Care Stream is a growing organisation, and this role is pivotal to supporting its continued expansion and future plans.
Care Stream offers a generous holiday allowance and is committed to valuing and supporting its staff. We also provide flexibility to help employees maintain a healthy work-life balance where service needs allow.
The successful candidate will be supported by a team of senior and experienced leaders, ensuring they have access to the guidance and support needed to succeed in the role.
Team Leader
Location - Colchester and Tendering
Reports To: Director of Healthcare
Job Summary:
· Responsible for the overall leadership and daily operational delivery of supported accommodation services at The Poplars in Tendering and Trippier House in Colchester. Being mobile and based at each site equally, is required.
· Ensures tenants receive structured housing related support and care, support and supervision that is more than minimal and evidenced through records
· Line manages Housing Officers and Care and Support Workers, ensuring consistent delivery, compliance, and safeguarding practice across both schemes
· Leads on service quality, incident oversight, and multi-agency working, ensuring the service remains audit ready for local authority and Housing Benefit scrutiny
What
Main Accountabilities
· Provide day to day leadership across both schemes, maintaining consistent standards, routines, and expectations.
· Manage staffing levels, rotas, lone working arrangements, and shift cover as required to meet service needs.
· Lead and manage Housing Officers and Care Support Workers, including induction, supervision, performance management, and training compliance.
· Ensure each resident has an up-to-date support plan and risk assessment, with clear actions, outcomes, and review dates.
· Oversee delivery of housing related support that supports tenancy sustainment, engagement, wellbeing, daily living skills, and move on planning.
· Ensure care, support and supervision is delivered in line with assessed and presenting needs, including for individuals who have not been assessed under the Care Act 2014.
· Oversee incident management, ensuring immediate actions are taken, reports are completed, and learning is implemented.
· Lead safeguarding practice across both schemes, ensuring concerns are identified, escalated, reported, and recorded in line with policy and local authority procedures.
· Maintain oversight of anti-social behaviour management, breaches of occupancy agreements, and enforcement actions, working closely with Housing Officers.
· Maintain oversight of referrals, assessments, admissions, and placements, ensuring suitability and safe move in processes.
· Oversee void management and readiness of rooms, working with Housing Officers and the Site Manager to minimise void time.
· Liaise with professionals and agencies including local authorities, health services, mental health services, substance misuse services, and safeguarding teams.
· Ensure accurate and timely record keeping across support delivery, welfare checks, incident logs, safeguarding records, and service monitoring.
· Provide regular reporting to the Director of Healthcare on service performance, risks, staffing, incidents, compliance, and improvement actions.
· Ensure the service meets Housing Benefit Exempt Accommodation expectations, with clear evidence that support is more than minimal and consistently available.
· Drive continuous improvement through quality checks, file audits, staff feedback, resident feedback, and service action plans.
Competencies
How are you committed to making a difference?
You demonstrate a clear commitment to person centred care and to improving outcomes for the tenants you support. You actively work to protect and advance the interests of individuals, treating them with dignity, empathy, and respect at all times. You recognise that tenants have different needs, strengths, and goals, and you adapt your approach to support them effectively. Through consistent daily engagement and planned support, you help tenants build confidence, develop skills, and improve their overall quality of life. You understand the value of routine and structure while also being compassionate and creative in how you motivate and engage individuals.
How will you cooperate with others to work safely?
You work collaboratively with colleagues to maintain a safe and stable environment for residents, staff, and visitors. You understand the risks associated with supported accommodation and take responsibility for following health and safety procedures, lone working protocols, and risk management plans. You communicate clearly during handovers and share relevant information to ensure continuity of care and support. When risks or concerns are identified, you take appropriate action and escalate promptly, recognising that safeguarding and safety are shared responsibilities.
How will you maximise individuals’ quality of life?
You support tenants in a way that promotes independence, choice, and personal development. You encourage individuals to take an active role in their daily routines and decision making, offering practical and emotional support where needed. You work in line with support plans and risk assessments while remaining responsive to changing needs. You understand that progress is not always linear, and you maintain a patient, non-judgemental approach that supports tenants through both achievements and setbacks.
How will you communicate effectively?
You communicate in a clear, respectful, and professional manner with residents, colleagues, and external professionals. You listen actively and take time to understand individual perspectives, adjusting your communication style to suit different needs. You ensure tenants feel heard and supported, particularly during difficult conversations. Written communication, including daily logs and incident reports, is accurate, factual, and completed in a timely manner, supporting continuity, accountability, and compliance.
How will you adapt to changing priorities?
You remain flexible and responsive in a dynamic supported accommodation environment. You are able to manage planned work alongside unexpected situations, prioritising effectively and remaining calm under pressure. You recognise when situations require immediate action and when escalation is necessary. You take a practical, solution focused approach to challenges, adapting your methods to ensure the safety and wellbeing of tenants and the smooth running of the service.
How will you achieve professional standards?
You work in line with legislation, regulatory expectations, and organisational policies at all times. You maintain professional boundaries, uphold safeguarding responsibilities, and respect confidentiality. You engage positively with supervision and training, using reflection and feedback to strengthen your practice. You understand the importance of accurate record keeping and consistent standards, particularly within supported accommodation, and you take responsibility for delivering work that is accountable, defensible, and of a high professional standard.
Person Specification
Criteria which will be used in short listing and selecting candidates.
Skills/Abilities –
· Ability to manage and prioritise a wide range of tasks effectively, including direct support work, record keeping, and responding to unplanned situations, while remaining organised and responsive during each shift.
· Ability to follow structured plans such as activity schedules and support plans, while adapting appropriately when circumstances change to maintain service delivery.
· Demonstrable commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred support, treating tenants with dignity and respect and tailoring support to individual needs.
· Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to listen effectively, show empathy, and engage positively with residents, colleagues, and external agencies.
· Ability to accurately input, maintain, and update information on computer-based systems, including daily logs, support records, and email communication, in a timely manner.
· Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with residents, colleagues, and professionals, including individuals who may be disengaged or distrustful.
· Ability to work effectively as part of a team, contributing positively to team dynamics, while also being able to work independently and on own initiative when required.
· Ability to exercise appropriate authority and maintain clear professional boundaries, enforcing house rules and expectations fairly and consistently, including saying no when necessary.
· Ability to manage stressful situations and challenging behaviour calmly and safely, using appropriate coping strategies and seeking support when required.
· Ability to motivate and encourage tenants to engage with support, develop skills, and work towards positive change, using creative and person-centred approaches.
· Empathy and discretion when dealing with sensitive or confidential information, maintaining confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
- Experience facilitating group activities or discussions, such as life skills sessions or peer support groups.
- Basic counselling skills or training in mental health first aid to support individuals experiencing emotional distress.
- Full driving licence and ability to drive service users in a company vehicle to support appointments and community activities.
- Additional communication skills, such as British Sign Language or languages relevant to the resident group.
- Creative, practical, or sporting skills that can be used to support meaningful activities, including art, music, cooking, sport, or gardening.
Knowledge –
- Good understanding of the needs of individuals with complex needs, including mental health conditions, neurodiversity, substance misuse histories, and learning disabilities.
- Knowledge of how these needs can affect behaviour, communication, engagement, and daily functioning.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding principles, including recognising abuse or neglect, understanding reporting responsibilities, and knowing that safeguarding is a shared responsibility.
- Understanding of equality, diversity, and human rights, and how to uphold individuals’ rights and dignity within a support setting.
- Clear understanding of professional boundaries and the importance of confidentiality and data protection, including GDPR requirements.
- To have knowledge and understanding of supporting individuals with complex needs, including mental health and neurodiversity.
- Knowledge or experience of the criminal justice system, including probation, licence conditions, or resettlement processes.
- Knowledge of health and safety principles within a residential or supported accommodation environment, including fire safety, COSHH, food hygiene, and infection control.
- Understanding of trauma informed approaches and how past trauma can affect trust, behaviour, and engagement.
- Knowledge of local community resources and services that can support residents, including health services, education, employment, and voluntary sector organisations.
- Knowledge and experience of the work within the Criminal Justice System.
Education, Certification & Experience
- Good literacy and numeracy skills, with the ability to read and understand support plans, risk assessments, and legal documentation, and to produce clear written records.
- Experience working with a diverse range of individuals who have experienced social or personal difficulties, gained through paid work, volunteering, or relevant life experience.
- Experience using Microsoft Word, Outlook, and basic Excel for record keeping and communication purposes.
- Basic understanding of safeguarding responsibilities within a care or support setting, with willingness to complete mandatory safeguarding training.
- Previous experience working within a residential supported accommodation, hostel, refuge, or similar environment.
- Experience supporting individuals or groups to achieve behaviour change, such as through mentoring, programmes, or structured interventions.
- Understanding of factors linked to vulnerability or offending, including substance misuse, housing instability, or unemployment.
- Relevant qualifications in health and social care or support work, such as NVQ or QCF Level 2 or 3, Care Certificate, or equivalent.
- First Aid certification and any additional training such as Mental Health First Aid, medication prompting, de-escalation techniques, or MAPA.
Safeguarding responsibilities
· Responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all tenants living within the service.
· Requirement to remain alert to signs of abuse, neglect, or exploitation and to report concerns immediately in line with safeguarding procedures.
· Duty to maintain accurate and timely records of safeguarding concerns, incidents, and actions taken.
· Responsibility to uphold professional boundaries, safe working practices, and a strong safeguarding culture at all times.
Other
Any other business to meet the needs and demands of the service.
Pay: £26,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
