Money Advice Team Leader

We're looking for an experienced money advice professional who is passionate about making a real difference to people's lives. You will have a minimum of two years' experience delivering money and debt advice, with the ability to support, motivate and develop others. Whether you're an experienced Team Leader or ready to take the next step in your career, you'll be committed to delivering high quality, person-centred services and achieving the best outcomes for clients. This role is about more than managing performance. It's about leading by example, supporting people experiencing financial hardship, poor mental or physical health, trauma, disability, homelessness or digital exclusion, and helping your team deliver flexible, relationship-based support. We're looking for someone who is compassionate, resilient, organised and solution-focused, with excellent communication skills and a collaborative leadership style, committed to continuous improvement and helping people build long-term financial resilience. 

This role forms part of the Exeter Crisis & Resilience Fund partnership, delivered by Navigate, Churches Housing Action Team (CHAT) and Encompass Southwest – the collaboration is known as Wis£rmoney. Together, we provide a seamless service that supports residents from immediate financial crisis through to long-term resilience. Our partnership combines specialist money and debt advice, welfare benefits advice, housing support, homelessness prevention, trauma-informed practice and financial education to provide holistic support for people experiencing financial hardship. Rather than asking people to navigate multiple services, we work together to ensure they receive the right support at the right time, through a coordinated 'No Wrong Door' approach. 

The Crisis & Resilience Fund Team Leader will lead the delivery of the Exeter Crisis & Resilience Service, providing operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team delivering high-quality, person-centred support to residents experiencing financial hardship, crisis and multiple disadvantage. The postholder will line manage Navigate's Client Liaison Officers and the Money Advice Caseworkers employed by partners Churches Housing Action Team (CHAT) and Encompass Southwest to ensure a seamless, coordinated service that supports individuals from immediate financial crisis through to long term resilience. As Navigate's operational lead for the contract, the Team Leader will foster strong partnership working, maintain effective communication across organisations and ensure clients experience a consistent 'No Wrong Door' approach. Alongside leadership responsibilities, the postholder will manage a small caseload of complex clients, delivering FCA-regulated debt advice, welfare benefits advice, advocacy and holistic financial resilience support. They will provide guidance and oversight for complex casework, ensuring clients receive timely, flexible interventions tailored to their individual circumstances.

The Team Leader will champion Wis£rmoney’s relationship-based, trauma-informed approach, recognising that financial hardship rarely exists in isolation. By supporting staff to build trusted relationships with clients, remove barriers to engagement and address the wider issues affecting financial wellbeing, the role will help residents achieve sustainable financial stability, independence and resilience. The postholder will also be responsible for ensuring the service meets all contractual, regulatory and quality requirements, monitoring performance, driving continuous improvement and embedding innovative ways of working that enhance client outcomes while maintaining the personalised support that is central to the service model.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Service Management

• Lead Wis£rmoney's delivery of the Exeter Crisis & Resilience Fund service, ensuring a high-quality, person-centred service that reflects the partnership's shared values and objectives.
• Line manage and support Client Liaison Officers (2) and Money Advice Caseworkers (2), providing regular supervision, reflective practice, coaching and annual appraisals.
• Promote a positive, supportive team culture that prioritises staff wellbeing, continuous learning and high-quality client outcomes.
• Provide guidance and support on complex casework, safeguarding concerns and risk management.
• Lead by example, demonstrating relationship-based, trauma-informed approach to supporting people experiencing financial hardship.

Specialist Casework

• Manage a small caseload of clients with complex financial circumstances requiring specialist intervention.
• Deliver FCA-regulated debt advice, welfare benefits advice, budgeting support, income maximisation and advocacy.
• Develop personalised support plans that address both immediate financial crisis and longer-term resilience.
• Negotiate with creditors, landlords, utility providers and statutory agencies to achieve the best possible outcomes for clients.
• Support clients to access appropriate debt solutions, including Debt Relief Orders and bankruptcy where appropriate. 

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Ensure all advice delivered by Wis£rmoney meets FCA requirements, Advice Quality Standard expectations and organisational policies.
• Carry out regular case reviews, file audits and quality assurance checks to maintain consistently high standards.
• Ensure accurate and timely recording of casework using AdvicePro and associated digital systems.
• Promote excellent information governance, GDPR compliance and safeguarding practice throughout the service.
• Support preparation for contract monitoring, audits and quality inspections.

Partnership Working

• Act as Navigate's operational lead within the Exeter Crisis & Resilience Fund partnership.
• Work collaboratively with Churches Housing Action Team, Encompass Southwest, Exeter City Council and other partner organisations to deliver a coordinated 'No Wrong Door' service.
• Build strong relationships with local agencies to improve referral pathways and client outcomes.
• Represent Wis£rmoney at partnership meetings, operational groups and multi-agency forums.
• Support collaborative problem-solving and contribute to the ongoing development of the partnership.

Service Delivery and Performance

• Ensure timely allocation of referrals according to client need, complexity and risk.
• Maintain oversight of client journeys, ensuring seamless transitions from crisis intervention to longer term resilience support.
• Monitor performance against contractual targets, quality standards and key performance indicators.
• Contribute to contract monitoring reports and evaluation, ensuring outcomes and impact are accurately recorded.
• Identify emerging trends, unmet need and opportunities to improve service delivery.

Outreach, Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Promote innovative approaches that improve accessibility, efficiency and client outcomes while maintaining personalised support.
• Support the implementation of new systems, digital technologies and service improvements across the partnership.
• Encourage reflective practice and continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to strengthen processes and remove barriers for clients.
• Keep up to date with changes in legislation, regulation and best practice relating to money advice, welfare benefits and financial inclusion.

Safeguarding and Risk Management

• Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are fully implemented across the service.
• Provide advice and escalation support for safeguarding concerns and high-risk cases.
• Promote safe working practices for staff delivering home visits, outreach and community-based support.
• Foster a culture where safeguarding, professional curiosity and client wellbeing underpin every aspect of service delivery.