Head of policy poverty jobs

TPP Recruitment is supporting a small, community-based charity to recruit an Interim Advice Manager on a fixed-term basis. This Interim Advice Manager role is a brilliant opportunity to lead a vital service supporting people facing real hardship, while also shaping systems, quality, and service development during a period of change.

Details
 

• Salary: £36,565 FTE (£29,252 pro rata)
• Location: Brent, Northwest London
• Working Pattern: 32 hours across 4 days (Monday–Thursday)
• Working arrangements: Hybrid (2 days per week on site)
• Contract: Fixed term to 20th April 2027

 
 
About the Organisation

This is a frontline charity tackling poverty and food insecurity and supporting people to move from crisis towards longer-term stability. The organisation’s advice offer is a key part of that support, delivering timely, high-quality guidance to people navigating complex challenges.
 
 
About the Role

As Interim Advice Manager, you’ll manage an advice service across multiple sites, leading staff and volunteers who deliver advice on benefits, housing, debt and immigration. You’ll combine hands-on delivery (including a small caseload) with oversight of quality, compliance, and continuous improvement. You’ll work closely with senior colleagues, including the Head of Advice, to help implement new initiatives and strengthen the service’s impact
 
 
Key Responsibilities
 

• Lead day-to-day delivery of the advice service, including setting objectives, managing performance, and providing supervision and feedback to staff and volunteers
• Hold a small caseload to stay connected to frontline delivery and community needs
• Maintain high-quality, compliant advice provision, ensuring delivery aligns with funder expectations and internal standards
• Use case management systems to report on cases and outcomes, supporting funding needs and future applications
• Drive service development, reviewing procedures, improving systems, and supporting expansion aligned to organisational strategy
• Undertake quality assurance activity (including case checking and advice audits) and keep colleagues informed of relevant policy/legislation changes
• Support effective volunteer management, including induction, support, supervision and retention activity
• Contribute to budgets, monitoring, evaluation, stakeholder feedback, and action planning to strengthen service effectiveness
• Work within the Advice Quality Standard (AQS) framework, ensuring policies and procedures remain current and audit-ready

 
 
Skills / Experience Required
 

• At least 3 years’ experience in welfare advice or casework within the charity sector
• Strong people management experience (including supporting and developing staff/volunteers)
• Strong project/service improvement experience, with confidence managing competing priorities
• Knowledge across welfare benefits, housing, debt and/or immigration, plus safeguarding understanding
• Confidence using case management systems and using data to inform reporting and improvements
• Experience of the Advice Quality Standard, work with refugees and asylum seekers, and/or community language skills (e.g., Arabic, Farsi, Somali) – desirable

 
 
To Apply

• If you’re ready to inspire others and be part of a team dedicated to saving lives, we’d love to see your CV!

 
 
Interview Process

• Stage 1: informal screening call (fit, motivation, and values alignment)
• Stage 2: formal in-person interview

 
 
Deadline for Applications

• Monday 1st June 2026, 9am

 

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Organisation: Happy Days
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location: Calderdale

Role Purpose

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides strategic and operational leadership across all frontline services, accommodation provision, organisational infrastructure, and compliance functions within the charity.

The COO is responsible for ensuring safe, trauma-informed, financially sustainable, and outcomes-focused delivery for individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, health exclusion, addiction, and crisis.

The role leads operations across the charity’s accommodation portfolio, including winter shelter provision, general needs accommodation, supported accommodation, and intensively supported housing. The COO also oversees the operational platform of the charity’s support programmes, including a community café, community supermarket, crisis drop-in provision, and integrated health clinics.

Working collaboratively with the CEO, Board, statutory agencies, housing provider partners, and wider stakeholders, the COO plays a key leadership role in shaping organisational strategy, strengthening operational systems, embedding trauma-informed practice, and developing innovative models of support that improve long-term outcomes for individuals experiencing multiple disadvantage.

The COO provides executive oversight of, operational risk, health and safety, HR, operational systems, and service compliance, ensuring the organisation maintains robust standards of governance, accountability, and person-centred care across all services.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Provide executive operational leadership across services and organisational functions
• Lead the delivery, development, and continuous operational improvement of:
  • Supported and temporary accommodation services (68+ properties)
  • Crisis and drop-in provision
  • Food programme and social supermarket
  • Winter shelter provision
• Translate organisational strategy into effective operational delivery plans
• Drive organisational improvement, innovation, and sustainable service growth
• Lead operational responses to emerging community need, organisational risk, and system pressures
• Support strategic planning, organisational development, and long-term sustainability
• Lead operational capital development initiatives across the organisation

Housing, Property & Supported Accommodation Executive Oversight of:

• Operational management, legal compliance, health and safety, quality assurance across all accommodation services
• Lead strategic partnerships with housing providers
• Manage delegated housing arrangements and supported housing pathways
• Maximise occupancy, sustainment, and positive move-on outcomes
• Oversee property-related risk management, maintenance coordination, and accommodation standards
• Lead the transformation and redevelopment of The Gathering Place, including partnership working with architects, infrastructure planning, and service design
• Oversee operational development planning for the Bramwell Booth building to support future service delivery and organisational growth

Safeguarding Operational Platform

• Lead organisational safeguarding strategy and systems
• Ensure SOP’s are in place to enable staff to respond effectively to complex needs including:
  • addiction
  • mental ill-health and physical health needs
  • dual diagnosis
  • homelessness
  • domestic abuse
  • offending histories
  • health exclusion
• Oversee serious incidents, risk management, and quality assurance processes
• Promote reflective practice, professional accountability, and safe service delivery
• Lead continuous safeguarding improvement and organisational assurance processes
• Support the organisation’s progression towards recognised safeguarding quality and excellence standards

Health Inclusion & Community Services

• Support development of innovative approaches addressing homelessness, substance use, poverty, and social exclusion
• Contribute to wider system responses focused on prevention, health equity, and community resilience

Corporate Governance, Compliance & Organisational Infrastructure

• Provide executive oversight of organisational governance, operational compliance, and corporate infrastructure
• Lead organisational responsibility for:
  • Human Resources
  • Health & Safety
  • Insurance and organisational risk
  • Operational systems and digital infrastructure
• Ensure robust organisational policies, procedures, and assurance frameworks are developed, implemented, and maintained
• Oversee compliance with employment legislation, health & safety standards, and contractual obligations
• Lead organisational risk management processes, incident oversight, and business continuity planning
• Ensure effective management of organisational insurance provision, liability protection, and risk mitigation
• Support governance reporting, operational assurance, and organisational accountability
• Develop quarterly Trustee and governance reporting packs in conjunction with Heads of Department and the CEO

Systems Development & Digital Transformation

• Lead the development and implementation of operational systems, reporting frameworks, and service infrastructure
• Design and embed systems that improve operational efficiency, safeguarding oversight, housing management, and service coordination
• Use data, insight, and performance analysis to improve outcomes and organisational effectiveness
• Support digital transformation, service modernisation, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Develop monitoring, evaluation, and impact reporting systems to support organisational learning and strategic decision-making

Leadership, Workforce & Organisational Culture

• Foster a high-performing, inclusive, and values-led organisational culture
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, retention, supervision, and staff development
• Promote staff wellbeing, reflective practice, and psychologically safe leadership
• Provide leadership oversight and strategic direction for volunteer services and volunteer programme development
• Support the organisation’s progression towards recognised volunteer quality standards, including the VSI Volunteer Excellence Award

Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Represent the organisation within strategic partnerships and multi-agency forums
• Work collaboratively with commissioners, funders, housing providers, and community partners

Financial Oversight & Sustainability

• Budget development and financial planning in conjunction with the CEO and Finance Team
• Support organisational sustainability through efficient service delivery
• Monitor operational performance, quality standards, and service outcomes
• Ensure effective governance, accountability, and operational compliance across all services

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within homelessness, housing, health, social care, community, or voluntary sector services
• Extensive operational leadership experience across complex, multi-service environments
• Experience leading services supporting individuals with multiple disadvantage and complex needs
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, and organisational risk management
• Experience managing accommodation-based and community support services
• Experience overseeing HR, compliance, governance, and organisational systems
• Experience leading quality assurance, risk, and compliance frameworks
• Strong partnership and stakeholder engagement skills across statutory and voluntary sectors
• Experience managing operational budgets, compliance frameworks, and performance systems

Desirable

• Experience working within homelessness, substance use, or health inclusion services
• Experience working within housing such as a registered housing provider
• Understanding of public health approaches and health inequalities
• Knowledge of housing legislation, supported housing models, and safeguarding frameworks
• Experience with digital transformation, systems implementation, and organisational modernisation

Key Attributes

• Values-driven and strongly committed to social justice and health equity
• Strategic thinker with strong operational leadership capability
• Calm, resilient, and decisive in complex and high-pressure environments
• Compassionate and emotionally intelligent leader
• Strong communicator with the ability to influence across systems and sectors
• Innovative, solutions-focused, and collaborative
• Committed to continuous improvement, accountability, and inclusive leadership