Housing & Progression Programme Lead

Exetercct; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Exeter City Community Trust in Exeter seeks a Housing & Progression Programme Lead to drive expansion of a new homelessness housing pathway. You will manage a small caseload, line-manage a support worker, and build partnerships with housing providers, statutory services and community organisations to support people into long-term housing.

You’ll deliver tenancy-readiness, life-skills, employment support, and 12 weeks of floating after move-in, with safeguarding and risk assessment at the core.

Qualifications

• Trauma-informed, strengths-based approach to support.
• Experience delivering person-centred tenancy and progression work.
• Strong networking and relationship-building with partners and services.
• Ability to develop operational structures from the ground up.
• Experience line-managing staff or volunteers.

Responsibilities

• Build effective partnerships with housing providers, Local Authority Housing Teams, Probation, adult social care, health services and voluntary-sector partners.
• Develop clear referral, handover and information-sharing processes for coordinated support.
• Deliver outreach to people sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness.
• Collaborate with Exeter homelessness services (e.g., Petrock, Exeter Homelessness Forum).
• Deliver tenancy-readiness, life-skills and employability sessions (Work Club, employer engagement).
• Lead development of a welcoming peer-led social hub and community café.
• Provide 12 weeks of floating support after move into long-term accommodation.
• Lead safeguarding, risk assessment and safety planning across caseload.
• Gather insight and data to identify systemic barriers in Exeter’s homelessness provision.
• Produce reports for senior leaders, funders and partners on outcomes and challenges.
• Support, supervise and develop Housing & Progression Support Worker.

Skills

Trauma-informed

Person-centred support

Excellent communication

Organisational skills

Driving licence

Education

Relevant qualification in social housing

Job description

Exeter CITY Community Trust is Exeter’s leading health and wellbeing charity. We deliver programmes in physical activity, education, social inclusion, and health and wellbeing to tens of thousands of people throughout Exeter and Devon. We have a large and varied portfolio of programmes, each of which seeks to address a specific need of our community. We have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and likeminded person to be part of our new housing scheme in Exeter.

Help build a city where homelessness in Exeter is ended—not simply managed.

We are looking for a compassionate, determined and highly organised Housing & Progression Programme Lead to lead the expansion of an ambitious new programme supporting people who have experienced rough sleeping to move towards, secure and sustain long-term housing.

Working alongside our established housing department, health and wellbeing programmes, and a network of city-wide partners, you will help participants build the confidence, skills and connections they need to thrive in their own homes and communities.

About the programme

Our housing department currently supports 105 individuals. This new programme builds on that proven foundation, bringing together tenancy-readiness support, training, volunteering and employment opportunities, physical activity, and welcoming social opportunities through our café and community hub.

Once someone secures long-term housing, we provide 12 weeks of continuous, practical support to help make their move successful and sustainable.

This is a programme with a bold purpose: to end homelessness in Exeter. That means supporting people through the housing pathway while also listening to their experiences, identifying the barriers they face, and helping shape better systems across the city.

The role

You will lead the programme’s expansion beyond our internal housing offer, developing strong partnerships and practical referral pathways with external housing providers, statutory services and community organisations.

You will hold a small caseload of up to 12 participants, providing intensive, person-centred support to people who are sleeping rough, at risk of homelessness, or moving into long-term accommodation. From tenancy skills and employment support to crisis stabilisation and post-move-in support, you will help people take meaningful steps at a pace that works for them.

You will also line-manage a Housing & Progression Support Worker, creating a thoughtful, trauma-informed team culture where people can do their best work.

What you’ll do

Build effective working relationships with housing providers, Local Authority Housing Teams, Probation, adult social care, health services and voluntary-sector partners.

Develop clear referral, handover and information-sharing processes to ensure participants receive coordinated support.

Deliver compassionate, assertive outreach to people sleeping rough or at imminent risk of homelessness.

Work closely with existing homelessness and outreach services across Exeter, including Petrock and the Exeter Homelessness Forum.

Deliver tenancy-readiness, life-skills and employability sessions, including Work Club and employer engagement activities.

Lead the development of a welcoming, peer-led social hub and community café that offers connection, volunteering and skill-building.

Provide 12 weeks of structured floating support after participants move into long-term accommodation.

Lead safeguarding, dynamic risk assessment and safety planning across the caseload.

Gather participant insight and frontline evidence to identify systemic barriers in Exeter’s homelessness provision.

Produce clear reports for senior leaders, funders and partners on outcomes, challenges and opportunities for change.

Support, supervise and develop the Housing & Progression Support Worker.

About you

You will bring experience of supporting people with lived experience of rough sleeping or complex needs, alongside a practical understanding of person-centred, trauma-informed support.

You will be confident working independently and collaboratively: able to build trusted relationships with participants, develop effective partnerships across the city, and create operational structures from the ground up.

You will have experience of:

One-to-one key working, goal planning and risk assessment.

Partnership working with external agencies, housing providers and statutory services.

Designing and delivering training on tenancy readiness, employability or life skills.

Line managing or mentoring staff and volunteers.

Adult safeguarding, risk management and escalation.

Writing structured evaluation reports, funder returns and outcome data.

Experience of assertive outreach, street-based engagement, or identifying systemic barriers in homelessness and housing services would be especially valuable. We also welcome applications from people with lived experience of homelessness or the housing system.

What you’ll need

A trauma-informed, strengths-based approach.

Excellent communication, organisation and report-writing skills.

The ability to support people to build confidence, autonomy and independence.

A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to travel independently across Exeter.

Flexibility to work occasional evenings.

This is an opportunity to build something meaningful: a practical, connected programme that supports people into housing, helps them sustain it, and contributes to lasting change for Exeter.

You will be part of a small, committed team with the resources to make a real difference—working with people, partners and communities to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to find a safe place to call home.

Exeter City Community Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Terms

Location: Civic Centre, Exeter / Community-based across Exeter

Contract Type:Fixed-term, 3 years (September 2026 – March 2029)

Hours: 37.5 hours a week