Care Leavers Housing Manager

Surrey County Council; Horsell; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in England is seeking a Care Leavers Housing Manager to oversee housing for care leavers, provide direct support, and work with various stakeholders. The position offers a salary of £36,873 per annum on a fixed-term basis. Key responsibilities include managing benefits applications, ensuring compliance, and fostering a supportive environment for young residents. Ideal candidates will have experience with vulnerable youth and housing regulations. The role involves travel across Surrey, making a driving licence essential.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, rising with service

Local government pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development opportunities

Wellbeing discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience supporting vulnerable young people.
• Familiarity with housing legislation and health safety compliance.
• Driving licence and access to a vehicle for travel.

Responsibilities

• Manage housing for care leaver properties across Surrey.
• Support tenants with housing and benefit applications.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.

Skills

Experience working with vulnerable young people

Knowledge of housing and health and safety legislation

Understanding of welfare benefits

Ability to work independently and in a team

Job description

• Category: Care - Children and Young People
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 2 December 2025
• Location: Victoria Gate, Chobham Road, Woking, GU21 6JD

Description

This full-time position has a starting salary of £36,873 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

This is a 9-month fixed term contract or secondment opportunity with the potential to extend. For internal candidates, please discuss with your current Line Manager before submitting your application.

We are excited to be hiring a new Care Leavers Housing Manager to join our fantastic Care Leavers Service. The team is based at Victoria Gate in Woking, however the role is countywide and will involve travel to various properties and offices within the county of Surrey.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Optionto buy up to 10 days ofadditionalannual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity,adoptionand dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

This role sits within the Care Leavers Service, part of the wider Corporate Parenting Directorate at Surrey, who tirelessly support our care experienced young people to reach their potential towards adulthood. The Service has a permanent and longstanding workforce of dedicated staff and managers. We foster a strong learning culture — celebrating achievements, sharing knowledge, and investing in staff development to help you thrive.

You will have the opportunity to develop the role of Care Leavers Housing Manager; ensuring the successful running of the Group Living for Care Leaver Properties in Surrey, which are set aside specifically for care experienced young people.

Surrey currently has four houses across the county with plans to extend to six properties by mid-2026. This is a varied and rewarding role that blends housing management with direct support. You'll work closely with care experienced young people, support providers, and internal teams to ensure safe, well-maintained homes and smooth transitions to independent living. No two days will be the same!

As a Housing Manager, your key responsibilities will include:

• Identifying and supporting tenants, ensuring full occupancy
• Supporting with housing and benefit applications
• Responding to repair and maintenance concerns
• Ensuring health and safety compliance across properties
• Liaising with the Care Leavers Service, Land and Property Services, and support providers
• Being a trusted point of contact for residents, helping them live safely and confidently within the properties, as they progress to independent accommodation

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• Experience working with vulnerable young people
• Experience working within the housing industry with knowledge of housing and health and safety legislation
• An understanding of welfare benefits
• A track record of working effectively, both independently and within a team

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and candidates will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

Application Questions

• Please can you tell us what has motivated you to apply for this position. What do you feel you can bring to the role?
• Please tell us about your experience working with young people. How have you built trust and supported them to achieve positive outcomes?
• Please describe a time when you managed housing-related responsibilities. What legislation or compliance considerations did you need to take into account, and how did you ensure these were met?
• This role involves working independently and collaboratively across teams. Can you share an example of a project or initiative you've led or contributed to that required coordination with multiple stakeholders?

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Leanne George by e-mail and/or telephone at [e-mail] or 0300 123 1630.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 28/12/2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day,we'recommitted to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.