Team Manager - Homelessness Prevention in Ferndale

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.

Work directly with residents through face-to-face interviews, home visits, property inspections, and community-based work. Manage telephone and digital contact with professionalism and empathy. Apply trauma-informed practice and PIE principles. Work safely and respectfully in residents' homes and community settings. Skills are designed to be transferable, with depth of knowledge increasing by level and supported through training, supervision and CPD.

All roles require the ability to promote equality, diversity and inclusion, which are core to the culture and practice of the Housing Needs service. Every role in the directorate carries a responsibility to promote fairness, eliminate discrimination and ensure that our decisions, behaviours, services and outcomes reflect the diverse needs of Lambeth’s communities. We are committed to creating a respectful, inclusive and psychologically safe working environment in which staff feel valued, supported and able to thrive, and where residents are treated with dignity, empathy and professionalism.

Expectations are calibrated to each level of leadership and influence, with senior leaders setting the strategic tone, managers embedding inclusive practice in teams, and frontline officers demonstrating these values in every interaction with residents and colleagues.

Role Purpose

The Team Manager provides day-to-day operational leadership, quality assurance and workflow management for Caseworkers delivering homelessness prevention and relief duties. They ensure that assessments, PHPs, decisions and casework interventions are lawful, timely, defensible and person-centred, and that officers are supported to deliver safe, high-quality statutory practice. The Team Manager provides operational leadership and professional oversight of statutory homelessness decision-making within their team. They ensure that officers make lawful, defensible and timely decisions, and that assessments, notifications, PHPs and duty changes comply with legislation, case law and statutory guidance. They act as the first line of escalation for complex, sensitive or contentious cases and ensure that risk, safeguarding and public protection issues are identified and managed appropriately. They coach and develop officers, monitor performance, and ensure that statutory timescales and service standards are met. Alongside their leadership responsibilities, the Team Leader holds a small caseload to maintain practice depth, support peaks in demand and model high-quality casework. They work closely with partners across ASC, CSC, Health, VAWG services, Probation and voluntary sector organisations to ensure coordinated support for households with complex needs.

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 assure 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.