Homelessness Relief Team Leader

New Forest District Council; Lyndhurst; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

LGPS and AVC

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Employee discounts

Learning and development

Make a difference to local residents

Job summary

New Forest District Council in Lyndhurst is seeking a Homelessness Relief Team Leader to steer a multi-disciplinary team, deliver housing solutions, and prevent homelessness. You will lead frontline officers, support workers, and a mental health practitioner, ensuring services are lawful, user-focused and outcome-driven.

You’ll work across partners, oversee performance, and implement the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2031, driving continuous improvement and safeguarding

Qualifications

• Knowledge of homelessness legislation including the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
• Experience supervising staff within homelessness, housing options or housing management.
• Ability to work with internal and external partners to coordinate services.
• Strong communication, leadership and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop a multi-disciplinary homelessness and support team.
• Ensure homelessness relief duties are delivered effectively and in accordance with housing legislation and statutory guidance.
• Provide oversight and quality assurance of complex homelessness cases, including high-risk cases.
• Support staff to identify suitable housing solutions and move-on plans for homeless households.
• Oversee use of emergency and temporary accommodation, ensuring appropriate and brief placements.
• Monitor service performance, outcomes and statutory returns; drive continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain partnerships with housing associations, health providers, probation services, social care and voluntary organisations.
• Support safeguarding arrangements and ensure interventions for vulnerable households.
• Contribute to service development, policy implementation and strategic housing priorities.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex and high-risk homelessness cases.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Service improvement

People management

Decision making

Communication

Education

Professional housing qualification

Job description

Job profile for Homelessness Relief Team Leader

Homelessness Relief Team Leader

Lyndhurst 24/10/2026

Job details

Salary £41,499 - £44,662 per annum (up to £45,940 for exceptional performance once in post) Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Region South Job category/type Housing Date posted 25/09/2026 Attachments People strategy_document.pdf Local Government Reorganisation.pdf Customer Strategy - Customer Promise.pdf Candidate pack - Homelessness Relief Team Leader.pdf

Job description

Make a lasting impact – lead a team dedicated to preventing and relieving homelessness, supporting vulnerable households and delivering housing solutions that change lives.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Homelessness Relief Team Leader to join our Housing Options Service. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a dedicated team focused on helping people move out of homelessness and into sustainable accommodation, whilst delivering high-quality support to some of the most vulnerable residents across the New Forest.

This pivotal leadership role combines operational management, statutory homelessness expertise, partnership working and service improvement. You will play a key role in delivering the Council's homelessness responsibilities and implementing the priorities set out within our new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 - 2031.

About the Role

As Homelessness Relief Team Leader, you will lead and develop a team of Homelessness Relief Officers, Complex Support Workers, Floating Support Workers and a Mental Health Practitioner, ensuring homelessness duties are delivered effectively, lawfully and with a strong focus on positive customer outcomes.

You will oversee the Council's Homelessness Relief service, supporting households who are already homeless to secure suitable accommodation and access the support needed to sustain it. You will provide leadership on complex homelessness cases, manage service performance, and ensure compliance with relevant legislation, including the Homelessness Reduction Act and wider housing legislation.

Working closely with colleagues, housing providers, health services, social care, probation, mental health services and voluntary sector organisations, you will help ensure vulnerable households receive coordinated support and achieve long-term housing stability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop a multi-disciplinary homelessness and support team
• Ensure homelessness relief duties are delivered effectively and in accordance with housing legislation and statutory guidance.
• Provide oversight and quality assurance of complex homelessness cases, including cases involving significant risks and support needs.
• Support staff to identify suitable housing solutions and effective move-on plans for homeless households.
• Oversee the use of emergency and temporary accommodation, ensuring placements are appropriate and used for the shortest possible period.
• Monitor service performance, outcomes, statutory returns and quality standards, driving continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with housing associations, health providers, probation services, social care teams, mental health services and voluntary organisations.
• Support safeguarding arrangements and ensure vulnerable households receive appropriate interventions and support.
• Contribute to service development, policy implementation, performance management and strategic housing priorities.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex, sensitive and high-risk homelessness cases.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will be an experienced housing professional with strong leadership skills and a passion for helping people facing homelessness.

You will have excellent knowledge of homelessness legislation and experience of supporting staff to deliver high-quality homelessness services within a challenging and fast-paced environment. You will be confident making complex decisions, managing competing priorities and working with a wide range of internal and external partners.

What You Will Bring

• Excellent knowledge of homelessness legislation, including the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Renters Rights Act, Housing Acts and Homelessness Code of Guidance.
• Experience of supervising or managing staff within a homelessness, housing options or housing management setting.
• Strong understanding of homelessness relief, temporary accommodation and support pathways.
• Demonstrable experience of assessing and managing risk and supporting vulnerable households with complex needs.
• Excellent communication, leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Experience working collaboratively with statutory and voluntary sector partners.
• Good ICT skills and the ability to effectively use housing management and Microsoft 365 systems.
• A commitment to delivering excellent customer service and positive outcomes for residents.

Desirable

• Experience working within a local authority housing service.
• Knowledge of housing allocation systems, including Locata.
• Previous experience working with supported housing providers and complex support services.
• Relevant professional housing qualification or equivalent experience.

What's in it for you?

• £41,499 - £44,662 per annum (up to £45,940 for exceptional performance once in post)
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme and AVC provision
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to a wide range of employee discounts and benefits
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• The opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of local residents

About us

At NFDC we recognise that every colleague - whether in operational, frontline, or office ‑ based roles - plays a vital part in delivering high ‑ quality services to our communities. We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment where people feel valued for the work they do and the strengths they bring.

We aim to foster a culture where people feel confident to share ideas, contribute their expertise, and develop through meaningful conversations with their managers and supported learning opportunities. Whilst we have our corporate values, LEAF Learning Empathy Ambition Fairness , we understand that different teams work in different ways, and we want our values to be lived in ways that make sense locally while staying true to our shared purpose as an organisation.

We want colleagues to thrive, which is why we promote wellbeing, balance, and opportunities for learning and progression. Our values guide how we work together and how we support each other to be confident, capable, and adaptable.

Click here to see why employees think that New Forest District Council isa great placeto work: Working forNFDC

Please note: You’ll likely be aware that there is a government mandate to deliver Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) to Hampshire and the Solent region, meaning a transition into a new operating structure from an agreed future date. This transition is currently paused following a recent government announcement, but it is important that applicants understand how this may affect their employment should they be successful. You will find attached a useful LGR update sheet at top of this advert.

Ifyou’reinterested:

Please see the candidate booklet for more information about working at the Council and the job description.

If you are passionate about making a difference, committed to delivering excellent public services, and looking for a place where you can develop and continue to grow, we would be delighted to receive your application.

For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact: Christopher Pope, Service Manager Housing Options and Tenancy Accounts, on 023 8028 5511 or Victoria Gibbs, Housing Options Manager, on 02380 285246.

We understand that some applicants may choose to use AI tools to assist with completing their application. Please bear in mind it’s important that your application remains an accurate and honest reflection of your own skills, experience, and achievements. Please ensure that any content generated or supported by AI truly represents you and your capabilities, as this will form the basis of our assessment throughout the recruitment process

T his post requires an Enhanced DBS check to be completed. You must include details and dates of ‘spent’ convictions, cautions and reprimands and final warnings.

Closing date: Midnight 24th October 2026
Interview date: Monday 2nd November 2026