
   3. Social administration/policy.
2. Experience in conducting and completing research projects.
3. Experience working in the housing sector and preferably with volunteers.
4. Willingness to learn independently of work time about the housing-related challenges that confront people seeking sanctuary.
5. Good communication and networking skills.
6. Good IT skills (including Google Workspace and Microsoft Office).
7. Familiarity with collecting and analysing social data.
8. Endorsing the aims and values of RWinR as described on our website

How to apply

Thank you for your interest in this role. Applications closed at 5pm on Tuesday 30th December 2025. We will contact successful applicants by Tuesday 13th January 2026 and invite them to interview.