Head of Housing & Safe Haven (Crisis Support)

Head of Housing & Safe Haven (Crisis Support)
Hours: 37 hours per week (Flexible working options are available, including part-time and job-share)
Salary: £50,000 - £53,813 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Base: Osney Mead office, OX2 with travel to services across Oxon along with WFH options

Who we are, and what we do

We're Oxfordshire Mind, the mental health charity, operating across Oxfordshire and Berkshire West.

Our passionate employees and dedicated volunteers are helping people with mental health issues find somewhere to turn for advice, information, and support.

We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health issue gets both support and respect.

Like all local Minds, we are an independent charity that is proud to be affiliated with the national Mind association.

About the Role

We are looking for an exceptional Head of Housing & Safe Haven to lead our supported housing and crisis alternative services, ensuring people receive high-quality, person-centred and recovery-focused support when they need it most.

This is an exciting opportunity for a collaborative and values-driven leader who champions lived experience, thrives in partnership working, and leads by example to create safe, responsive and impactful services for local people.

About the Service

Operating 365 days per week in Oxford and Banbury, Safe Haven diverts people from attending the Emergency Department when they do not need clinical support. The Safe Haven model offers short-term, non-clinical crisis support in an empowering, empathetic, person-centred way.

Oxfordshire Mind's supported housing service offers accommodation with support in Oxford City and in West and South Oxfordshire for residents with severe and enduring mental health problems who would struggle to live independently.

We are currently looking to recruit a Head of Housing & Safe Haven (Crisis Support) and would really welcome applications for it.

We would really like to know how your skills and experience match our requirements. If you feel they do, please tell us how you meet the below requirements:

• Good level of knowledge about housing and mental health sectors
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation in relation to mental health supported housing
• Understanding of best practice in community-based mental health and accommodation services
• Knowledge of local statutory and VCSE mental health services in Oxfordshire
• Operational management of a housing service or mental health crisis services
• Working with and through others to deliver effective, person-centred, recovery focused support
• Monitor and manage escalating client risks
• Successful negotiation with clinical and non- clinical services to obtain supports and services on behalf of clients
• Effectively managing and supporting managers, staff and teams
• Proven experience of delivering effective change to services
• Budget and resource management
• Performance Management
• Delivering outcomes against agreed objectives in a relevant setting including contracted KPIs and quality
• Excellent organisational planning administrative & IT skills to deliver work to agreed timescales and standards
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with service users, staff, partners, funding agencies and the public
• Skilled people manager, including challenging conversations and conflict
• Collaborative and inclusive team working
• Contract management skills of statutory and non-statutory commissioners and funders
• Effective Contract management of procured services
• Problem solving skills
• Safeguarding practice and experience, of children and adults
• Organisational risk management
• Crisis management
• Actively promotes the involvement of people with lived experience in decision making at all levels organisation-wide, and ensures involvement within own areas of responsibility
• Leads by example
• Understands and committed to our values and approach

Closing date: Monday 10 August 2026 by 1PM
Shortlisting date: Monday 17th August 2026
Interview date(s): 20 & 21 August 2026 (TBC)
Interview location: In Person - Oxfordshire Mind, 2 Kings Meadow, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0DP

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Please ensure that you match your skills and experience against the above and provide details and evidence of this in your application. If you don't provide this you may not be shortlisted for the role.

We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. We are unable to provide sponsorship for visa applications.

Oxfordshire Mind is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We therefore require a Disclosure and Barring Service check, for all our roles. The level of which will vary depending on the nature of the role.

No agencies please.