Hostel Service Manager
Supported Housing | Squared Homes
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £40,000 – £42,500 per annum (depending
on experience)
Hours: 37 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Location: Luton (agile working across our
supported housing properties)
Essential Car User Allowance paid in addition to mileage
reimbursement
About Squared
Squared is a not-for-profit housing association supporting
communities across Luton and South Bedfordshire since 1962. We are a welcoming,
inclusive organisation where people feel valued, supported and empowered to
make a real difference.
Our Benefits
- 33
days annual leave (including bank holidays), increasing with service (up
to 38 days)
- Option
to buy or sell up to 5 days leave
- Free
Health Cashplan (after probation)
- Canada
Life WeCare Employee Assistance Programme
- Pension
scheme (Squared contributes 1.33% of employee contribution up to 8%)
- Life
Assurance
- Personal
Accident Cover
- Staff
benefits portal with shopping discounts
- Essential
Car User Allowance (in addition to mileage payments)
- Flexible,
supportive working approach
About Supported Housing
Supported Housing is a vital part of Squared Housings
service delivery. We provide tailored support to Luton residents
living in our temporary and shared accommodation. Adopting a
person-centred coaching approach, we aim to
empower customers to help themselves in a
secure, safe and stable environment. With
the appropriate support, we work
towards customers achieving their own best potential
and enabling a smooth transition into successful
independence in the community.
About the Role
Supported Housing is a crucial part of the
business. As a Service Manager you
will have responsibility for oversight of the ongoing management
of; The secure, safe and supported accommodation provided
to all by the ‘Team Leaders’ and ‘Support Coaches’ to deliver the best
possible outcomes for our customers.
Excelling in both written and verbal communications, you
will be responsible for leading the Hostel Services Team,
ensuring our customers receive only excellent service.
You will promote and ensure a psychologically informed
way of working by all to provide a service which is flexible and
adaptive to the changing needs of customers and the team.
You will lead your team, empowering them to
work collaboratively to provide consistent boundaries and a trauma
informed approach to practical honest support, good housing
management and strong financial control; working closely with our
Independent Living Housing Services’ team you will ensure the seamless
provision of a complete housing and support solution to our customers
throughout their personal journey with Squared.
Working with Luton community support groups,
LBC, partner agencies and our internal organisational expertise,
you will be responsible for ensuring your team have the tools,
support and adequate resource to provide a safe environment in
which to build a customer’s confidence and promote opportunities for
positive change and development.
You will be expected to set clear objectives for
your team delivering measured outcomes for the business as you build on
your personal development and as the role evolves.
You will report directly to the Head of Homes providing
headline information with highlights of key business
drivers, opportunities and threats to the ongoing success of the
service and wider organisation.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Having full oversight of
the ongoing management of the secure, safe and
supported accommodation provided to all customers by the
Team Leaders and Support Coaches to deliver the best possible
outcomes for our customers.
- Taking full line
management responsibility for the mentoring, supervision and development
of the Hostel Services Team Leaders, Hostel Coordinator,
and specialist tendered services Support Coaches.
- Being responsible
for ensuring the support and supervision delivered by the
Team Leader and Support Coaches under them is relevant, responsible and
follows best practice establishing and addressing learning and
development needs.
- Working in
collaboration with the Head of Homes and leadership team to
contribute to the development and delivery of the ‘Homes with
Support’ strategy and wider business objectives.
- Evaluating operational
practices with due regard to risk, statutory and
regulatory requirements and best practice to help
improve the delivery of the business plan to drive
continuous improvement and security.
- Identifying and
assess opportunities for operational innovation and continuous service
improvements, including working practices and data management.
- Overall responsibility for
streamlining and reviewing processes to increase output without increasing
cost.
- Taking overall
responsibility for the monitoring the management of void
levels, rent collection, rent arrears and other key performance
indicators; taking action to ensure targets are met and relevant
Squared policies and procedures are followed.
- Oversight of ensuring risk
issues are identified by the Team
Leaders, cases are proactively managed safely, and Support
Coaches are working collaboratively with customers and
stakeholders to give the best outcomes.
- Ensuring safeguarding
issues are addressed in accordance
with Squared’s Safeguarding policy while acting as
the joint Senior Safeguarding Lead for the
organisation.
- Ensuring all complaints
are effectively dealt with, managed professionally by
the team and monitored in line with Squared
policies with the complainant kept informed at all
times.
- Taking overall
responsibility for ensuring that effective systems and procedures to
support customers in their tenancies
are established and maintained by the team. This will
include undertaking internal audits; ensuring that up to date
and accurate records, focused on tenancy
sustainment, support, good housing management and strong
financial control.
- Taking the lead liaising
with all relevant external agencies, local authorities and other partners,
including other Squared departments and stakeholders; to achieve high
levels of customer satisfaction with our services, along with identifying
grant and tender opportunities, and contributing to the
preparation and delivery of the tender submission.
- Attending networking
and partnership meetings to gain support and ideas from external
organisations. Promoting the organisations services to the wider
community.
- Keeping up to date with
legislation affecting the service; ensuring that the services comply
with relevant legislation and regulatory
requirements, policy and good practice in respect of day-to-day
operation.
- Escalating cases through
legal frameworks as necessary; including attending and representing the
organisation as a landlord in court and all solicitor communication
as required.
- Accountability for the
overall budget and income management of your services and your team’s
responsibility for delivery. You will maintain regular reviews,
checks and balances to ensure progress against targets. You will take
an active role in rent and service charge reviews, internally and
externally of the organisation.
- Accountability
for identifying, setting, measuring and monitoring key
performance indicators for your services ensuring your team are fully
engaged in the performance objectives that
are required to deliver them.
- Taking overall
responsibility for producing regular performance monitoring reports
internally and externally, acting where performance improvement
is required, being responsible for meeting any requirements
highlighted through audits and reporting to the leadership team on a
regular basis.
- Working closely with
the Hostel Coordinator and Finance department to ensure sound income
management and accurate well managed customer accounts and
tenure.
- Working closely with
the Landlord and Property Service team to ensure the correct management of
voids, repairs and compliance.
- Ensuring your
team are equipped to fully informed the residents of their
rights and responsibilities regarding the service
and are enabled and empowered to participate in service
improvements.
- Managing your teams
understanding and adherence of all Squared’s policies and
procedures, including health and safety, compliance,
business continuity planning and fairness.
- Always acting in
accordance with the Squared values – being a champion of a values led
culture and an ambassador for the organisation.
About You
We’re looking for someone who is:
You will play an integral role in the ongoing
development and success of Squared as we develop and grow
as an organisation.
As a Service Manager, excelling in both written and
verbal communications, you will have to be driven, well-motivated
and possess the skills, knowledge and determination to lead
a team. You will insist on a commitment to meet the needs of the business and
our customers though the delivery of
well-planned, high-quality services.
You will be a proactive and motivated,
hard-working self-starter. You will be organised, efficient, able to work
quickly and accurately under pressure whilst
always maintaining excellent customer care. You will be
resilient in the face of challenges, with a positive outlook and ability
to motivate others.
You will be willing to go the extra mile to get
the job done!
The table below details the essential and desirable
qualifications, knowledge, experience, and skills you will need to perform in
the role successfully. Our selection process will be based on assessing you
against this criterion and how you fit with the required behaviours and
values.
Essential
- Strong
management experience within social care, housing, supported
accommodation, or a related support service environment.
- Proven
experience of leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams to
achieve positive outcomes.
- Experience
of working with vulnerable people and supporting individuals to maximise
their independence and wellbeing.
- Excellent
leadership, communication and relationship-building skills, with the
ability to build trust with residents, colleagues and external partners.
- Strong
understanding of social issues including homelessness, wellbeing, support
services and affordability challenges.
- Ability
to analyse data and performance information to identify trends, improve
services and support decision-making.
- Excellent
problem-solving, decision-making and organisational skills, with the
ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
- High
levels of emotional intelligence, empathy, resilience and the ability to
maintain professional boundaries.
- Good
IT and digital literacy skills, including the ability to use systems,
manage records and produce reports.
- Full
UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work-related travel.
Desirable
- Relevant
qualification in social care, counselling, psychology, leadership or a
related field.
- Advanced
safeguarding qualification or specialist safeguarding training.
- Experience
of developing and improving services to maximise customer outcomes and
organisational performance.
- Experience
of delivering one-to-one support and/or facilitating therapeutic or
group-work interventions.
- Knowledge
of welfare rights, welfare benefits and wider support provision.
- Experience
of working collaboratively with local authorities, commissioners and
partner agencies.
- Experience
of identifying and supporting grant-funded opportunities or externally
funded projects.
- Coaching
and mentoring skills, with experience of developing individuals and teams
through coaching approaches.
- Experience
of managing budgets, delivering value for money and understanding
commercial considerations within service delivery.
- Experience
of writing, reviewing or implementing policies and procedures, alongside
strong project management skills.
What Will Make You Stand Out
You’ll embody Squared’s values by being customer-focused,
solutions-driven and committed to continuous improvement. Your ability to lead
with empathy, build strong partnerships across the community and deliver safe,
high-quality services that transform lives will set you apart from other
applicants.
Why Work With Us?
At Squared, you’ll be part of a values-driven organisation
where your work has genuine impact.
If you’re looking for a role where you can make a
difference, develop your skills and work within a supportive and
forward-thinking team, we’d love to hear from you.
Timeline of events:
Applications must be submitted by 20th July 0900.
We do reserve the right to close the job advert early depending on the number
of applicants.
The first stage interview will be a video interview which if
your application is successful will need to be submitted by 24th
July 1000.
Face to face interviews will then be held on 31st
July.
