Day Centre Manager

Day Centre Manager (Outreach & Community Services)

Southend-on-Sea

Competitive Salary

Full-time | 37 hours per week

The Opportunity

We’re recruiting on behalf of a well-established organisation in Southend-on-Sea seeking an experienced and passionate Day Centre Manager to lead both day centre and outreach services.

This is a senior leadership role responsible for delivering high-quality, person-centred support to individuals experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage. You will drive service performance, lead multidisciplinary teams, and ensure services are delivered in a safe, trauma-informed, and psychologically informed way.

Key Responsibilities

Service Leadership & Delivery

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across outreach and day centre services
• Ensure delivery of flexible, person-centred support to individuals at risk
• Oversee safe and effective day centre operations, creating a welcoming and supportive environment
• Embed trauma-informed and psychologically informed practices across services

Safeguarding & Case Management

• Oversee case management quality, including assessments, support plans, and risk management
• Lead on complex and high-risk cases, including multi-agency safeguarding responses
• Ensure robust incident management and continuous learning

Team Leadership

• Manage and support deputy managers and frontline teams
• Oversee staff performance, development, recruitment, and retention
• Promote a positive team culture focused on wellbeing, accountability, and continuous improvement

Outreach & Engagement

• Ensure outreach services are proactive, responsive, and intelligence-led
• Drive assertive engagement with individuals experiencing entrenched rough sleeping
• Support pathway progression through effective partnership working

Operational Oversight

• Lead the day-to-day running of centre-based services
• Ensure high standards of health & safety, hygiene, and compliance
• Oversee performance targets, data quality, and reporting

Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with external agencies and community partners
• Represent the service at multi-agency forums and meetings
• Work collaboratively to improve outcomes and reduce rough sleeping

Financial & Resource Management

• Oversee budgets and resource allocation
• Ensure compliance with financial procedures and controls

About You

Essential Experience

• Strong background in homelessness, outreach, or community-based support services
• Experience managing teams in complex, frontline environments
• Proven experience handling safeguarding, crisis intervention, and complex cases
• Experience working collaboratively with statutory and voluntary sector partners
• Track record of delivering services against KPIs and performance targets
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed approaches

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent leadership and people management skills
• Confident decision-maker in high-pressure situations
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement ability
• Organised, analytical, and performance-driven
• Calm, resilient, and solutions-focused
• Passionate about inclusion, dignity, and positive outcomes

Desirable

• Experience managing day centre services
• Knowledge of local outreach or homelessness pathways
• Full UK driving licence

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