Service Lead - Kent

Nacro; Rochester; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Nacro in the United Kingdom is seeking a Service Lead to manage a team of Support Workers delivering high-quality, supported housing and housing management services across its CAS-2 programme.

You will drive service performance, ensure contract compliance, meet financial targets and foster a safe, supportive environment for staff and service users. The role involves flexible community visits and on-call duties across the region.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a team of support workers in housing or related services.
• Experience safeguarding and supporting vulnerable adults.
• Ability to manage contracts, KPIs and financial performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver services compliant with regulatory and contractual standards.
• Ensure service quality and that the team adheres to policies and procedures.
• Maintain up-to-date safety plans and ensure financial standards on voids and re-lets.
• Act as lead partner with external agencies; build and maintain relationships.
• Collaborate with Quality, Policy, Safeguarding, Finance, IT and HR teams.
• Manage rota and on-call arrangements; promote user involvement in service design.

Skills

Line management

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

• Total Salary: £37,781 per annum. This comprises a base salary of £37,581 + £200 unsociable hours allowance.
• Contract : Full Time – Fixed term until 31/3/2027
• Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week - Monday- Friday
• Covering: Rochester, Maidstone, Medway, Sittingbourne
• DBS requirement: Enhanced DBS and HMPPS Check

The successful candidate will also be expected to participate in the CAS-2 on-call rota, which covers weekends, evenings and bank holidays. These shifts will be fairly allocated amongst the CAS-2 National Management Team and will include providing cover for the CAS-2 Emergency Out of Hours Duty Manager service, requiring occasional one-day weekend working.

This role requires regular travel across an allocated area and therefore, a Full Driving License and access to your own vehicle with business insurance are essential.

This role offers a starting salary within Nacro’s pay structure of£37, 581 pro rata entry with expected progression to £38,708 Established within the first year, subject to meeting clear criteria and performance standards, with further pay progression available in the future. Nacro’s pay framework provides transparent progression points and supports ongoing professional development and career growth

We are Nacro, we believe that everyone deserves a good education, a safe and secure place to live, the right to be heard, and the chance to start again, with support from someone on their side.

That’s why our housing, education, justice, and health and wellbeing services work alongside people to give them the support and skills they need to succeed. And it’s why we fight for their voices to be heard and campaign together to create lasting change.

We see your future, whatever the past.

This role is part of theCommunity Accommodation with Support, Tier 2 (CAS-2)programme, directly commissioned by theMinistry of Justiceand operating nationwide across England and Wales.

Nacro deliver the Community Accommodation Support service (CAS) which is a national service across England and Wales. The service allows Courts to make greater use of bail by providing accommodation in the community with support for adult defendants who could not otherwise be bailed. CAS also provides support for adults released from Custody in the last three months of their sentence on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) and other Licence Orders.

As a Service Lead, you will lead and motivate a team of Support Workers to deliver high-quality, effective supported housing and housing management services. You will oversee services for a diverse range of service users, including young people, individuals experiencing homelessness, and prison leavers, ensuring support is person-centred and tailored to individual needs.

You will be responsible for driving service performance, maintaining compliance with contractual requirements, achieving financial targets, and promoting a positive, safe, and supportive environment for both staff and service users.

Key Responsibilities:

• Effectively lead and deliver services which comply with the regulatory framework.
• Meeting service quality standards and ensuring your team are adhering to all operational and policy standards. Be the accountable lead for the service.
• Ensuring all service user support and safety plans are in place, are in date and reflect individual needs.
• Ensuring your staff team understand and meet the agreed financial standards on voids, arrears and re-lets.
• Acting as a lead operational partner liaising with other agencies, partners and commissioners as required. Agreeing service level agreements with external agencies that can provide specialist support to your service and build and maintain effective working relationships both externally and internally.
• Work collaboratively with other internal support services –such as Quality, Policy and Safeguarding as well as Finance, IT and HR in order to ensure we are providing the best service to our users.
• Promoting service user involvement in service design and Delivery. Managing the rota and on-call arrangements to ensure that appropriate support is in place and participate in that rota

About you:

• This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Service Lead to manage and lead a team of Support Workers to deliver high quality, effective supported housing services and housing management services to a range of service user groups (including those on Bail, prison leavers and those going through the criminal justice system) that meet their needs, contractual requirements, and organisational financial targets.
• You will be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of support planning and safeguarding as well as experience of working with vulnerable adults with complex needs (such as substance misuse, physical health, mental health, seeking employment and housing support).
• We are looking for a Service Lead who is able to prioritise tasks effectively; ensuring their team are supported, Service Users needs are prioritised and contractual KPI’s are met. You will need to be adaptable and highly organised to balance your time. You will champion relationship mapping in your region, including developing links with supporting agencies, promoting CAS at external forums and being part of multi-agency meetings.
• You will have previous line management experience and the ability successfully lead and line manage a team. You will have excellent people skills, which will be inclusive of problem solving, and both written and verbal communication skills.
• The role offers flexible working in the community (visiting staff and properties), in the South Yorkshire region. The role includes lone working, you will meet with your team regularly to discuss complex cases. You will be required to travel for training and team meetings.

At Nacro, we believe in the power of a diverse and inclusive team.We are a Ban the Box employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those with criminal records. Convictions are not discussed at application stage and will only be considered later if relevant to the role, assessed fairly, proportionately and confidentially. For advice, contact our confidential Criminal Record Support Service on 03001231999 or [e-mail].