Head of Services for Housing Supports, National

Location: flexible nationally with the ability to travel as required; Head Office in Dublin 8

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

The purpose of this role is to work as part of Focus Ireland’s Senior Management Team in making the maximum contribution to the work of Focus Ireland’s Housing Supports in the provision of a high quality service for people in Focus Ireland Long Term Housing on a national basis.

What you will do:

• Provide leadership and direction to the Housing Supports staff teams across Focus Ireland services and effectively maintain, develop and support staff performance, morale, and motivation.
• Manage the effective deployment of staff, resources and budgets for Housing Supports in order to achieve the overall targets under his/her responsibility ensuring that staff levels and skills mix are appropriate to the roles performed.
• Ensure service delivery in line with SLA requirements and liaise and advocate with relevant statutory authorities to support all those accessing housing services.
• Ensure all centres are of a high standard and are a welcoming environment for tenants.
• Ensure that customers and tenants are actively involved in provision of the services supporting Focus Ireland’s customer involvement initiatives.
• Ensure that Housing Supports, as one of the Focus Ireland Services areas, supports the Mission, strategy and values of Focus Ireland.
• Ensure good governance, compliance, best practice and overall quality of service, overseeing adherence to the Focus Ireland models of work.
• Implement Focus Ireland policies and procedures, including child safeguarding, complaints, confidentiality, health and safety, housing, and human resource policies.
• Monitor evolving service issues and developing appropriate responses in designated centres.
• Ensure the maintenance of appropriate records of work and statistical information and complete monthly reports, KRI’s, KPM’s on a timely basis.
• Develop positive staff relations by effectively communicating and ensuring understanding of FI expectations.
• Liaise with, work co-operatively and effectively with other departments in Focus Ireland. In particular to develop close working relationships with the Housing & Property department to support the delivery of Housing Support Services.
• Manage the performance of direct reports by upholding best practice in and performance management, and by complying with legal requirements in relation to employment/recruitment, supervision, health and safety and welfare, training and development.
• Liaise with statutory funders/donors on a regular basis in the provision of financial and other information.
• Work with Fundraising to explore alternative ad hoc funding sources.
• Manage income and expenditure budgets, implement financial management systems and manage the annual budget process for service area.
• Ensure that annual service reviews and evaluations are completed as required and to implement any changes arising from such work.
• Be available for the on-call service and to monitor its use and effectiveness and to be part of the development of the on-call service as required.
• Ensure that buildings and contents in all project premises are adequately insured and compliant with Health & Safety requirements.
• Complete all maintenance and health and safety work in a timely fashion.
• Be vigilant to any health, safety and welfare risks in the workplace and bring any concerns to the attention of your line manager or Health & Safety Representative.
• Report child protection concerns in line with Focus Ireland’s Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Maintain strong stakeholder relations with relevant community, voluntary and statutory agencies.
• Conduct, encourage and support service related research. Lead and contribute to developments and innovative evidence based practice.
• Engage in supervision sessions on a regular basis with the Director of Services.
• Prepare regular monthly project reports and any other reports as requested by line management.
• Engage in Reflective Practice to support professional development.
• Promote an ethos of best practice, professionalism, accountability and ongoing learning within the service.
• Represent Focus Ireland at meetings, seminars and conferences, or with funders.
• Keep informed of advances in professional knowledge and practice, and present these as relevant to Focus Ireland services.
• Be informed of developments in national policies, strategies and legislation and the perceived impact on practice and advise Director of Services on same.
• Participate in continuous professional development initiatives and ensure compliance with statutory registration requirements.
• Work within the framework of the overall objectives of Focus Ireland.
• Undertake such other duties as might be reasonably assigned from time to time in consultation with the Director of Services.

What you will need:

• Relevant third level degree in the area of social care e.g. youth work, social studies, addiction etc.
• Have a proven ability to maintain the highest ethical and professional standard of service delivery
• Demonstrate outstanding critical thinking and creative problem solving skills
• Demonstrate an in depth experience of developing and implementing service policies and procedures.
• Have a clear understanding of national policy, all statutory regulations and guidelines in the provision of housing support services
• Experience of working with local authorities and other statutory bodies on the issues affecting young people is desirable
• Be able to work on own initiative and in a team environment.
• Have a proven ability to communicate clearly in difficult and complex situations
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven advocacy skills.
• Experience of dealing with safeguarding/ child protection and welfare responsibilities and responding appropriately to any concerns.
• Proven ability to display flexibility.
• At least 5 years’ management experience in the social care field working with disadvantaged young people.
• Have an in-depth knowledge of issues affecting young people out-of-home and their impact on young people and their physical, emotional and psychological development/status.

To apply please submit your CV Here
Closing date for applications: 30th of January 2025

Focus Ireland is an equal opportunities employer.