Director of Housing

Location: Camden – with Pan London and Hybrid Working 

Salary: £35,022.58 - £36,590.75 per annum, pro rata  (Please note, successful candidates are usually appointed at the bottom of the relevant band)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Full- time)

Contract: Fixed Term Contract for 3 years

Closing Date: 25th March 2024 at 12 noon

Interview Date: 3rd April 2024

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as Team Manager – Housing First at Solace Women's Aid.

We exist to end the harm done through gender-based violence. Our aim is to work to prevent violence and abuse, as well as providing services to meet the individual needs of survivors, particularly women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives, free from abuse.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work, and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service

We are a women-only service, offering holistic, intensive, trauma-informed support in line with Housing First principles. Support is separate to the offer of Housing. Housing in is provided via a partnership with housing associations who typically offer 1-bedroom flats dispersed across London, service users can submit preferences for location/floor level etc according to their needs.

Housing First Project workers support service users in accessing furniture, setting up bills and rent payments, maximising income, accessing local services, and re-integrating with the community. As we are VAWG professionals, we also offer services like IDVA services such as referrals for orders, sanctuary schemes, risk assessments and safety planning etc. Keyworkers visit at least once a week and have a small caseload so can offer flexible support; however, all flats are general needs so not suitable to anyone who would not be able to cope in independent accommodation.  Housing First is supporting the most entrenched, excluded, and hard to reach service users. It focuses on finding permanent housing as quickly as possible and then addressing the issues that have contributed to an individual’s homelessness. 

This service is to address homelessness amongst domestic abuse survivors through an ambitious extension of the Solace Housing First Initiative (currently running in Westminster and Islington). This project currently supports the most disadvantaged women in London experiencing multiple disadvantage (including rough sleeping and substance abuse) by providing safe accommodation with holistic, long-term, intensive, trauma-informed support. This project will enable Solace in partnership with Hopscotch to outreach to Black and minoritised women who are currently underserved by existing provision. 

About the Role

As women we know that we don’t always apply for jobs unless we meet all of the criteria. If this applies to you, we ask that you consider using the supporting statement to show us how you believe your experience and skills will enable you to do the role, and how you think we might support you to develop in the role.

We are seeking a Team Manager to lead on our new Housing First Project. The approach we use is assertive outreach and we work with a small number of women. 

We are seeking someone with strong leadership skills with a commitment to keep survivors at the centre of service delivery whilst also delivering on service targets. You will have a passion for ending violence against women and girls as well as a thorough understanding of domestic abuse and its impact on survivors. 

We understand that you may not have all the knowledge, experience, and skills mentioned in the Job Profile Document. However, your interpersonal skills, passion to have a positive impact, commitment to our purpose, and ability to learn quickly and collaborate effectively will be equally important. If you wish to learn more about the role or if you are unsure about whether to apply, we encourage you to contact our recruitment team.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

Please send your CV and Supporting Statement outlining your interest in working for Solace via the recruitment portal and explain how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Profile Document.

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work. If you require any support to apply for this role, please email us.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies.