Operations and business development director social care jobs

As Service Manager, you will lead Visiting Housing Support services in South West Edinburgh. 

You’ll lead a team of eight staff and support people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or in unsuitable accommodation. The support will focus on empowering people to sustain their tenancies and live well in stable housing. 

You’ll be managed by the Head of Services and work within a peer group of 7 other managers across the organisation. This service is delivered in partnership with Right There and you’ll work with colleagues across the partnership, sharing a responsibility to develop and embed our partnership approach. 

Overview 

This service is commissioned by City of Edinburgh Council and is in year 2 of a 10 year contract. Your team will support 300-400 people each year through phone support, direct meetings in people’s homes, running drop in sessions and visiting shared houses and other temporary accommodation. Your team will help people understand how to bid for housing; help them access benefits; signpost services to help them with additional concerns including mental health support; and, when the time comes, your team will support them to set up their tenancy in a sustainable way. 

Responsibilities 

Your responsibilities are in four parts: 

• Leading a team 
• Delivering the service 
• Partnership working 
• Upholding the values and culture

Leading a team 

You will lead and line manage a team of eight practitioners and administrative support creating a high-performing, values-led culture where staff feel motivated, supported, and clear in their roles.

• You will take a lead role in the recruitment, onboarding and induction of new staff, ensuring they are equipped and confident from the outset.
• You will provide constructive feedback in real time as well as supporting staff through performance conversations, annual appraisals, and coaching. And, you’ll build a resilient team that can manage complexity, deliver high-quality support, and respond appropriately to safeguarding and risk. 
• You will recommend and organise training for your team and for individuals. 
• You will be a conduit for organisational wide information, ensuing staff feel supported and understand the bigger picture
• Hold registration / You will maintain required professional registration in line with SSSC requirements.
• You will participate in the on-call rota, responding to incidents and providing out-of-hours guidance and decision-making 

Delivering the service 

You are responsible for all aspects of service delivery, from referral to sign off and everything in between. 

• You will generate referrals and oversee the referrals we receive, ensuring they are appropriate for our service and allocated on the basis of need and capacity. Through regular case reviews and audits, you will ensure practice is trauma informed and focused on outcomes. 
• You will lead on compliance and reporting, using internal and external systems to track performance and report on contractual requirements. You will use our case management system In-Form to ensure accurate, up-to-date recording that clearly evidences support, progress, and outcomes.
• You will manage a budget for expenses, training and project costs.
• You will ensure compliance with Care Inspectorate and SSSC standards, maintaining strong casework quality, accurate recording, and effective reporting across the service. 
• You will be the lead on safeguarding and managing risk, supporting staff to manage complex situations safely, with appropriate escalation and shared responsibility. 
• You will use data and learning to strengthen performance, drive improvements, and embed a consistent, high-quality approach across the service. 
• You will identify funding opportunities and support the development of funding applications 

Partnership working 

Partnership working is key to the success of this role and this service. You’ll play a key role in developing partnerships and continuously improving the service—working closely service providers in the local area, the local authority and other stakeholder to strengthen collaboration, identify opportunities to provide support, and drive better outcomes for the people facing homelessness. 

The key partnership however, is the relationship with Right There.

Four Square work with Right There to deliver visiting housing support in the West of the city. Right There are the lead partner and provide the service in the North West, while Four Square operate in the South West. We share some resources and benefit from the support and guidance of a Locality manager based in Right There. This is year two of a ten-year partnership and you will work with colleagues in Four Square and Right There to enhance the partnership and reap the benefits of cross organisation working. 

Three of your team are employed by Right There and you’ll work to ensure seamless management of these staff. You’ll also lead and participate in joint training as well as reporting performance into the partnership. 
 

Upholding our values and culture 

Our values are the essence of what we do. As well as delivering a service, as a leader, you are expected to use our values to elevate the service you manage. This means that you demonstrate ambition, empowerment, integrity and respect in all that you do. And, that you use these values to ensure the service is innovating, responsive and truly has an impact on people experiencing homelessness.

Alongside our values, Four Square promotes a culture based on trust, leadership and curiosity. It’s important that, as a leader, you role model these behaviours, including: 

• Trust – starting from the belief that everyone has good intentions 
• Leadership – supporting everyone to lead by what they say and do 
• Curiosity – encouraging everyone to be interested in what we do and why 

Shared accountabilities 

Alongside other managers, you will: 

• Ensure compliance with legislation and standards
• Contribute to organisational performance and reporting
• Support organisational learning and improvement
• Be visible, accessible, and engaged across services 

Person Specification  

Skills, Values and Attributes 

• Ambitious for people experiencing homelessness; empowers better futures
• Values-led leader who motivates, challenges and supports staff
• Confident managing complexity, risk and safeguarding
• Committed to high standards, quality and continuous improvement
• Acts with integrity and respect
• Builds strong relationships with people, staff and partners
• Clear communicator who gives direction and holds accountability
• Organised and able to prioritise competing demands
• Confident decision-maker in complex, high-risk and multi-agency contexts
• Strong coordination skills across systems, deadlines and priorities
• Understanding of homelessness

Qualifications and Experience 

• SVQ Level 4 (or working towards), or SVQ Level 3 meeting SSSC requirements
• Membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme.
• Relevant qualification in Housing, Social Care or related field (desirable)
• Experience managing or supervising staff, including performance conversations
• Experience supporting people with homelessness or complex needs
• Strong knowledge of risk, safeguarding and trauma-informed practice
• Confident using case management/reporting systems (e.g. In-Form, ECCO)
• Experience of multi-agency and partnership working
• Experience overseeing complex casework
• Experience in service development and inspection readiness

On-Call Requirements 

• Will participate in an on-call rota covering one week in four and annual leave cover when required, including evenings, weekends and occasional overnight cover
• Able to respond to incidents, provide guidance and make decisions in a timely manner while on-call
• Flexible and responsive to the needs of the service

The person will: 

• Attend and participate in Monthly reflective practice groups.
• Attend, prepare for Quality Assurance Meeting
• Attend Quarterly Care Inspectorate service self-Assessment Meetings 
• Facilitate Monthly meetings with staff teams, recording meeting minutes and uploading documentation. 

Download the job pack to find out more about the role.

Key Dates:

• Closing date: 15.05.2026 
• Shortlisting complete: 20.05.2026 
• Interview invites issued:21.05.2026 
• Interview dates: Tuesday 26.05.26 and Wednesday 27.05.26