Look Ahead Care, Support and Housing

We're looking for a passionate, organised and resilient Deputy Manager to join our Learning Disabilities Social Care Service in Hertfordshire. £36,000.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.Our benefits include: Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply) Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card Fully paid induction programme and further training ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes Cycle to work scheme Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support Online wellbeing resources Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution Free DBSAll applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship. This job description outlines the key responsibilities and expectations of the role. It is subject to change and may be amended as business needs evolve. What you'll do: Support the Area Service Manager to drive business planning activities within your contract, ensuring relevant and challenging objective setting and ongoing performance tracking, developing turn around action plans as may be necessary Support the Area Service Manager, using sound financial and accounting principles, manage contract budgets to deliver on corporate and local contract financial targets Successfully lead and motivate the team to ensure the championing of and maintenance of a positive local culture within your service Work to continuously improve staff competence, ensure ownership of all staff issues and speedy and effective conflict resolution Responsible for reporting all staff changes to HR and Payroll departments, as appropriate e.g. starters, leavers, additional hours etc. Supporting Area Service Manager in maintaining quarterly staff succession plans This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead About you: Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement and inclusion Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour Prefers working as part of a group or team Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments Is confident with high levels of self-esteem Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour What you'll bring:Essential Educated to degree level or equivalent Holds relevant CMI/NVQ Level 4 or other business/management qualification Sound understanding of Positive Behaviour Support framework 2 years of experience with profound autism or complex learning disabilityDesirable Any other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications Clinical background or relevant experience About us: Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values: We focus on Excellence and innovation. We are Caring and Compassionate. We are Inclusive and Trusted. We work in Partnership and are One-Team.Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date. We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds. Please see our website for full Job description

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Team Leader to join our Homelessness and Complex Needs Social Care Service in Slough. No personal care or experience required, just the right values. £ 33,130.60 per annum, working 40 hours per week. 6 month Secondment Want to feel valued? You'll feel at home here. Our benefits include: Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x pensionable salary (T&Cs apply) Free DBS All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship. The post holder will be fully involved in all aspects of the day-to-day management of their designated service, including line managing the relevant front line staff. What you'll do: This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead Lead and motivate your team to ensure a positive local culture within your service. Deliver effective supervision and team meetings with staff. Promote effective information sharing, reporting and communication. Set clear expectations of quality standards, work plans and targets for staff. Responsible for the personal development of staff, identifying high performers and feeding into the organisations succession plans and identifying training needs. Experience of working with customers with complex needs and the ability to engage hard to reach customers. Knowledge of the issues facing homeless people. Build and maintain partnerships with local agencies and community groups. About you: What you'll bring: Essential: Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent. Holds relevant CMI/NVQ Level 3 or other business/management qualification. Desirable: Other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications are desirable. About us: Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us. We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values: We focus on Excellence and innovation. We are Caring and Compassionate. We are Inclusive and Trusted. We work in Partnership and are One-Team. Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date. We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Service Manager to join our Young People Social Care Service in Bracknell. £ 41,200.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Our benefits include: Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service Free DBS A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply) All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship. In this role, you will actively listen to and engage with young people, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met. Developing and maintaining essential external partnerships will be key to providing a robust support structure for our customers. We are looking for an empathetic leader who can connect with young people and staff alike, showing genuine care and understanding. You should be adept at comprehending and implementing policies and procedures to benefit both customers and the organisation. Excellent communication skills are essential for effectively liaising with stakeholders, Children services, Commissioning teams, and OFSTED. A proactive approach to service development and regulatory compliance will be crucial to your success. What you'll do: This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead Drive business planning activities within your contract, ensuring relevant and challenging objective setting and ongoing performance tracking, developing turn around action plans as may be necessary Using sound financial and accounting principles, manage contract budgets to deliver on corporate and local contract financial targets Successfully lead and motivate your team to ensure the championing of and maintenance of a positive local culture within your service Work to continuously improve staff competence, ensure ownership of all staff issues and speedy and effective conflict resolution Responsible for reporting all staff changes to HR and Payroll departments, as appropriate e.g. starters, leavers, additional hours etc. Responsible for maintaining quarterly staff succession plans Deliver effective, professional and commercially focused briefings and supervision meetings with staff and ensure that information, reporting & communications flow up/down is effective Responsible for managing and allocating customers to support staff (casework management) Develop key business relationships with all relevant customers/external parties to ensure service delivery excellence and maximise new business opportunities in own patch Plan, organise and prioritise operations within your contract to ensure maximum efficiencies/utilisation of all resources Working with your team lead creative and ambitious customer involvement plans across the patch and ensure successful implementation About you: Ability to lead and motivate staff to deliver excellent services Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement Has a practical and logical mind What you'll bring: Essential: Educated to degree level or equivalent Experience of managing contracts and resources and delivering to budget and performance targets Experience of delivering to housing management performance targets Desirable: Other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications About us: Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Learning and Development Partner to join our People Team located at our Head Office in Islington. £30,678.05 per annum, working 35 hours per week. This is a hybrid role with a minimum of two days in the office each week, normally Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our benefits include: Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of serviceSeason ticket loans for public transport travel to workA generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% (via salary exchange), and life assurance cover of 3x annual pensionable salary (T&Cs apply)Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway and opportunity to buy a Blue Light CardFully paid induction programme and further trainingILM courses and Apprenticeship ProgrammesCycle to work schemeEmployee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential supportOnline wellbeing resourcesQuarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to start a career in Learning & Development and build experience across a busy, supportive L&D function. Working across the L&D team, you will support the administration, coordination and delivery of all Look Ahead's staff training and development programmes student placements, apprenticeships, Diversity & Inclusion and Wellbeing initiatives. You will coordinate workshops from enrolment through to completion, maintain training records, support internal communications to promote L&D activity and encourage high levels of engagement, attendance and compliance with all training and courses. Responsible for ensuring all information is accurate and up to date on the LMS platform (currently MyLearning). What you'll do: Training Courses/ProgrammesSchedule and manage training workshops and delegate communicationsLiaise with and maintain relationships with external training providersProcess professional development applications and book delegates onto relevant in-house programmes or apprenticeshipsKeep all training information, materials and records updated across the businessAdminister and monitor attendance, completions and compliance requirementsMaintain and update tracking and monitoring spreadsheets regularlyManage training facilities, equipment and room configuration Coordinate learning analytics and produce monthly reporting on attendance, completions and KPIsManage the end-to-end induction process from booking new starters, marking attendance and deliver day 1 induction on a rotaShare training evaluation feedback with trainers and identify areas for improvementCo-ordinate delegate lists for trainers and venues and joining instructions for learners weekly for upcoming training events Student PlacementsRespond to and process student and volunteer placement enquiriesProvide guidance to potential applicants and ensure vetting complianceMaintain accurate tracking systems and provide monthly progress updates to managersSupport with onboarding processes and coordination of relevant induction elementsLiaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a consistent placement experience ApprenticeshipsSupport the organisation and marketing of apprenticeships opportunitiesMonitor activity, attendance, milestones and qualification progress for recruited apprenticesMaintain structured reporting and make recommendations for programme improvementsSupport attendance at job fairs, recruitment events or school/college events as required GeneralMaintain L&D and Student Placement shared inboxes daily in line with Service Level Agreements (SLAs)Promote diversity, inclusion and Look Ahead's employer brand through internal communications, including Workplace and intranet postsSupport the implementation of the Inclusion & Diversity Action Plan, Wellbeing initiatives and engagement feedback actions with the Recruitment, Training and Talent ManagerEnsure all activity is compliant with health and safety requirementsSeek feedback from stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvementSupport People Team projects and organisational development work as required This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead . About you: Organised with good attention to detail and able to prioritise effectivelyKeen to deliver a high level of customer focused serviceResponsive to queries and issues and able to come up with effective solutions that meet the business and customer needsStrong communicator who is able to easily build effective working relationshipsAdaptable and resilient under pressureDecisive and able to prioritise and manage multiple tasksKeen interest in Learning & DevelopmentPositive team player who is values driven and contributes to a supportive team culture and works in a collaborative way across the People team, the wider organisation and with stakeholders What you'll bring: Essential: Strong administrative and IT skills, including Microsoft OfficeConfident in using learning management systems or willing to learnExcellent communication and customer service skillsConfident to facilitate induction trainingComfortable producing reports, analysing data and maintaining spreadsheets Please see our jobs site for the full job description.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Housing Operations Manager located at our Head Office in Islington. £59,535 .00 per annum, working 35 hours per week. Want to feel valued? You'll feel at home here. Our benefits include: Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x pensionable salary (T&Cs apply) Free DBS What you'll do: This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead Housing operations and tenancy management Lead the day-to-day landlord function across supported housing services, keeping standards consistent and addressing issues before they escalate. Safeguarding and Risk Management Take responsibility for ensuring housing management activity actively identifies and responds to safeguarding risks, including where concerns emerge through non-engagement, property condition, or repeated enforcement action. Property, Estates and Void Management Oversee a planned programme of estate inspections, tenancy audits, and housing-led health and safety checks, ensuring actions are clearly recorded, owned, and followed up where standards fall short. Compliance and Resident Safety Take day-to-day responsibility for housing-led compliance activity, working closely with Property and Compliance teams to make sure statutory requirements are met in practice, not just on paper. Leadership and Team Management Line manage Housing Officers, setting clear expectations around performance, accountability, and professional conduct, and addressing issues promptly where standards slip. Cross-Departmental Coordination Act as the main operational link between Housing, Property, Compliance, Care and Support, and Income teams, ensuring issues are addressed collectively rather than passed between services. Customer Involvement and Tenant Experience Promote meaningful resident involvement in housing services, ensuring opportunities for engagement are accessible and appropriate to the needs of supported housing residents. Performance, Quality and Assurance Use performance data, case audits, complaints, and service insight to identify emerging risks, recurring issues, and gaps in housing management practice. Key relationships Head of Housing Housing Officers Income Team Care & Support operational teams About you: Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, networks in local business community. What you'll bring: Essential: Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent. Holds relevant CMI/NVQ Level 3 or other business/management qualification. Desirable: Other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications are desirable. About us: Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Service Charge Analyst located at our Head Office in Islington. £35,000.00 per annum (pro rata), working 35 hours per week. Fixed Term Contract for 6 months. Our benefits include: Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x pensionable salary (T&Cs apply) Free DBS All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship. To play a key role in Look Ahead's review of service charge structures across its commissioned and non-commissioned housing portfolio. They will draft new service charge schedules, provide clear written rationales for all proposed charges, and liaise directly with local authorities and housing benefit to explain and agree new charges for 2026-27. What you'll do: This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead Review and Rebuild Service Charge Budgets Lead on the zero-based review of existing rent and service charge budgets across Look Ahead's full housing portfolio. Draft and Implement New Service Charges Schedules Produce accurate and transparent service charges schedules for each scheme, distinguishing between eligible and ineligible costs in line with housing benefit guidance and provide summary rationale for each cost element. Liaise with Local Authorities, Housing Benefit Teams and Owning Landlords Act as key contact for Housing Benefit teams, representing Look Ahead in rent and service discussion for 2026-27. Collaboration and Internal Coordination Working closely with finance colleagues to align service charges budgets with proposed schedules for 2026-27. Compliance, Reporting and Improvement Ensure full compliance with DWP guidance (including circulars A4/2014 and A1/2023), HB regulations, and Regulator of Social Housing requirements. About you: Highly organised, able to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines in a time-limited role. Analytical and methodical, with a strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate, auditable records. What you'll bring: Essential: Substantial experience reviewing or setting service charges within supported or social housing. Proven experience preparing enhanced Housing Benefit claims and engaging directly with local authority housing benefit teams. Experience of building or reviewing budgets using a zero-based or baseline-up approach. Strong understanding of Housing Benefit regulations relating to exempt and specified accommodation, including eligible and ineligible costs. Desirable: Experience working in an interim, project-based, or time-limited role. Experience supporting or contributing to a full service charge review for a registered provider. About us: Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.