At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead transformative housing services that empower vulnerable residents and enhance community wellbeing.
- Company: Join Southwark, a leading local authority committed to creating safe, high-quality homes.
- Benefits: Permanent role with competitive salary, 36-hour work week, and commitment to diversity.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence change and promote equality in a diverse environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while shaping the future of accommodation and support services.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in housing services, strong financial management, and a passion for community support.
The predicted salary is between 56700 - 69300 £ per year.
Why Southwark? Could your leadership help transform the future for some of London’s most vulnerable residents? Does the opportunity to help people build independence, security and a better quality of life inspire you? Are you ready to lead services where compassion, dignity and opportunity shape every decision? If yes, this could be the opportunity you have been looking for!
We are seeking an experienced Assistant Director of Accommodation and Support to join our Housing senior leadership team and play a key role in shaping the future of accommodation and support services across Southwark. As one of London’s largest local authority landlords, we have a unique responsibility (and opportunity) to ensure residents have access to safe, high-quality homes alongside the support they need to thrive. Through our Good Landlord Plan, we are placing residents at the heart of everything we do: strengthening trust, improving services and ensuring every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, independent and fulfilling life.
This is a unique opportunity to lead services that make a meaningful difference every day - supporting residents with complex needs, strengthening communities and ensuring housing remains a foundation for stability, wellbeing and opportunity.
The Role: Reporting to the Director of Housing Needs and Support, you will provide strategic leadership across Southwark’s Accommodation and Support services, ensuring they are safe, effective, financially sustainable and designed around positive outcomes for residents. You will lead a diverse and impactful portfolio, including:
- Older Persons’ Housing
- Supported Hostel Provision
- Traveller Services
- Tenancy Sustainment
- Council-owned Temporary Accommodation
- Housing Counter Fraud Services
As a key member of the housing senior leadership team, you will help shape the future direction of the council’s housing offer, ensuring Southwark remains a landlord residents can trust. You will champion innovation, continuous improvement and partnership working, ensuring services evolve in response to changing community needs and continue to deliver meaningful support that enables residents to live with dignity, confidence and independence.
What You'll Be Doing: You will provide strategic direction and leadership for Accommodation and Support services, ensuring strong governance, accountability and delivery against council priorities, regulatory requirements and contractual commitments. You will:
- Lead transformation and continuous improvement programmes that enhance service quality and improve outcomes for residents.
- Drive the delivery of key strategic priorities, including the Older Person’s Housing Strategy and Supported Housing Strategy.
- Inspire and develop Heads of Service and senior managers, creating a culture of inclusion, accountability, innovation and excellence.
- Build high-performing multidisciplinary teams through effective workforce development, talent management and succession planning.
- Manage significant budgets, ensuring services remain financially sustainable, efficient and responsive to future challenges.
- Develop strong partnerships with government departments, council services, housing teams, external agencies and sector experts.
- Provide expert strategic advice to elected Members, the Corporate Management Team and senior leaders on housing needs, homelessness, safeguarding, risk and performance.
- Champion equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring services reflect and respond to the needs of Southwark’s diverse communities.
- Ensure services maintain the highest standards of health and safety, safeguarding, compliance and resident protection.
- Deputise for the Director of Housing Needs and Support and other executive leaders when required.
This is a role where your leadership, decisions and ambition will directly shape the experiences, opportunities and futures of residents across the borough.
What We're Looking For: We are looking for an inspirational and experienced senior leader with a proven track record of leading complex housing, accommodation, support services or local government functions. You will bring:
- Significant experience of leading transformation, improving services and delivering measurable outcomes for residents.
- The ability to translate strategic vision into effective operational delivery.
- Experience leading large, complex teams and creating inclusive cultures where people can perform at their best.
- Strong financial leadership skills, with experience managing substantial budgets and delivering sustainable services.
- The confidence and credibility to operate at executive level, influencing elected Members, senior leaders and external partners within a politically sensitive environment.
- A strong understanding of housing legislation, safeguarding, regulation and governance.
- The ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate across organisations to achieve shared outcomes.
Above all, you will share our commitment to creating a fairer future - ensuring every resident has access to safe accommodation, meaningful support and the opportunity to live a healthy, independent and fulfilling life.
For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert.
Contact Information: For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Candida Thompson via email at Candida.Thompson@southwark.gov.uk
Additional Information:
- Contract Type: Permanent
- Working Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday - Friday
- Location: 160 Tooley St London SE1 2QH
- Enhanced DBS check
Benefits and more information: https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/
Recruitment Timeline:
- Advert close date: 11:59pm on Monday 31st August 2026
- Shortlisting date/s: Week commencing 31st August 2026
- Interview date/s: Week commencing 7th September 2026
The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme: As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
- Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
- Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
- If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
Assistant Director of Accommodation and Support employer: Southwark Careers
Southwark Council is an exceptional employer, dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment that prioritises the well-being of its employees. As a Housing Applications and Assessment Service Manager, you will have the opportunity to lead a vital service that directly impacts residents' lives, while benefiting from a strong commitment to professional development, collaboration, and innovation. Located in one of London's most dynamic boroughs, Southwark offers a unique chance to influence housing policy and make a meaningful difference in the community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Director of Accommodation and Support
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Southwark Careers.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Southwark Careers!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Southwark Careers, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Southwark Careers or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Director of Accommodation and Support
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Southwark Careers:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Southwark Careers! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Southwark Careers
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
