Head of Debt & Money Advice

About Toynbee Hall
Based in the East End of London since 1884, Toynbee Hall is a charity working alongside people facing poverty, injustice, and inequality to build a fairer East London. We provide vital advice and support, working in partnership to tackle unfairness and ensure everyone has an equal chance to thrive.

Scope of role
The Head of Debt & Money Advice will oversee the delivery, performance, and development of all debt and money advice services delivered by Toynbee Hall, including debt advice, welfare benefits advice, and financial wellbeing services. This includes services delivered across community settings, prisons, hospitals, and mental health pathways.

The postholder will act as Toynbee Hall’s senior technical lead across financial advice, responsible for:

• Ensuring consistent technical standards across debt and welfare benefits advice
• Providing expert guidance on complex, high-risk, or escalated cases, including creditor challenges and complaints
• Supporting Advice Managers and Technical Supervisors in decision-making and case resolution

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Toynbee Hall’s integrated financial advice services, ensuring alignment between debt advice, welfare benefits advice, and financial wellbeing provision
• Lead and support Advice Managers, fostering collaboration, accountability, and professional development across multiple delivery areas
• Ensure all services meet FCA regulatory requirements and funder standards, maintaining high levels of technical quality and consistency across programmes
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex casework, creditor challenges, complaints, and high-risk decisions
• Lead on relationships with key funders, regulators, and system partners, including MaPS, Ministry of Justice, HMPPS, Insolvency Service, Macmillan, NHS Trusts, and delivery partners such as We Are Group
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Partnerships to ensure consistency of delivery, standards, and performance across partner organisations
• Work with the Head of Impact & Data to analyse service performance data and implement continuous improvement actions based on insight and learning
• Work with the Research & Policy team to contribute to policy development, service design, and innovation across financial advice services
• Represent Toynbee Hall in regional and national forums, working groups, and partnerships
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection, and equality legislation

Person Specification
The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Essential Criteria
Professional Experience and Expertise

• Significant experience (minimum 5 years) delivering and overseeing complex debt advice casework
• Strong working knowledge of welfare benefits advice and its integration with debt advice and financial wellbeing support
• Substantial experience in a senior leadership role within an advice service, managing multi-site or multi-programme delivery
• Strong understanding of FCA regulatory requirements, MaPS quality frameworks, and relevant legislation
• Experience of working within specialist delivery environments, such as criminal justice, health, or mental health settings

Stakeholder and Partnership Management

• Proven experience of leading relationships with, and reporting to, funders, regulators, and external stakeholders
• Experience working with organisations such as MaPS, Ministry of Justice, HMPPS, Insolvency Service, NHS partners, or equivalent

Strategic and Operational Skills

• Strong experience in service planning, performance management, and resource allocation within complex services
• Strong understanding of customer access models, including triage and referral pathways
• Technical Knowledge and Accreditation
• Level 4 accreditation in debt advice (e.g. CertMAP) or equivalent
• Up-to-date and in-depth knowledge of debt advice legislation, regulation, and best practice
• Strong working knowledge of welfare benefits advice at a specialist level, including experience of complex casework and the application of relevant legislation and guidance (e.g. CPAG Welfare Benefits Handbook)
• Understanding of the interaction between debt, welfare benefits, and income maximisation in supporting clients with complex financial needs

Communication and Leadership

• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presenting to senior stakeholders

Personal Attributes

• High level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability
• Strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion

Commitment

• Strong alignment with Toynbee Hall’s mission, strategy, and values
• Commitment to safeguarding, professional development, and continuous learning

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working within or alongside the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) framework
• Experience of working within criminal justice, health, or mental health service environments
• Experience contributing to policy development or influencing systemic change

Our Benefits

Annual Leave

• 25 days of annual leave, plus 3 additional days for our Christmas shutdown (on top of bank holidays)
• After 2 years: +3 extra days of leave
• After 3 years: +1 additional day
• After 5 years: A total of 30 days annual leave, plus the 3-day Christmas shutdown

Pension

• Standard Life Pension Scheme – Employer contribution: 4%, Employee contribution: 5%

Additional Perks & Support

• Enhanced Sick Pay for peace of mind during illness
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to support growing families
• Employee Eyecare Vouchers to support your vision health
• Employee Assistance Programme for free, confidential advice and support
• Mental Health First Aid to ensure workplace well-being
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme to help secure your home
• Interest-Free Season Ticket Loan for cost-effective commuting
• Cycle to Work Scheme to promote a healthier, greener way to travel
• Charity Mentoring Network to support professional development and networking
• Westfield Health Cash Plan to cover your healthcare needs specified in the Policy
• Perk Box
• Life Insurance

Please refer to the attached job description for more details.