Assistant Manager - Housing and Homeless

Sanctuary Emergency Accommodation

The Sanctuary hosts our Emergency Accommodation Service which provides short\-term accommodation across 22 bedrooms, alongside three Rapid Response bedrooms, providing a total of 25 beds.

The Rapid Response beds offer a seven day stay and are accessed through referrals from New Hope Street Outreach, working in partnership with Watford Borough Council.

Alongside accommodation, the service provides support, meals and laundry facilities to help meet the immediate needs of individuals accessing the service

The Emergency Accommodation consists of 11 staff members; manager, assistant manager, six support workers and three sleep in support workers.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a new assistant manager to support the Emergency Accommodation manager. The assistant manager will focus on the day\-to\-day operations of the service, supporting staff with people we support and delegating responsibilities to the staff team.

We are looking for a person who has a desire to help people who are experiencing homelessness. You may already have knowledge and understanding of homelessness, maybe through a previous job, as a volunteer, or through your own lived experience. You will be the sort of person who sees people experiencing rough sleeping, sofa surfing eviction or living in temporary accommodation as a person, not just as ‘rough sleepers’ or ‘service users’.

You will be self\-aware, compassionate, non\-judgemental, and have a strong degree of emotional intelligence. You will have excellent skills in communication, prioritisation, and administration and be open to gaining new insight and understanding.

You will be motivated to find solutions for people you are key working through partnership work internally and externally. You have the ability to manage complex behaviours and to support people who may be in difficult situations. You will be a team player who supports colleagues and helps the team to offer the best possible service.

Key responsibilities:

· To enable people to progress within services provided by New Hope, Watford Borough Council, and partner organisations within the council’s Single Homeless Pathway.

· To oversee the management and reconciliation of petty cash for the service.

· To manage the collection of personal service charges from people we support and setting up and monitoring repayment plans where required.

· To ensure regular health and safety checks are carried out and that the interior and exterior of the Sanctuary are maintained to all relevant regulations and the highest possible standards of repair and cleanliness, escalating concerns where necessary.

· To manage the Service Folder, ensuring all annual building maintenance services and checks are booked, completed, and recorded, including yearly PAT testing.

· To uphold the Sanctuary house rules and manage warnings and exclusions fairly, consistently and in line with New Hope policies.

· To work with the HR and Volunteer Administrator to identify volunteering opportunities and to assist with recruiting, inducting, and supporting volunteers in line with good practice.

· To ensure all Sanctuary equipment is maintained in good working order and that stock levels are accurately recorded, stored, monitored, and replenished as required.

· To ensure all administrative tasks are completed accurately and on time including assessments, support plans and benefit forms.

· To work closely with the manager and staff to improve the quality, timeliness and effectiveness of referrals to appropriate move\-on accommodation.

· To assist in maintaining staff rotas, cover shifts as required, and liaise with casual workers and agencies to ensure the service is safely and consistently staffed.

· To participate in the Exceptional Circumstances rota by providing on\-call support to staff across accommodation services (Sanctuary, Recovery Service, and HopeHomes) in line with the Exceptional Circumstances Policy.

Leadership:

· To work closely with the Emergency Accommodation manager in the day\-to\-day running of the Sanctuary, taking responsibility for decisions and deputising in their absence.

· To manage staff attendance, including annual and other leave, sickness absence, and TOIL in accordance with New Hope’s policies, keeping accurate records, and notifying HR/line manager where required.

· To line manage staff performance, including during probation, completing supervisions regularly and appraisals annually in line with policy and liaising with the manager.

· To identify staff training needs and make recommendations for team and individual staff training.

· To promote best practice and ensure a high standard of service delivery to residents.

Additional Tasks:

· To ensure all administrative and financial records are up\-to\-date and produced to a high standard.

· To ensure all written communication, for internal and external use, is appropriate and accurate.

· To be accountable (alongside the manager) for the management of funds received by the Sanctuary.

· To represent New Hope at external meetings and events, as agreed with the line manager.

· To adhere to New Hope’s Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety policies at all times.

· To undertake any other relevant duties as required.

General Requirements:

· To uphold the values and ethos of the charity.

· To attend training or meetings as agreed with your line manager.

· To be familiar with the objectives and operation of New Hope.

· To be open to opportunities for personal development.

This job description may be modified due to development or changing circumstances according to the needs of the service and in consultation with the post holder, who should be prepared to undertake further duties that arise as the post develops.

Person Specification

The criteria will be assessed through Application/CV AND Interview.

Application (A), Interview (I) and Task (T)

Personal Qualities

Essential

· Innovative, seeking out solutions. (A)

· Commitment to personal and professional development, including training. (A)

· Commitment to promoting independence and personal responsibility. (I)

· Responsible and reliable. (A)

· Highly motivated and enthusiastic. (I)

· Flexible and responsive to change. (I)

· Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. (I)

Experience

Essential

· Handling emotive issues with sensitivity, applying wisdom and judgement to identify a constructive path forward. (I)

· Working with vulnerable people. (I)

Desirable

· Working in the homelessness sector. (A \& I)

· Working with people experiencing substance or alcohol misuse and/or mental health challenges. (A \& I)

· Working in partnership with other agencies and individuals. (A \& I)

· Managing and leading staff teams, including supervisions and improving performance. (A \& I)

Skills and Abilities

Essential

· Engaging, leading and managing teams. (I)

· Work effectively unsupervised and as part of a team. (A)

· Work professionally alongside staff and people we support. (A)

· Able to cope with the emotional demands of the role. (I)

· Communicate clearly and effectively, verbally and in writing. (A \& I)

· Work within a person\-centred approach. (A)

· Prioritise, organise and manage workload to meet deadlines. (A \& T)

· Empower and motivate the people we support, as well as staff, to make positive decisions. (I)

· Manage complex and difficult situations to a positive outcome. (I)

· Offer help and support to others in a non\-judgemental and unconditional manner. (I)

Knowledge and Understanding

Essential

· IT confident and competent (Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and Google Chrome). (A)

· Strong understanding of professional boundaries. (I)

· Working knowledge of GDPR (data protection) and how it applies to the role. (I)

Desirable

· First Aid at Work trained. (A)

· Understanding of the benefits system. (A)

· Understanding of the issues affecting single adults who are homeless. (I)

· Understanding of good practice in safeguarding vulnerable adults. (I)

Other Requirements

Essential

· Commitment to the values and ethos of New Hope. (A and I)

· Ability to work outside of normal working hours on occasion. (I)

· Able to work flexibly in response to changing organisational needs. (I)

To apply, please look at our website https://www.newhope.org.uk and upload your CV showing how you meet the person specification and stating which role you are interested in.

Pay: £33,000\.00 per year

Work Location: In person

This listing is from Indeed. View original listing ↗