Homelessness Relief Team Leader

• Candidate_pack_-_Homelessness_Relief_Team_Leader

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.

Make a lasting impact – lead a team dedicated to 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 and main 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

As one of the largest districts in the country, with six towns and close links to neighbouring conurbations, the New Forest offers a unique and rewarding environment in which to work.

At New Forest District Council, we recognise that our people are our greatest asset. We promote a culture built on trust, respect and collaboration, where everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas, develop professionally and achieve their full potential.

We are proud of our values of Learning, Empathy, Ambition and Fairness (LEAF) and are committed to delivering excellent services for our residents.

If you're passionate about tackling homelessness, enjoy leading teams and want to help shape and improve services that have a lasting impact on people's lives, we'd love to hear from you.

You must include details and dates of any spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings within 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.

Closing Date: Saturday 5th December 2026

Interview Date: 15th & 17th December 2026