Head of Services - Rough Sleeping

You will join New Horizon Youth Centre’s leadership team and play a pivotal role in leading your team to provide support to 16-24 year-olds who are unsafe or facing homelessness in London.

Role overview

Reporting to: Director of Services

Key details

• Contract type and hours:Permanent, Full-Time, 35hrs
• Salary:£46,800 - £52,000
• Location:New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JR
• Application deadline:9am. 20th April 2026
• How to apply:complete our application form below, submit your CV and write a 2 page cover letter/supporting statement. Please don't include your name or address in your CV or cover letter.

Main tasks and responsibilities

1. Young People’s Services

To lead on high quality referral, outreach and emergency accommodation services for young people at risk of rough sleeping. This will include:

• Leading our youth-specific street outreach function, ensuring the team delivers effective and targeted sessions throughout the week, and responds flexibly and pro-actively to emerging needs, with continuous improvements informed by sector trends.

• Leading on the effective delivery of the Youth Hub emergency accommodation project in partnership with Depaul UK and the GLA.

• Ensuring effective referral routes and trauma-informed triage processes for new young people accessing NHYC.

• Leading on our Central Point of Access function for the London Youth Gateway partnership.

• Working with the Head of Safeguarding and Designated Safeguarding Officers to ensure services are safe for young people, staff, external partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

• Overseeing thorough and timely risk assessments of services.

• Ensuring that the inclusion and participation of young people in service delivery is maintained and promoted.

• Contributing to the safe running of the day centre including coordinating daily work planning and staff rotas.

2. Staff Management

To work with the Director of Services and the leadership team to lead and develop a staff team that makes a full and positive contribution to the achievement of NHYC’s mission. This will include:

• Participating in recruitment and selection of new staff, volunteers, students and locum workers.

• Leading, managing and motivating team members including staff, volunteers, students and locum workers by means of:

  · Developing and implementing planned programmes of induction.

  · Setting and monitoring annual individual performance objectives and development plans.

  · Holding regular recorded supervisions, annual appraisals and team meetings.

  · Managing the workload of the team to ensure an appropriate work-life balance.

  · Actively promoting a learning and development environment.

  · Dealing with issues concerning staff conduct and performance in line with policies and procedures.

  · Ensuring appropriate training and supervision for all team members when assisting with delivery of services.

3. Sharing best pracitice

To proactively share best practice with internal and external stakeholders to maximise the impact of the work of NHYC. This will include:

• Developing and maintaining effective partnerships with services who might offer resources or funding relevant to young people’s needs. Formulating Service Level Agreements where appropriate.

• Collaborating around the continuous improvement and development of systems and projects that will benefit the organisation and wider sector.

• Promoting and representing NHYC externally at relevant forums, meetings and events.

• Contributing to applications for new project funds or other resources.

4. Information Management

To produce and maintain accurate and relevant information in a range of formats to drive learning and continuous service improvements. This will include:

• Using the InForm (Salesforce) database for recording and reporting purposes, ensuring the team maintain all case files in line with organisation procedures.

• Producing written reports in a variety of formats to meet the requirements of the Director of Services, service providers and funders.

• Being fully and compliant with NHYC GDPR policies. Working with the Leadership team on relevant compliance monitoring and action planning.

5. Reviewing Personal Performance and Decelopment Needs

To be proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance and identifying and acting upon areas for improvement. This will include:

• Evaluating own performance in line with feedback received to identify strengths and areas for development. Identifying own learning and development opportunities.

• Undertaking development and training opportunities and engaging regularly in clinical supervision and reflective practice.

6. Other

To contribute positively and constructively to the development of the team, the service and NHYC. This will include:

• Acting on behalf of the Director of Services on day-to-day matters and contributing to the overall leadership and management of the organisation as requested.

• Covering for team members as necessary.

• Implementing NHYCs Policies and Procedures in all functions of the post.

• Undertaking, as required, any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Director of Services, Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive.

• Attending all Leadership and Management team meetings, participating constructively in operational planning and strategic work.

Person specification

We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate the following competencies to a high level and want to use these to the full in their work. E: Essential

D: Desirable

• Experience of managing a diverse range of quality youth services and projects. (E)

• Experience of managing outreach services and/or emergency accommodation projects. (D)

• Ability to work effectively with young people facing homelessness to identify personal goals and support mechanisms for change including for those young people experiencing multiple complex needs. (E)

• Experience of leading a multi-disciplinary team, and a proven track record of dealing positively with a range of performance and HR matters. (E)

• Ability to create and maintain internal and external partnerships and networks to achieve organisational aims and objectives, including co-delivery of projects or services. (E)

• Experience of using IT systems (including client databases) to support the achievement of personal and collective work goals. (E)

Specialist Knowledge and Role Requirements

• Ability to maintain enthusiasm for a high level of contact with young people on a day-to-day basis and a genuine interest in helping young people to move towards independent living. (E)

• Ability to develop and manage risk assessments and procedures across multi-disciplinary teams, including in higher-risk settings. (E)

• Understanding of the types of behaviour that young people who are facing homelessness might demonstrate and ability to deliver de-escalation strategies for behaviour support and management. (E)

• Thorough and up-to-date working knowledge of:

  • Local, pan-London and National Government policies and procedures in relation to the client group. (E)

  • Relevant organisations and their role and responsibilities in providing housing support to vulnerable young people. (E)

• Knowledge of working to key performance indicators, including monitoring and reporting on service impact, analysing performance information, and identifying continuous improvements. (E)

• A high level of knowledge of managing risk safely in the working environment. (E)

• A thorough working knowledge around safeguarding policy and procedures for children and young people. (E)

• A working knowledge of and commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as it applies to a supportive service and in the workplace. (E)

• Enthusiasm for evolving services and projects in response to demands from the organisation and wider sector, including a proactive attitude and willingness to pilot new initiatives. (E)

Additional job requirements

• Willingness and ability to work outside of normal hours on occasion (within New Horizon’s flexible working arrangements), including work over the Christmas period when required.

• Willingness to work flexibly in response to changing organisational requirements.

• Willingness to work from different sites including our day centre in Camden.

Timescales and how to apply

Dates

• Closing date for applications:9am, 20th April 2026
• Shortlisted candidates will be informed: 21st April 2026
• Interviews: 30th April 2026

Application process

• Complete the application form below

• Upload your CVsetting out your career history, education or qualifications, and other key responsibilities or achievements. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME OR INITIALS IN THE DOCUMENT FILE NAME
• Write a cover letter / supporting statement(no more than 1500 words) highlighting yoursuitability for the role and how you meet the ESSENTIAL criterialisted on the Person Specification, and any additional relevant desirable points you wish to share.Do not include your name, address or any personal details.This is an important part of your application so must be completed. We recommend you work on this in another text file (such as Word) and copy and paste it into the box below when you are ready to submit.

We do not consider incomplete applications.

You will be notified if you have not been shortlisted. However, we are unfortunately unable to provide each individual application with feedback.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a call to discuss the role, please feel free to email us at recruitment@nhyouthcentre.org.uk or call 0207 388 5560.

Click here to see the job pack in PDF format or the job pack in Word format.

• Locations
• New Horizon Youth Centre
• Contract type
• Full Time, Permanent
• Hours of work
• 35
• Application deadline
• 9am, 20th April 2026
• Salary
• £46,800-£52,000

Our Perks & Benefits

• 30 days annual leave per year 🏄🏻‍♀️

  plus bank holidays and some additional time off over Christmas

• Generous pension contributions 💰

  6% contribution to a group personal pension scheme

• Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme 🫴

  including a 24-hour helpline, access to counselling, contributions towards medical expenses, discounted gym memberships, high street vouchers and more

• Clinical supervision and reflective practice 💬

• Staff loan policy, including cycle to work scheme 🚲

• Generous training budget and Diversity Leadership Scheme 📝

• Regular staff away days and team building activities 🕺🏾

Workplace, Culture & Diversity

New Horizon Youth Centre is committed to recognising and valuing difference and ensuring fairness and equity; and recognising and seeking to redress inequity and disadvantage wherever possible. We have an ongoing action plan to improve our EDI practices, which every member of our organisation has a role in contributing to.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds in respect of ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, religion, and socio-economic backgrounds.