duration

Duration
Half-day

duration

Location
In-house

duration

Availability
Good

Suitable for:       I What does this mean?

Illegal activity in residential properties presents serious risks to residents, staff and communities. From cuckooing and cannabis cultivation to modern slavery, housing professionals must recognise warning signs and respond appropriately. This practical course builds confidence in identifying concerns, managing risks and taking appropriate action.

Housing professionals are often among the first to notice when something isn’t right in a property. However, recognising the signs of criminal activity and knowing what to do next isn’t always straightforward.

Through practical examples, this course explores the risks associated with illegal activity, the importance of early intervention and how to respond safely and effectively. Delegates will gain the knowledge and confidence to identify potential concerns, follow appropriate reporting procedures and work with partner agencies to protect residents, properties and wider communities.

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    What will delegates learn?

    By the end of this course, delegates will be able to:

    • Recognise common forms of illegal activity occurring in residential properties
    • Identify warning signs during property inspections, tenancy visits and interactions with residents
    • Understand their responsibilities when illegal activity is suspected or discovered
    • Respond appropriately while protecting their own safety and that of residents and colleagues
    • Recognise when and how to escalate concerns to relevant agencies and partner organisations
    • Understand the importance of safeguarding vulnerable residents who may be experiencing exploitation.

    This course will cover:

    • Types of illegal activity: Recognising cannabis cultivation, cuckooing, modern slavery, exploitation and other criminal activity that may affect residential properties
    • Spotting the warning signs: Identifying unusual property conditions, changes in behaviour and other indicators that may suggest criminal activity
    • Legal and professional responsibilities: Understanding the duties of landlords and housing professionals when dealing with suspected illegal activity
    • Safeguarding and vulnerability: Recognising when residents may be victims of exploitation and understanding appropriate safeguarding responses
    • Personal and organisational safety: Managing risks to staff, residents, contractors and neighbouring households
    • Reporting and escalation: Knowing when to involve the police, safeguarding teams and other relevant agencies
    • Partnership working: Understanding how effective information sharing and collaboration can help manage incidents and protect communities
    • Managing the tenancy and property: Balancing enforcement, safeguarding and property management responsibilities when illegal activity is identified.

    Who should attend?

    This course is designed for frontline housing professionals who visit, inspect or manage residential properties, including:

    • Housing officers and neighbourhood officers
    • Tenancy management and enforcement teams
    • Estate management and property inspection staff
    • Supported housing professionals
    • Housing managers and team leaders
    • Resident-facing staff involved in identifying and reporting concerns.

    The course is particularly valuable for staff who regularly visit properties or engage directly with residents and need confidence in recognising and responding to potential criminal activity.

  • Our trainer

    Carrie Kus is an experienced housing, lettings and property training specialist with a strong background across the charity, private rented, social housing and property investment sectors.

    Carrie spent seven years as a Senior Trainer at Shelter, the homelessness charity, where she managed the training needs of both new and existing helpline housing advisers. Her work supported advisers in delivering high-quality housing guidance to people facing homelessness and housing insecurity.

    In 2010, Carrie founded Clarity Estates, a lettings agency operating in Sheffield and Chesterfield. She successfully led the agency for over a decade before its sale in 2022 to a local housing charity. Alongside this, Carrie has been a property investor for many years, bringing practical, hands-on experience of the rental market.

    Carrie has also held several non-executive and leadership roles. She served for five years as a Non-Executive Director of the Residential Landlords Association before its merger with the National Landlords Association to form the NRLA. She also spent three years as a Non-Executive Director for the trading arm of Nomad, a Sheffield charity providing housing for young people, and was Training Director for Property Training Solutions, a subsidiary of Allied Surveyors created to deliver specialist training for property surveyors and professionals.

    Carrie brings together deep knowledge of the housing, lettings, property investment and social housing sectors, alongside practical experience and a long-standing commitment to improving standards across housing and lettings.

     

We can bring this course to you.
If you have five or more staff interested our in-house training offers great value for money.

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