ASCA Officer (Inspector)
| Posting date: | 10 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £30,000 to £31,500 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 23 October 2025 |
| Location: | Morecambe |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 431891/1 |
Summary
The Customer Services Group is an important operational arm of the Home Office, responsible for delivering a wide range of public services that support the UK’s economy and cultural life. Our work spans the administration of passports, citizenship, civil registration, and visas, as well as managing asylum applications, support and accommodation, along with resettlement and returns.
Customer Services Group of the Home Office delivers support services to people who seek asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK, including through external suppliers and partnerships with local government and other public agencies. The asylum support system is the biggest single spending area in the whole of the Borders & Immigration portfolio with a high public profile. Different suppliers hold regional Asylum Accommodation & Support Contracts (AASC) to provide housing and associated support to destitute asylum seekers across the UK. The Asylum Support Contract Assurance Team (ASC-A) plays a key role in scrutinising the performance of our suppliers against these contracts. This is critical to understanding the health of the system, driving business improvement, and holding the suppliers to account for their performance.
The Asylum Support Contract Assurance Team (ASC-A) plays a key role in scrutinising the performance of our suppliers against these contracts, by
- Inspecting accommodation to ensure that the required standards are being met
- Using a range of data sources to test their performance against the Key Performance Indicators in the contracts each month
- Undertaking thematic assurance reviews into areas of provider performance .
These posts involve on-site accommodation inspections (approximately 50% of working week) of asylum accommodation, with clerical work pre-inspection and post-inspection to prepare and to produce reports and follow up findings.
This post will involve travelling to complete inspections within the Cumbria region as far as Carlisle and locations north of Manchester; Bolton, Preston and Blackpool etc.
Whilst different staff will lead the data analysis parts of the ASC-A role, postholders may also be required to assist with those tasks.
Key Responsibilities
Key responsibilities will include but not limited to the following:
- Planning and undertaking quality accommodation inspections, to ensure that the accommodation supplier is maintaining property standards in line with the contract.
- Interacting with service users throughout the course of your inspections, to conduct wellbeing checks, respond to accommodation issues and signpost to support services where needed.
- Writing up findings from the inspection and presenting that information in MS software products; for example, Excel spreadsheets to inform the business on provider performance.
- Supporting the HEO and analytical staff in co-ordinating the production and delivery of findings to the supplier and internal stakeholders.
- This is not an exhaustive list, and the post holder will be required to perform any additional duties reasonably expected of them within the scope of the grade and within the limits of their skill, competence, and training.
- The officer is required to inspect accommodation in the Cumbria area (part of the larger North-West Region).
Working Pattern
This role is suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 30 hours over 4 days per week.
We operate Hybrid working which involves 60% work in the office and 40% work at home. Carrying out inspections counts as “in office work”. Working days are Monday to Friday and we operate Flexible Working Hours (FWH) between the hours of 07:00 to 19:00.
Training
As part of this role, you may have the opportunity to work directly with supporting potentially vulnerable and traumatised individuals as they navigate the complex asylum system. Your work will be crucial in providing guidance, safety, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural consideration. Being supported to adopt trauma-informed practice has the potential to make this challenging journey easier for those most at risk of further harm, recognising and responding to signs of vulnerability and trauma, and reducing the risk of re-traumatisation.
We understand that this may be both challenging and emotionally demanding, but it is also deeply rewarding. To ensure you feel confident and supported in your role, we offer comprehensive training to equip you with the skills and knowledge to make a lasting impact. We also offer ongoing support, both in terms of direct line management support, but also a broad wellbeing offer that includes a comprehensive wellbeing offer and Employee Assistance programme, wellbeing hours, support promotions and events.
Level 2 Personal Safety Training (this is a requirement for visiting accommodation). A moderate degree of physical fitness is required for this training.
Travel
Accommodation inspections will involve regular travel within your region, which inevitably results in some long days when inspecting, and travel will be required to other regions which may involve occasional overnight stays. Training will also take place in other regions around the UK which will involve travel and overnight stays in the first months of training.
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