Housing Advice & Early Intervention Team Leader at London Borough of Lewisham

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

Are you ready to make a real difference in people’s lives? As Team Leader for Housing Advice & Early Intervention, you’ll guide a dedicated team delivering person-centred housing support, preventing homelessness before it begins. This is your chance to shape services, drive innovation, and be the first line of hope for vulnerable residents.

You will need to be able to demonstrate good written and verbal skills. To organise and prioritise your workload to ensure team performance targets are achieved. 

What’s the role?

You’ll lead a frontline team within Lewisham Council’s Housing Needs Division, acting as the first point of contact for residents seeking housing support. The role focuses on delivering person-centred advice, holistic assessments, and early interventions to prevent homelessness and reduce reliance on crisis services. You’ll manage up to eight staff, oversee service delivery, ensure compliance with housing legislation, and drive continuous improvement. This includes coordinating resources, supervising staff, responding to complex cases, and collaborating with internal and external partners to meet the borough’s housing needs.

What’s in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for a dynamic and knowledgeable leader with a deep understanding of housing legislation, particularly the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and safeguarding responsibilities in frontline services. You’ll bring proven experience in managing teams, driving service improvements, and delivering high-quality housing advice and early intervention. Strong analytical and communication skills are essential, along with the ability to assess complex housing needs, motivate staff, and respond effectively under pressure. If you're passionate about preventing homelessness and shaping responsive, person-centred services, this is your opportunity to lead meaningful change.

Location

The job is primarily based in Laurence House, Catford, London, SE6 4RU, but we operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

Special conditions

• The job is subject to a DBS check

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Fergus Downie -  [email protected] 

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£49,155 - £51,228 per annum (P03)

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email [email protected] and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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