Head of Resident Service

About Morden College 

We’re Morden College: an almshouse charity with a proud history of providing homes, support, and care for older people in south-east London for over 300 years. Today, we’re building on that legacy with a clear and ambitious strategy focused on enabling our residents to live as independently, safely, and meaningfully as possible. 

We aim to create thriving communities where every person feels known, valued, and supported. We provide almshouse accommodation and care services to over 250 older people across two sites in Blackheath and Beckenham, including our care home. Our vibrant and diverse resident community enjoys a wide range of events and activities, and each site offers welcoming spaces for socialising, including bars and Café 19 at the award-winning John Morden Centre. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to dignity, purpose, and inclusion. 

We actively combat loneliness, challenge ageism, and promote healthy ageing. As part of the Morden College team, you’ll help foster social connection and contribute to a community where both residents and staff can thrive. We embrace equity, diversity, and technology to deliver sustainable, high-quality services that make a lasting difference. 

Role Overview 

This pivotal leadership role is central in shaping and delivering a strategic, resident-centred service across our independent living communities. The Head of Resident Services will lead a multi-disciplinary team to ensure residents receive high-quality, consistent support that promotes independence, wellbeing, and community engagement.

You will drive service innovation, foster cross-functional collaboration, and use data and insight to continuously improve the resident experience.

As part of the Morden College team, you will challenge ageism, promote healthy ageing, within communities. 

We embrace technology to deliver consistent, equitable, and sustainable services, and we live by our values of integrity, fairness, and excellence—making Morden College a great place to live and work. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Leadership & Team Development 

• Lead, develop and inspire a high-performing Resident Services Team, fostering a culture of accountability, inclusivity, and continuous improvement. 

• Provide strategic oversight of services delivered to residents living independently, ensuring alignment with Morden College’s mission and values. 

• Champion collaborative working across departments and with external partners to deliver integrated resident support. 

• Active member of the Senior Management Group collaborating with peers to ensure cohesive approach to our work and shared understanding across all teams. 

 • Undertaking any other duties commensurate with the role, at the request of the Director of Resident Services. 

Resident Experience & Service Coordination 

• Oversee the delivery of consistent, equitable, and responsive services including housing management, wellbeing support, and resident engagement. 

• Ensure residents are well-informed and supported throughout their journey—from admission to day-to-day living—through clear communication and accessible systems. 

• Promote co-production of activities and events, enabling residents to shape their own community experience. 

Operational Excellence & Compliance 

• Ensure robust systems are in place for managing resident requests, data, and communications, leveraging technology to enhance service delivery. • Maintain compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, GDPR, and other regulatory requirements, continuously improving policies and procedures.

• Lead on emergency response coordination and participate in the out-of-hours Duty Manager rota. 

Housing Strategy & Management 

• Provide strategic oversight of housing services, including admissions, occupancy, refurbishment planning, and pricing models. 

• Ensure housing policies and procedures are fit for purpose and compliant with relevant legislation. 

• Collaborate with Finance, Property and Communications teams to manage resident contributions and property marketing. 

Insight & Impact 

• Work with the Business Analyst to monitor service performance, using data to inform decisions and report outcomes to senior leadership. 

• Ensure our CRM and Knowledge Bank are maintained and utilised effectively across the team. 

Skills, Experience & Attributes 

• Proven leadership in housing or resident services, ideally within almshouse or supported living environments. 

• Strong people management and communication skills, with a commitment to team development and performance. 

• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate insight into action. 

• Collaborative, with the ability to deliver change working across multi-disciplinary 

• Technologically confident, with experience of using, developing and improving CRM systems and Microsoft Office Teams. 

• Deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of older people and diverse communities. 

• Warm, trustworthy, and values-driven, with a strong sense of ownership and emotional intelligence