Lead Manager – Lambeth Outreach Team

Thames Reach Charity; Greater London; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Pension contribution

Development opportunities

Wellbeing support

Life assurance

Blue light discount card

Interest free season ticket

Cycle to work loans

Job summary

Thames Reach Charity in Lambeth is seeking a Lead Manager to head the Lambeth Outreach Team, focusing on rapid assessment and accommodation outcomes for rough sleepers. You will oversee casework, supervise outreach staff, and report on performance to funders.

The role demands experience in managing change, sustaining stakeholder relationships, and independent, accountable leadership with strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• Experience managing a team that works with clients’ challenging and difficult behaviour and uses an outcome-based approach.
• Experience in managing change processes to keep services strategically relevant.
• Experience sustaining relationships with funders, organisations and service users.
• Ability to work independently while remaining accountable to line management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Be responsible for directly managing a team of outreach workers and overseeing casework practice including supervisions and appraisals.
• Ensure the team focuses on rapid assessment and accommodation outcomes for rough sleepers in Lambeth.
• Manage the service’s performance against its contract and regularly report to funders on targets.
• Maintain good working relationships with partner organisations, commissioners and local service providers.
• Improve local responses to rough sleeping by identifying gaps and researching new pathways off the streets.
• Ensure governance through incident reporting, financial oversight, and compliance with policies and safety standards.

Skills

Team management

Supervision

Contract performance

Governance & compliance

Stakeholder relationships

Service development

Incident reporting

Financial oversight

Communication skills

Independent working

Job description

Job Summary

Role: Lead Manager – Lambeth Outreach Team

Salary £47,483 per annum

Contract: Fixed term until 21/05/2027

Hours: 37.5 per week

Location: Lambeth

Closing date: 18/10/2026

Interview date: 26/10/2026

Whatever your experience of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – personal or professional – when you join the Thames Reach team as a Lead Manager we will make the best use of all your understanding, compassion and commitment.

About us…

Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in and around London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels. We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless. We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track. We help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.

Is our mission easy? No, but we never give up on people. Last year we helped more than 15,000 people.

Is our work rewarding? Yes, in every sense. We’re listed as one of the top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK. There’s no better place to develop or transfer your skills and build a fulfilling career.

About this role…

We are looking for a Lead Manager to join the Lambeth Outreach Team.

The Thames Reach Outreach teams operate across London and help those who are rough sleeping to find routes away from the street. The teams respond rapidly and work flexibly to reach people. Individuals are assessed to identify their support needs and support plans are created, including work to obtain identification, access health services and refer to other specialist agencies, including those offering immigration support.

We will not accept applications where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to assist with completing the competency questions.

You will:

• Be responsible for directly managing a team of outreach workers and overseeing casework practice including conducting supervisions and appraisals.
• Ensure the team are focused on facilitating rapid assessment and accommodation outcomes for people who are rough sleeping in Lambeth.
• Be responsible for managing the services performance against its contract, monitoring and regularly reporting to funders on performance in meeting its targets.
• Maintain good working relationships with partner organisations including our commissioners and other local service providers.
• Improve the local response to rough sleeping by identifying gaps in local provision and research new pathways off the streets for a variety of rough sleepers, including those with no recourse to public funds.
• Ensure effective governance through incident reporting, financial oversight, and compliance with organisational policies and health and safety standards.

You will have:

• A good understanding of the issues involved in managing support services to a range of vulnerable people.
• Experience in managing a team that works effectively with clients’ challenging and difficult behaviour and successfully engages with clients with a range of support needs, using an outcome-based approach.
• Experience in managing change processes, ensuring the team still delivers a strategically relevant service.
• Experience of managing and sustaining relationships with colleagues, funders, other organisations and service users.
• Experience of working independently using own initiative whilst remaining accountable to line management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

We are listed in the top 100 UK Best Workplaces 2023 in the UK. As part of a commitment to our employees we offer:

• Generous holiday allowance – 29 days per year plus 8 public holidays (pro rata).
• Pension – we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.
• Excellent development opportunities – career progression, regular supervision and appraisals, and learning programmes to support your career with Thames Reach.
• Wellbeing support – our 24/7 employee assistance programme and opportunities for TOIL.
• Life assurance – four times your annual salary and critical illness cover.
• Other benefits including a blue light discount card, interest free season ticket and cycle to work loans.

Thames Reach is committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.

To apply visit our website and complete our application form.

For further information please contact, Jamie Shovlin, Service Manager at [e-mail]

Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre-employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Job Profile

Job Profile document

Location

Lambeth