Head of Residents Services in Romford

We help solve the homelessness crisis for families by delivering high-quality settled homes that build foundations for successful lives.

Local Space is a social landlord providing safe, secure, high-quality homes for those who need them most. We work with five local authorities (Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and City of London) to house people experiencing homelessness and a small number of key workers. We own and manage over 3,000 homes across 19 boroughs in London and Essex, including 1,400 leased to the London Borough of Newham, who are our biggest partner. In addition to this, we have grant funding to deliver the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney, London Borough of Newham and SWIM: Support When It Matters.

We are a unique social landlord because our business model enables local authorities to discharge their duty to house people who are homeless or at imminent risk of being made homeless while providing us with a rent guarantee. We acquire and refurbish homes to a high standard, offering intermediate rent to our customers within the limits of the benefits system. This enables us to provide essential items like white goods, window dressings and carpets, as well as a small furniture package for those who need it. Our high-quality homes offer an alternative to costly, inappropriate temporary or private sector accommodation, saving money for the local authority and providing a firm foundation to build a successful life for individuals and families who deserve a decent home.

• Turnover: c.£50m
• Regulatory rating: G1 V1 C1
• Credit rating: AA- (S&P – highest in the sector)
• Status: Charitable Registered Provider and Investors in People Silver accredited

We’re not just in the business of managing properties. We exist to provide settled homes that enable people to move from crisis to stability, and from surviving to living.

Our strategic direction is set by our Corporate Strategy 2025-30: Foundations for Successful Lives, supported by an ambitious delivery plan known internally as The Climb: from good to great, together. Our culture is shaped by our values and Franklin Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, with a focus on trust, professionalism, and people-first leadership.

Our values

Our values are at the heart of our organisation and shape how we deliver services. This is what our values mean to us:

Genuine team players

• We collaborate.
• We champion the success of others and the team.
• We have each other's backs – we know and trust each other.

Ambitious and proactive

• We are self-starters and eager to learn.
• We are empowered to solve problems.
• We constantly find ways to add value and improve.

Do the right thing, even when it is hard

• We know when to speak up when something isn’t right, even if it means having uncomfortable conversations.
• We are courageous in exploring new ways of working in service of our customers.
• We hold each other accountable.

Take the work seriously, but don’t take ourselves too seriously

• We care about people experiencing homelessness and the work we do to provide homes for them matters to us.
• We bring joy and energy to all that we do.
• We have a sense of humour and laugh with our colleagues.

About this role

This role owns the customer experience at Local Space. It is through these services that our residents interact with us most frequently. When a resident contacts us and receives a clear and helpful response, when rent accounts are managed fairly and transparently, when antisocial behaviour is addressed effectively, and when estates are well managed and feel safe and cared for, that is when trust is built.

These moments define whether a resident feels respected, listened to and supported. They show whether we see people as problems to be managed, or as individuals who matter, and whether we are genuine about building foundations for successful lives.

The Head of Resident Services is responsible to the Deputy CEO for the strategic leadership, operational performance and continuous improvement of Local Space’s resident-facing services.

This includes responsibility for the delivery and ongoing development of services including:

• Income collection and customer rent accounts
• Rent setting
• Tenancy and estate management
• Antisocial behaviour management
• Lettings and allocations
• Leasehold management
• Customer services and the organisation’s contact centre
• Complaints investigation and service recovery

For full details and our person specification, Please view the Head of Residents Services job pack.

Recruitment TimelineClosing Date: 23:59pm on 15th October 2026Shortlisting and Assessments: W/C 19th October 2026Interviews: W/C 26th October 2026

Further information

Please view the Head of Residents Services Job Pack for more details.

Why join us?

At Local Space, our work is grounded in our values of being genuine team players, ambitious and proactive, doing the right thing (even when it’s hard), and taking the work seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously.

These values shape the way we work together, support each other, and deliver for our customers. We’re proud of the culture we’ve built: one that’s inclusive, high-performing, and driven by our mission.

We’re committed to supporting your learning and development. From our organisation-wide People First programme with Franklin Covey, to role-specific training and qualifications, we’ll help you grow your skills and progress in your career.

We also offer a wide range of rewards and benefits:

• Hybrid working – working remotely and from our office in the heart of East London, a short walk from Stratford station, Westfield Shopping Centre and the Olympic Park.
• 27 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after two years’ service and 30 days after five years’ service, in addition to public and bank holidays.
• Purchase up to five extra days of annual leave for additional flexibility.
• A defined contribution pension through the Social Housing Pension Scheme (SHPS), which is a competitive scheme where Local Space contribute at least 6%, as long as you put in at least half that amount. We’ll match your contributions up to 10% of your salary. For example, if you contribute 7%, we’ll still pay in the full 10%.
• Life insurance scheme for staff who choose not to be part of the pension scheme.
• BHSF gold healthcare cash plan which staff can use to claim money back on their everyday healthcare costs like trips to the dentist, opticians or physio.
• BHSF employee assistance programme which provides free and confidential financial, legal, and mental health support with accredited counsellors.
• Additional wellbeing support including counselling for up to six sessions.
• Free eye test and contribution to prescription glasses during your first year of employment.
• Interest free car loan up to £5,000.
• Support for professional qualifications after one year’s service.
• Day off for your child’s first day of school.
• Salary sacrifice schemes, saving you money on the latest tech, a bike and accessories and an electric car.
• Blue Light Card, giving you access to a wide range of discounts and offers.