Based in Torbay, Niamh Riordan joined the customer liaison coordinator (CLC) team in April 2025 after previously working in property services, where she handled repairs and complaints. She now spends her days balancing safety compliance, resident engagement and community projects across the region, and she’s quick to point out that her role is often misunderstood.
“It’s not really about tenancy management at all,” she says. “It’s about safety, compliance and making sure we’re doing what we can to keep people and their homes safe. We do work closely with housing officers, but what we do day to day is very different.”
Most mornings start with compliance, helping to make sure homes stay safe and up to standard. For Niamh, that means working closely with the maintenance and electrical teams to arrange and monitor safety checks. Gas inspections, electrical testing, access visits - it’s all about making sure properties meet legal safety standards.
“The first thing I do is check compliance tasks,” she says. “It’s about calling customers to confirm appointments for gas checks or other safety visits. If there’s no access, we follow a process. We’ll call to rearrange and send letter reminders. We know a lot of our customers lead busy lives and sometimes it’s about us being flexible, but in rare situations we do have the right to take enforcement action to make sure our customers’ homes remain safe.”
That escalation might sound strict, but Niamh’s quick to explain the reasoning. “It’s not about nagging people - it’s about keeping them safe. If something goes wrong, like a gas leak, it’s our responsibility as a landlord to make sure we’ve done everything we can. Sometimes people just forget to reply, or have a lot going on, so we try to be understanding but still keep that duty of care.”
While compliance is the foundation, much of the job happens at the door. Niamh often finds that ‘no access visits,’ when we haven’t been able to get into a property for various reasons, or casual estate checks, can reveal much more than simply rescheduling a previously missed appointment.
“If someone isn’t answering the door repeatedly, sometimes it’s not just that they’re avoiding us,” she says. “We might find out there’s something else happening - maybe domestic abuse, or someone struggling with their mental health. In those cases, the customer’s wellbeing is our priority, and we’ll work with colleagues to make sure we do what we can to help that person.”
That collaboration is key. “We’re not housing officers, but we work closely with them. They know what’s going on day to day, and we can share what we see when we’re out visiting. It’s a team effort.”
After the compliance work, Niamh often turns her attention to engagement projects, the part of the job that brings a more creative and community focused side.
Recently, she’s been involved in a consultation for the Belmont House parking project, where the team is helping install an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system to manage resident parking.
“We sent letters out, created a survey, and did Q&A sessions with residents,” Niamh explains. “It’s all about getting feedback before anything changes. We can’t just decide, tenants have to have their say.”
The CLC team also help to run surveys, estate days and local consultations.“It’s nice to do something more engagement focused, it breaks up the week and reminds you why you’re doing it.”
No two days are the same. One afternoon might involve door knocking to reconnect with customers who haven’t been in touch for over a year, another might be helping organise community clean up days or checking in on estates with ongoing issues.
“I like the days where we go out and meet people, you get to see who’s behind the names on your list. Sometimes people just need someone to listen, they might not even have a housing issue, they just want to be heard.”
It’s these quieter moments that make the role worthwhile.“I used to work in property services, mostly handling complaints. It was a lot of sitting behind a desk, and I realised I preferred being out there with people. This job gives me that.”
Niamh’s role overlaps with housing teams, but it’s far from the same. “Housing officers deal with tenancy management, anti-social behaviour, all that,” she says. “We deal with compliance and engagement. We make sure people are safe and that communication between teams and customers actually happens.”
It’s a role that needs empathy, patience and persistence. “Sometimes you’re calling the same person three times to book a gas check, and it can be frustrating,” Niamh laughs. “But I always try to remember that we’re doing it for them. It’s their safety on the line.”
From compliance calls to estate projects, the CLC job is constantly changing. Some days are administrative, others are spent out in the community, but all of it adds up to something bigger.
“It’s definitely varied, one minute you’re on the phone chasing access, the next you’re at a community event or talking about parking plans. It’s busy, but I like that it’s not the same every day.”
And that, perhaps, is what defines the role best: variety, responsibility, and a genuine care for people’s wellbeing.
As Niamh puts it:
“It’s not just about ticking off compliance. It’s about people. Making sure they’re safe, making sure they feel heard and making sure no one gets left behind.”