Community Homeless Services Lead

New Start is a family-run, not-for-profit organisation, providing residential and supported accommodation services for vulnerable adults, families, children, and young people. We deliver a diverse range of homelessness projects and housing solutions, helping some of the most complex and disadvantaged groups across Merseyside. The services we provide aim to enhance lives by offering good quality homes and structured support; encouraging clients to achieve independence and engage in constructive opportunities which will enable them to live a more fulfilled and enriched lives.

Job Title:

Community Homeless Services Lead

Responsible to:

Director of Operations

Hours of Work:

37.5 hours per week

Location:

New Start, Head Office, Townsend Lane

Salary and benefits:

• £42500
• 33 days annual leave including bank holidays per annum
• Paid Medicash support
• Company Pension Scheme
• Funded Training Opportunities

Job Purpose

The Community Homeless Services Lead is responsible for the operational management of a number of projects which provide housing and visiting support in the local community.  The Community Homeless Service Lead will provide the necessary leadership and management to ensure the smooth running of the service.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Supporting the Leadership Team in the delivery and development of high-quality services, achieved through the involvement of service users, staff and other stakeholders. 
• Lead on all safeguarding and serious incident reporting relating to the service, ensuring responses within agreed timeframes are met.
• Lead on reviewing and implementation of action plans as necessary resulting from any serious incident or safeguarding concerns.
• To support services and Team Leaders to embed a therapeutic approach to service delivery.
• To ensure staff teams remain compliant with all mandatory training competencies
• Establishing, promoting and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders. 
• To oversee and support the delivery of New Start’s Community Homeless Services, ensuring all areas of service provision are facilitated to the highest standard, encompassing safe and professional well managed accommodation for all.

Specific Duties  

• Effective management and development of staff and services to lead on and promote the delivery of all objectives. 
• Lead on maintaining and building strong partnerships across the city.
• Maintain effective communications with all departments, championing interdepartmental working and collaboration. 
• Ensure that internal auditing processes are developed and maintained to support service delivery, including but not limited to risk assessments, support plans and case notes.
• Leading service specific meetings, conducting work reviews, identifying training needs and providing supervisions.
• Lead disciplinary and grievance procedures when necessary. 
• To produce reporting statistics, as deemed appropriate by the CEO, for board meetings etc.
• To establish, develop and grow third party relationships through face-to-face meetings and other communication options.
• To build and foster positive professional working relations with Commissioners and Local Authority staff.
• To maintain strong professional working relations with external institutions and organisations.
• To maintain strong professional working relations with Landlords and Letting Agents.
• To achieve agreed performance targets, standards and objectives by ensuring that service provision requirements and expectations are known to all staff and frontline workers.
• To review and monitor performance indicators / standards of service delivery on a quarterly basis.
• To deputise for other Managers across services to ensure effective service delivery is always maintained.

What we’re looking for in our ideal Homeless Services Lead:

• A minimum of 2 years management / supervisory experience in a similar setting (Essential)
• NVQ Level 3 or above in Health & Social Care (Essential)
• Management qualification / currently working towards completion of - NVQ Level 5 in Leadership and Management or equivalent (Essential)
• Demonstrable experience of effectively managing, leading, motivating and inspiring staff (Essential)
• Experience of case work (Essential)
• Driver with access to own vehicle (Essential)
• Relevant experience of the IMS system, MainStay system, or a similar Capita platform (Desirable)
• Relevant knowledge and experience of working with vulnerable adults/families with complex backgrounds (Essential)
• Current working knowledge of the barriers facing vulnerable adults in relation to homelessness (Essential)
• Relevant knowledge and experience of working with at least one of the following client groups: homelessness, substance misuse, mental health, domestic violence, refugees and multiple complex needs (Essential)
• Knowledge and understanding of promoting Health & Safety in the Workplace (Essential)
• Knowledge and understanding of Safeguarding procedures and legislation within statutory and non-statutory services (Essential)
• Previous experience of multi-agency working (Essential)

This post is subject to enhanced DBS criminal record disclosure.