Based at the project in Stevenage, the post holder has overall responsibility for the effective management of the Stevenage hostel ensuring services are compliant with all relevant legislation, including health and safety, and providing a high quality service to clients, as well as partner organisations and other key stake-holders.

Main duties and Responsibilities

General

• Ensuring all KPI’s are met, accurately measured, and reported in a timely manner.
• Work closely with the CEO to ensure contract compliance, identifying any issues in a timely manner and implement a plan to rectify.
• Work closely with all funders to ensure relationships are maintained and contribute to the growth and continuous improvement of Haven First accommodation services.
• Provide leadership to the team; proactively dealing with all staff management issues; and managing all risks appropriately.
• Continue to improve and develop Haven First Accommodation Services; using learning for current provision; identifying trends and analysis of the external environment to identify potential areas of new development and improved practice.
• Maintaining high standards of professionalism and keep informed with housing related support issues, best practice, standards and legislation.
• Responsible for providing shift rotas and ensuring the project is covered 24/7.
• Be involved with the management team to be instrumental of annual business plan for all Accommodation Services
• Be responsible for holding regular client meetings and implementing any suggestions and addressing any issues raised.

Management/ Personnel

• Provide credible leadership and management across the organisation
• Provide regular support and supervision to Support workers, Adminstrator, Chef and Volunteer co-Ordinator.
• Promote a working culture which allows staff to maximise their potential; and reinforce this by open, honest communication, team working and leading by example.
• Ensure enthusiasm of continuous improvement is identified and discussed.
• Ensure robust performance management arrangements are in place, that staff performance is monitored and implementing identified career developments.
• Responsible for ensuring all staff are appropriately supported and receive regular supervision.
• Responsible for any disciplinary and grievances matters concerning the support staff team and/or volunteers.
• Ensure staffs training needs are identified and work with the Training Administrator to ensure necessary training is provided.

Service Delivery

• Ensure effective referral and resettlement routes are adhered too, in line with Haven First allocation and move on policies and procedures.
• Maintain a high standard of service delivery by ensuring recording systems and information on clients are accurate and kept up-to-date on the organisation’s database, Inform, in accordance with GDPR and regular monitoring and evaluation of case work is undertaken.
• The effective delivery of advanced planned monthly rotas.
• Oversee the delivery of effective support programmes for clients which contribute to developing their skills and opportunities in the areas of education, life-skills, work experience, training and volunteering.
• Ensure clients have a local connection to Stevenage through homeless or local connection criteria.

Financial Management

• Manage and monitor budgets and petty cash cash according to Haven First’s financial requirements.
• Oversee all collections of housing benefits & personal contributions of service charge from clients.
• Ensure client repayment plans are in place where necessary with the keyworker and work closely with Stevenage Borough Council to avoid Housing benefit delays, sanctions or overpayments.
• Oversee the keyworkers investigate any HB arrears, sanctions or overpayments.

Service Development

• Promote, develop and maintain effective joint working with external service providers to ensure the range of support options offered to clients remains accessible and relevant to their needs.
• Contribute to reports for commissioners, funders and other stakeholders, as required.
• Maintain effective systems of client consultation: collate client feedback; and use information gathered to develop the quality of service provision.
• Ensure services are non-exclusionary.
• Represent Haven First at events as required.

Other

• Ensure that information available to clients is of a high standard and updated regularly.
• Ensure fire procedures and health and safety requirements are understood by staff, relief staff, clients and voluntary workers, and are implemented.
• Fully participate in supervision with the CEO and keep under review and evaluate own performance to identify strengths and areas for development.

Note:

• The post holder will be expected to be on call to and be available to respond to emergencies which will/should be dealt with by duty staff.
• Over-time will only be paid in exceptional circumstances.,
• The post holder will be required to have access to a car for business use