Mental Health Team Manager

We are Hestia. We make a difference. At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Team Manager to play a pivotal role in our Domestic Abuse Service in Tower Hamlets.

Our family women's refuge offers holistic support in order to empower women and their children who have experienced trauma to lead their recovery and gain the skills and confidence to move on safely. The Team Manager is responsible for the operational running and strategic direction of the refuge. This includes:

• Providing line management and leadership to the staff team.
• Leading on contract and compliance.
• Ensuring the safety, security, and maintenance of the refuge.
• Ensuring that the building aligns with our PIPE (Psychologically Informed Physical Environment) building standards.
• Securing rental income.

The Team Manager plays a central role in ensuring the refuge is a safe, trauma-informed, and welcoming space for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. They promote an inclusive, anti-racist, and feminist approach while upholding Hestia's values of respect, dedication, and collaboration.

Core responsibilities include:

• Overseeing day-to-day service delivery.
• Ensuring compliance with safeguarding protocols.
• Facilitating the safe transition of service users.
• Delivering high-quality, person-centred support, particularly for individuals with complex or intersectional needs.

In terms of operational and building management, the Team Manager is responsible for:

• Maintaining the safety, cleanliness, and functionality of the refuge in line with health and safety and PIPE standards.
• Managing relationships with landlords and housing teams.
• Authorising repairs and handling rent collection and arrears.
• Addressing any security concerns.
• Overseeing the accurate and timely turnaround of vacant units.
• Upholding positive community relations.

The role also involves leading and developing a high-performing team, ensuring all staff are well-supported through supervision, reflective practice, and training opportunities. The manager upholds staffing levels, supports volunteers and students, and manages performance and conduct issues where necessary.

Quality assurance and compliance duties include:

• Monitoring performance against KPIs.
• Using systems like INFORM and Power BI.
• Handling feedback and complaints.
• Ensuring financial accountability.

The manager represents Hestia in strategic planning, external networks, and multi-agency partnerships to strengthen service delivery and community integration.

What do I need to bring with me? You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

Here's what the team will be looking for:

• A solid general education, ideally with Level 2 qualifications in Maths and English.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Either holding a SafeLives Service Manager qualification or being willing to work towards it.
• Experience in supervising staff and delivering high-quality support to individuals with diverse needs and risks.
• A strong understanding of risk assessment and management in domestic abuse contexts.
• A good grasp of performance monitoring, welfare benefits, and housing legislation—particularly the rights of domestic abuse survivors under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
• A strong background in working within domestic abuse services, whether in the community or in a refuge setting.
• Understanding and valuing co-production, ensuring services are developed in partnership with those who use them.
• Effective communication skills and confidence in using IT systems such as Microsoft Office, Teams, and Power BI.
• A clear understanding of safeguarding practices and health and safety legislation.
• Emotional resilience and the ability to work under pressure, especially in crisis situations involving traumatised or vulnerable women and children.
• A strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusive practices.
• The ability to work independently within established policies and procedures.
• Flexibility and the ability to travel within the borough and beyond when required.
• Fluency in one or more South Asian languages in addition to English is a genuine occupational requirement.

Interview Steps:

• Shortlisting call: A team of dedicated recruitment specialists will speak to you about your experience, motivations, and values.
• Face-to-face interview: You will have a face-to-face interview with the hiring manager, which is value and competency based.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:

Our service users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent, and experiences different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer. Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement:

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children, and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates:

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed. We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.