Supported Housing Manager in Crawley, Horsham

37.5 hours per week / permanent / working onsite / Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, with the requirement to work one late shift per week and be part of an out of hours 'on-call rota.'

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice. We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We work alongside them to make that happen.

We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support. Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections – guide us in all our actions.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Supported Housing Manager to lead our OLYP team across Horsham and Crawley. Our 16 Older Looked After Young People (OLYP), Care Leavers and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) services deliver specialist 24-hour supported accommodation where young people are supported to acquire the necessary skills in preparation for living independently, safely explore their increased freedom of choice and develop responsibilities associated with adulthood, whilst still having the appropriate level of support from an experienced team.

As a Supported Housing Manager, you will oversee the daily operations of the service, ensuring our accommodation is safe, welcoming and secure. You will work closely with the Deputy Supported Housing Manager, while supporting the wider team to deliver consistent, compassionate support.

We are searching for a motivational and resilient leader who thrives on developing others, championing best practice, and nurturing a collaborative and compassionate culture. You will bring a trauma-informed and psychologically informed approach to both your team and the young people we support, ensuring everyone feels understood, safe and empowered.

If you are energised by leading teams, shaping services, and supporting staff to deliver exceptional, person-centred support—even in challenging moments - this could be the role for you.

In delivering the role, you will be responsible for:

• Leadership and People Management: Lead and manage a team, recruiting and inducting new staff, and supporting their performance to ensure high standards of service at all times.
• Service Provision: Responsible for the daily operations of the service so that it meets the requirements of the service specification, and reflects Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs), Trauma Informed approaches and restorative practices. Identifies, maps and encourages the strengths and talents of each young person, enabling them to acquire the skills they need to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
• Partnerships: Develop and maintain effective working relationships with partner organisations that add value to the core, commissioned service (or have the potential to) attending relevant multi-disciplinary meetings as needed.
• General: Be a member of the out of hours ‘on call’ rota to provide out of hours management support to services in the wider locality.

About You – If you are enthusiastic about this opportunity but don’t meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Your skills and experiences may be more transferable than you think, and you could be exactly the person we’re looking for.

You will bring substantial experience in leading and developing teams within supported housing or similar services for young people and/or adults at risk. You will have a strong understanding of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and Ofsted frameworks, coupled with a solid grounding in Trauma-Informed Care and Psychologically Informed Environments.

You will be a confident and effective communicator with strong facilitation and decision-making skills, able to lead your team through challenging situations with calmness and clarity. You will have proven experience in overseeing safeguarding procedures within residential services and will model professional standards, maintain clear boundaries while fostering a culture of trust, safety and supportive relationships.

You will have proven experience in social services or a related support focused field and must have a strong understanding of Ofsted requirements and regulatory compliance standards. You will be educated to A level/BTEC/NVQ Level 3 in relevant subjects, or equivalent through relevant CPD training/experience relating to housing, support work, and/or working with young people or adults at risk.

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 19 April 2026 at midnight.

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to provide work permits or visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace: We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.

Accessibility: If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity check.