OR103128(SJ) – Team Manager – Homelessness Prevention

Lambeth is delivering an ambitious transformation of its Housing Needs Directorate, aligned to the Council's wider missions of reducing inequality, strengthening communities, and ensuring every resident has a safe, secure and sustainable home. This transformation is reshaping how we work, how we lead, and how we support residents who are often experiencing the most difficult and traumatic moments in their lives. The Housing Needs service is moving towards a prevention-first, resident-centred, trauma-informed model, underpinned by:

• early intervention and prevention
• consistent, lawful and defensible decision‑making
• good quality housing advice and support
• high‑quality casework and tenancy management
• stronger property standards and compliance
• improved supply and sustainable housing outcomes
• a stable, skilled and confident workforce
• a culture of learning, reflection and continuous improvement
• Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE)
• fairness, kindness, respect, integrity and accountability

We are building a professionalised workforce, with clear expectations at every level, structured development pathways, and a shared competency and behavioural framework. Staff may be grouped around specialism and deployed flexibly across the directorate in response to operational pressures, including private sector tenancy rights and advice, rapid assessment and move on, singles homelessness including youth homelessness, working with rough sleepers and vulnerable adults.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead day‑to‑day delivery of casework services, oversee triage, assessment, prevention and relief casework including hub based rapid relief work with families as required. Ensure officers deliver consistent, lawful and person‑centred practice. Allocate work, manage workflow and monitor caseloads.
2. Quality assurance assessments, PHPs and statutory decisions. Review assessments, PHPs, suitability decisions and case notes. Ensure decisions are evidence based, defensible and clearly reasoned. Provide feedback, coaching and corrective action where needed.
3. Provide escalation for complex, high‑risk or sensitive cases. Support officers with safeguarding, domestic abuse, exploitation, severe vulnerability and public protection cases. Ensure multi‑agency risk management processes are followed. Sign off or advise on complex decisions under supervision of the Service Manager.
4. Hold a small caseload. Manage a limited number of cases to maintain practice depth. Support peaks in demand and model high‑quality casework. Demonstrate best practice in assessments, PHPs and decision‑making.
5. Lead and develop officers. Provide supervision, coaching and reflective practice. Support officers to build confidence, skills and professional judgement. Address performance issues promptly and constructively.
6. Ensure high‑quality Personal Housing Plans (PHPs). Embed PHP quality standards across the team. Ensure PHPs are meaningful, updated and central to the resident journey. Support officers to tailor PHPs to risk, need and circumstances.
7. Manage operational performance and demand. Monitor throughput, timeliness and statutory compliance. Identify pressure points and implement solutions. Support rota management, hub coverage and flexible deployment.
8. Strengthen partnership working. Work with ASC, CSC, Health, VAWG services, Youth Justice, Probation and voluntary sector partners. Ensure coordinated support for complex households. Represent the service at multi‑agency meetings.
9. Maintain accurate records and governance. Ensure officers maintain high‑quality records and audit trails. Support preparation of case files for reviews, legal challenges and complaints. Ensure compliance with GDPR, safeguarding and corporate policies.
10. Promote fairness, dignity and resident‑centred practice. Ensure residents receive clear explanations of decisions, rights and next steps. Model trauma informed, empathetic and respectful practice. Promote a culture of transparency, learning and accountability.