Service Manager

Bristol, Bristol city of, United Kingdom

Job Description

Job Title: Service Manager

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £37,113.94 per annum

Working Hours: 37.5 Hours per week

Working Pattern: Monday – Friday

Location: Britton House, Bristol

About the role

You will be working from one of our supported services providing motivational leadership to empower and engage your team to deliver an outstanding service that puts customers first, with responsibility for the safe operational management of care and support services.

About you

• Experience of managing a team within a supported housing environment with a vulnerable and diverse group of customers
• Experience of working in challenging environments with the ability to plan, prioritise and organise tasks to achieve results
• Ability to listen and communicate clearly, encourage feedback and reflection, empower, motivate and gain improvements
• Confident and consistent conflict resolution skills and able to make decisions
• Experience of reviewing, monitoring and evaluating outcomes in the delivery of support services
• Competent IT skills, including using databases, producing reports and analysing key outcomes data to understand and drive service improvements

Why Riverside?

At Riverside we are a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve revitalised neighbourhoods and supported communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives. We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 25 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside

We are inclusive. Riverside values diversity in all its forms and fosters a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role, they will be guaranteed an interview. This role also falls under our Ethnic Diversity guaranteed interview scheme.

Role Profile

Leading and engaging a team

• Line‑manage a team and create a safe environment where colleagues can talk openly
• Work together to set expectations and performance targets
• Hold regular ‘one‑to‑one’ sessions to reflect on achievements, performance and support personal wellbeing
• Undertake six‑monthly performance reviews to support and guide colleagues
• Facilitate regular team meetings to update and empower your team to share ideas and best practice
• Embrace reflective practice techniques so the team can learn from their experiences
• Recognise, praise and acknowledge achievements of colleagues and the team
• Build effective partnerships with regional and other colleagues across Riverside

Leading a service

• Manage the service as per contractual requirements, reviewing contract performance annually to deliver excellent outcomes for customers
• Meet Riverside performance targets
• Participate in setting and managing service budgets, monitoring spend and reporting budget variances
• Resource, plan and deliver a colleague rota that covers all shifts effectively
• Recruit great people for your team, sourcing and engaging relief or agency workers as and when required
• Devise, plan and deliver comprehensive induction and continuous development plans for all colleagues
• Be responsible for cash handling, ordering goods, administration of monthly timesheets, and approving invoices
• Produce reports and written documentation as required to support contract delivery
• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation and other regulatory obligations, assessing risk and putting controls in place
• Work with customers and colleagues to deliver objectives within Riverside’s corporate plan
• Build positive relationships with key stakeholders through forums, task groups and networking events

Housing and income management

• Manage and report responsive repairs and liaise with contractors
• Monitor that welfare checks of customers’ rooms are being carried out
• Work in partnership with asset and compliance colleagues to ensure properties are safely managed
• Manage empty properties, ensuring they are referred to asset colleagues for void work and follow the void procedure
• Lead on hearing appeals, serve notice and end tenancies as per Riverside policy framework
• Manage an effective housing allocation and referral pathway into the service
• Manage rental income, ensuring team collects rent payments and minimises arrears
• Deliver a tenancy sustainment and advice service, maximising customers’ income through correct benefit claims and budget management

Supporting customers

• Lead your team to provide a person‑centred service aligned with a psychologically and trauma‑informed approach
• Promote high levels of customer consultation, communication and partnership working in all service delivery
• Ensure customers are supported to achieve ambitions through creative planning and flexible approaches
• Continuously develop relationships and networks with stakeholders to identify pathways for positive move‑ons
• Engage customers in the design and delivery of all aspects of the service, encouraging participation in internal audits
• Encourage multi‑disciplinary working to enhance service for customers
• Guide your team to record accurate customer information on Riverside and external digital platforms
• Enable customers to move towards self‑management of medication through adherence to processes
• Handle complaints and reports of anti‑social behaviour transparently, keeping customers updated and embedding continuous improvement

Other Duties

• Work flexibly to meet customer and business needs, including out‑of‑hour work and on‑call rota participation
• Undertake regular training and continuous development to deliver your role safely
• Use the Lone Worker system when necessary
• Ensure compliance with Riverside policies on health & safety, safeguarding, GDPR, cash handling, etc.
• Deliver your role in line with Riverside company values – “Our Riverside Way”
• Participate in team meetings, supervisions and reflective practice sessions
• May undertake additional duties in consultation with your Line Manager

Additional Information

• The role may require travel to other locations across the UK
• Exposure to sensitive information; confidentiality at all times is expected
• Flexible working during hours of operation is required
• Commitment to equal opportunities and promotion of non‑discriminatory practices

Person specification

Essential Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of working within a supported housing environment with a vulnerable and diverse group of customers
• Ability to plan, prioritise and organise tasks in challenging environments
• Team‑player with a caring, empathic, supportive and resilient attitude
• Strong listening and communication skills, encouraging feedback and reflection, empowerment, motivation and improvement
• Conflict resolution skills and confidence in decision‑making
• Experience of reviewing, monitoring and evaluating outcomes in support service delivery
• Competent IT skills, including databases, report production and data analysis to drive improvements

Desirable

• Experience of managing and developing a small team
• Financial experience or previous budgetary responsibility
• Previous experience of managing contracts, achieving KPIs and managing compliance
• Recognised formal care, support or housing qualification

About Us

Riverside is one of the UK’s leading not‑for‑profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.

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