Head of Housing Needs

Description

Head of Homelessness

Croydon Council  |  Housing Needs and Homelessness

Few roles in London local government carry the weight or the opportunity of leading homelessness in Croydon. The Head of Homelessness will be the Council’s professional lead for homelessness assessment, single homeless services, rough sleeping and statutory reviews. It is a service operating at the sharpest end of housing need, in one of the boroughs where demand is highest, and the new postholder will shape how Croydon meets that demand for years to come.

Reporting to the Director of Homelessness Prevention and Accommodation, you will hold the strategic and operational lead across the homelessness pathway from triage and prevention through to relief and accommodation. You will lead on the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy, working to reduce TA reliance and increase positive prevention outcomes, working in partnership with voluntary sector communities and other statutory agencies.

This is a role that demands strategic clarity and operational grip in equal measure. Croydon is being honest about the financial constraints it operates within, and the successful candidate will need to develop and transform services that meet a tighter budget envelope without losing sight of the statutory duties owed to residents in crisis. You will work closely with directors and Heads of Service across the council, with national and regional government, with the GLA, with voluntary sector partners, and increasingly with the courts and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman as the regulatory landscape continues to tighten.

We are looking for a leader who knows this territory well. You will bring substantial experience of homelessness services at a senior level, a track record of leading transformation under financial pressure, and the personal authority to represent the Council externally and hold teams to account internally. Just as importantly, you will bring the empathy and "can do" attitude this work demands. The post is politically restricted given the level of advice it provides to members and the public profile it carries.

For more information please contact our search partners Ben Parsonage ben.parsonage@gatenbysanderson.com and Becky Downs becky.downs@gatenbysanderson.com

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