Recovery & Support Work Team Leader

Staff well-being and effective team leadership is important in every single organisation, especially when the team you’re leading is providing life-changing recovery support to people who really need it.

We are looking for a values-driven Recovery & Support Work Team Leader to provide hands-on leadership that combines direct community work with team development. This role oversees the day-to-day performance, wellbeing and professional development of a small, committed team delivering frontline support across multiple sites.

Founded in Hackney, London in 2019, Support When It Matters Enterprise CIC is a social enterprise with a mission: improving the life chances of African/Caribbean and Dual Heritage communities in London. They specialise in supporting adults facing complex challenges, including substance use, mental health issues, homelessness, and involvement in the criminal justice system.

SWIM delivers culturally competent, trauma-informed programmes that address systemic exclusion and discrimination. Their interventions support individuals to access the help they need - be it mental health, substance misuse, housing, or employment - while reducing reoffending and promoting personal responsibility, hope, and resilience.

This isn’t traditional management; it’s about growing collective wisdom, supporting each other’s development, and ensuring SWIM’s work stays rooted in community needs and cultural understanding. This is a full-time, on-site role, based at SWIM’s offices in Hackney. The salary bracket for the role is £31,000 - £33,000.

Areas you’ll be involved in include:

• Team Leadership & Supervision: Lead, coach, and support a multidisciplinary team through supervision, team check-ins, and fostering a culture of learning, accountability, and staff wellbeing.
• Professional Development: Identify team training needs and coordinate continuous professional development, with a focus on cultural understanding and resilience.
• Direct Support Work: Maintain a small caseload and model SWIM’s ‘walking-alongside’ practice, providing trauma-informed, person-centred support.
• Complex Case Support: Engage in safeguarding and escalations, staying attuned to systemic impacts on communities and advocating for fair, informed responses.
• Service Quality Assurance: Monitor adherence to standards and policies, support audits, and champion equity and cultural responsiveness across service delivery.
• Operational Management: Oversee rotas, shift coverage, and team coordination to ensure smooth service delivery and effective internal communication.
• Data & Reporting: Collaborate on data capture, monitor team KPIs and outcomes, and contribute to contract reporting and continuous service improvement.

We are keen to hear from a diverse range of candidates to ensure that SWIM’s team remains representative of the communities it exists to serve. Essential points for the success of the incoming Recovery & Support Work Team Leader include:

• Proven experience in frontline or community-based roles supporting people facing multiple disadvantages, including those impacted by the criminal justice system, homelessness, or substance use.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or mentor staff or volunteers, with strong understanding of trauma, systemic inequality, and the lived realities of African, Caribbean, global majority, and dual heritage communities.
• Skilled in navigating racism within professional systems, with the emotional intelligence, communication skills, and professionalism to foster inclusive, accountable teams.
• Confident in using digital tools, documenting work respectfully, and challenging systemic barriers to advocate for both service users and staff.

As part of B-Radical’s commitment to eliminating pay gaps between different groups through our “No Salary History Policy”, we’ll never ask you for your current or previous salaries. We’ll simply ask for your salary expectations to ensure they fall in line with the organisation’s budget for the role. Additionally, we pride ourselves on delivering an excellent candidate experience, so any applicant who applies to this advert will receive a response, regardless of the outcome.

To apply for this role, please send your CV to holly@b-radical.co.uk or apply through this advert. If you’d like to have a chat with us before you apply, please reach out to Holly directly, either via email or DM.

We look forward to hearing from you!