Deputy Hostel Manager

Job Title: Deputy Hostel Manager
Directorate: Accommodation \& Housing Related Support Services
Reporting to: Hostel Manager
Responsible for: Day and Night Staff (as delegated)

Huggard

Huggard is a Cardiff\-based charity working with and for people experiencing homelessness. Our purpose is to provide immediate safety, accommodation and support, whilst helping people break the cycle of homelessness and move towards a safe, stable and sustainable home, where they can thrive within their community.

Huggard delivers a comprehensive Accommodation and Support Pathway, providing emergency accommodation, Cardiff's Out of Hours Emergency Accommodation Service, triage and assessment, stabilisation, supported hostel accommodation, move\-on planning and supported transition into independent living.

Throughout every stage of this pathway, individuals receive coordinated housing, health, welfare, harm reduction, personal development, training and wellbeing support. Our services operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, using a psychologically informed and trauma\-informed approach to help people move from crisis through to stability, independence and sustainable accommodation.

Overview of the Role

The Deputy Hostel Manager supports the Hostel Manager in the day\-to\-day leadership and operation of Huggard's accommodation and support services, helping to ensure residents receive safe accommodation, high\-quality support, and opportunities to progress towards greater independence. In the Hostel Manager's absence, the Deputy will take responsibility for maintaining service continuity, supporting staff, managing incidents, and ensuring the smooth running of the service.

As a visible and approachable leader, the Deputy Hostel Manager will work closely with residents, staff, and partner agencies to create a safe, welcoming, and psychologically informed environment. The role combines operational management with responsibility for emergency accommodation, allocations, complex case management, safeguarding, housing management, move\-on planning, and partnership working, ensuring residents receive coordinated, person\-centred support throughout their time with Huggard.

Working across the accommodation pathway, the Deputy Hostel Manager will help residents move from emergency accommodation through stabilisation and skills development towards successful move\-on and sustained independence. This includes supporting Immediate interventions, advocacy, Move\-on Readiness, transition planning, and helping to reduce the risk of tenancy breakdown and repeat homelessness.

The Deputy Hostel Manager will promote high standards of practice across the service, ensuring effective assessments, risk management, support planning, safeguarding, and housing management. They will lead by example, support the development of staff, and help embed Huggard's trauma\-informed, strengths\-based approach into everyday practice, enabling residents to build confidence, develop independent living skills, and achieve positive, sustainable outcomes.

Leadership and Staff Management

• Support the Hostel Manager in the day\-to\-day management of the hostel and provide operational leadership in their absence.


• Supervise, coach and support staff through regular supervision, guidance and performance management.


• Lead team meetings, handovers and reflective practice sessions, promoting effective communication across day and night teams.


• Support recruitment, induction, training and the ongoing development of staff.


• Promote a positive team culture that reflects Huggard's values, encourages accountability and supports staff wellbeing.

Emergency Accommodation, Allocations and Pathway Coordination

• Lead the day\-to\-day coordination of Emergency Accommodation (EOS), hostel allocations and resident flow across the accommodation pathway.


• Work closely with Cardiff's Single Person Gateway and partner agencies to maximise accommodation opportunities and minimise voids.


• Ensure new residents receive a welcoming service, timely assessments and appropriate support from the point of admission.


• Coordinate accommodation reviews, pathway planning and move\-on discussions to ensure residents progress through services in a planned and positive way.

Support, Safeguarding and Complex Case Management

• Lead and support the management of complex, high\-risk and challenging cases.


• Coordinate multi\-agency working, safeguarding processes, case conferences and risk management plans.


• Provide guidance and support to staff managing residents with complex needs, including homelessness, substance use, mental health needs, trauma, offending histories and multiple disadvantage.


• Promote professional curiosity, reflective practice and effective safeguarding throughout the service.


• Ensure residents receive high\-quality, person\-centred support that promotes safety, stability and positive outcomes.

Move\-On, Community Houses and Community Support

• Support residents to progress through Huggard's Move\-On Readiness Framework and Independent Living Pathway.


• Participate in Community Houses referral reviews, placement decisions and accommodation transitions.


• Coordinate move\-on planning and help maintain continuity of support through Community Move\-On Support.


• Work alongside the wider support team to reduce tenancy breakdown, promote tenancy sustainment and prevent repeat homelessness.

Accommodation and Housing Management

• Support the effective management of occupancy, licence agreements, Housing Benefit applications, rent accounts and arrears.


• Assist with move\-ins, move\-outs, occupancy reviews and occupancy\-ending processes in accordance with legislation and Huggard procedures.


• Oversee maintenance reporting, health and safety, property standards and resident responsibilities.


• Address anti\-social behaviour, breaches of occupancy agreements and housing management concerns professionally, fairly and consistently, including the use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) where appropriate.

Partnership Working and Quality Assurance

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with partner agencies including housing, health, substance use services, social services, criminal justice agencies and the voluntary sector.


• Represent Huggard at operational meetings, safeguarding discussions, multi\-agency reviews and partnership forums.


• Ensure assessments, support plans, risk assessments, safeguarding records and In\-Form records are completed accurately and to a high standard.


• Support quality assurance, audits, reporting, service reviews and continuous improvement across the accommodation service.

General Responsibilities

• Adhere to Huggard's policies, procedures and values at all times.


• Work flexibly across Huggard's accommodation and support services to meet operational need.


• Participate in supervision, appraisal, training and continuous professional development.


• Undertake any other reasonable duties consistent with the level and responsibilities of the role.

Person Specification Summary

Essential:

• Experience of working in supported accommodation, homelessness, or social care environments.


• Strong understanding of safeguarding, health and safety, and housing management principles.


• Excellent organisational and communication skills.


• Ability to lead, motivate, and support a diverse staff team.


• Commitment to trauma\-informed and psychologically informed practice.

Desirable:

• Supervisory or deputy management experience.


• Knowledge of Cardiff’s homelessness system and the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016\.


• Proficient in using In\-Form or similar case management systems, with strong IT skills and experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Outlook.


• Experience using In\-Form or similar case management systems.

Reporting to: Hostel Manager
Deputises for: Hostel Manager during absence

Huggard Terms and Conditions for this role. Deputy Manager Hostels

Salary. Huggard is a real living wage employer. A starting salary of £\* 33,699\.00\. \*This is reviewed annually to take account of cost of living, rises in the real living wage base rate.

Working hours Deputy managers work 38\.5 hours a week with 20 mins unpaid break per day.

This role is off rota and hours of work will be agreed with the manager and team to ensure adequate management cover. This will predominantly be Monday to Friday work.

Pension. Huggard operates a Group Personal Pension Scheme through Standard Life for all contracted staff who are on permanent positions and pays an employer’s contribution equivalent to 7% of each employee’s salary into the scheme and the employee pays a minimum of 1%

Holiday. Huggard holiday entitlement It starts at 5 weeks’ holiday (6\.6 weeks including Bank Holidays). Staff required to work Bank Holidays will be given time off in lieu and some Bank Holidays also attract double pay.

Healthcare. Huggard pays for Benenden Healthcare for all permanent contracted staff. The immediate benefits for staff include:

• 24 hour GP advice line, 24/7 counselling helpline (relationship, money, employment, anxiety), Health advice line


• After 6 months in the scheme, staff have access to: Treatment and surgery, Local consultations and tests, Physiotherapy, Counselling \& psychology for stress, bereavement, anxiety or depression as well as other mental health problems. Financial help with cancer or TB.

Meals. Staff can make use of Huggard’s kitchen services at a subsidised rate for lunches (Our cafe is a commercial operation and there is currently no staff discount)

CycleScheme: providing staff with the benefit of being able to purchase bicycles at a reduced rate through a salary sacrifice scheme.

Pay: From £33,699\.00 per year

Benefits:

• Bereavement leave


• Canteen


• Casual dress


• Company pension


• Cycle to work scheme


• Disco

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