Service Manager - Z House  

Job description and person specification

Contract type: Permanent, full time

Working hours: 37.5 hours per week over 5 days per week (Monday – Friday), with some evening, weekend and early morning working required. The role will also participate in an on-call rota, including occasional overnight incident response.

Starting salary range: Band E: £34,460 - £37,800 FTE, dependent on experience

Expected start date: ASAP

Reports to: Head of Support Services

Location: 3 Pritchard Street, Bristol, BS2 8RH, with regular presence at Z House and other locations as required. Some remote working may be possible, but this is primarily an in-person role.

Conditions:  Employment is on the condition of a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check (organised by us) and employment references.

Some of the benefits we offer:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with 3 years' service
• Flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced 5% pension contribution
• Company sick pay
• Individual learning & development budget
• Group Reflective Practice
   

Who we are

Caring in Bristol began in 1987 as ‘Caring at Christmas’ – a grassroots movement born from urgency, compassion, and community action. What started as a group of Bristolians opening doors to people facing homelessness at Christmas when all other services were shut down, has grown into a city-wide charity working all year round.
 

That activist heart still drives us. Every winter, our flagship Christmas project offers warmth, safety and dignity to hundreds, powered by an extraordinary team of volunteers. But our work doesn’t stop there...
 

Today, we focus on prevention, youth support and system change – tackling the root causes of homelessness with the same energy we bring to crisis intervention. We’re reaching people earlier, working alongside communities and partnering across the city to build lasting impact.
 

We remain an independent charity, powered by passionate staff and a commitment to trauma-informed work. This sets us apart, allowing us to have meaningful relationships with individuals, communities and other services, both VCSE and statutory.

Our vision: No one is homeless in our city.

Our mission: Uniting Bristol to end homelessness.

Our values
 

Tackling homelessness requires systemic and societal change. Person-centred support helps people achieve better outcomes. Evidence and learning guide better decisions. When communities have a voice and take action, we can build stronger futures together.

Curiosity guides us to listen and understand the context, community needs and political environment.

Creativity drives us to remain open-minded and tailor solutions with fresh thinking.

Collaboration is key; we build relationships to strengthen our mission.

Tenacity ensures that we pursue lasting change with determination and patience.

Job Summary

The Z House Service Manager will provide operational leadership for Z House, Caring in Bristol’s emergency accommodation service for young people aged 18–25 experiencing housing crisis.
 

You will be responsible for ensuring that Z House is a safe, welcoming, well-managed and psychologically informed service, where young people are treated with dignity and supported to move towards greater stability and appropriate longer-term accommodation.
 

You will lead the day-to-day operation of Z House, overseeing referrals and placements, safeguarding with support from our Safeguarding team and risk management, staff and volunteer practice, accommodation standards, partnership working and service development.
 

The role will combine operational management with a strong focus on relationships and practice. You will work closely with the young people using Z House, the wider Caring in Bristol team and partners across Bristol to ensure that the service responds effectively to individual needs while contributing to our wider ambition to prevent and reduce homelessness.
 

Reporting to the Head of Support Services, you will be part of the wider Support Services team and will contribute to the development of Caring in Bristol’s approach to accommodation, youth homelessness and early intervention.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of Z House, ensuring the service is safe, effective, welcoming and responsive to the needs of young people experiencing housing crisis.
• Manage the referral, assessment and placement process, making appropriate decisions about suitability and ensuring risks and support needs are identified and managed effectively.
• Oversee safeguarding practice within Z House, ensuring concerns are identified, responded to and escalated appropriately and in line with organisational procedures.
• Lead the development and implementation of effective operational systems, policies and procedures that support high-quality and consistent service delivery.
• Manage and support staff and volunteers involved in Z House, creating a positive, inclusive and reflective culture and ensuring people have the information, training and support they need to work safely and effectively.
• Ensure that Z House provides a clean, well-equipped, well-maintained and psychologically informed environment that promotes dignity, safety and wellbeing.
• Build strong relationships with referral partners and organisations across Bristol, ensuring young people can access appropriate specialist support and move towards suitable longer-term accommodation.
• Develop effective pathways with the wider Caring in Bristol support offer, ensuring Z House guests can access appropriate support around housing, independent living and other areas of need.
• Use data, feedback, lived experience and learning to monitor service quality, understand outcomes and continually improve Z House.
• Represent Z House and Caring in Bristol positively with partners, stakeholders and the wider community, contributing to the development and sustainability of the service.
• Budget responsibility Manage the Z House budget effectively, ensuring expenditure is appropriately monitored, controlled and managed within agreed financial parameters.

Personal Specification

We know brilliant candidates don’t always meet every requirement on a list. If you’re excited about this role and believe you can bring most of the skills, experience and qualities we’re looking for, we warmly encourage you to apply.

Essential

• Experience managing or coordinating a direct support service, project or operational area, with responsibility for safe and effective delivery.
• Experience working with young people and/or adults experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity or other forms of disadvantage.
• Experience assessing needs and risks and making appropriate decisions about suitability, support and safeguarding.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and the ability to identify, respond to and appropriately escalate safeguarding concerns.
• Experience supporting, supervising or managing staff, volunteers or frontline workers.
• Ability to remain calm and make sound, pragmatic decisions when responding to incidents, challenging situations or competing priorities.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to plan effectively, manage competing demands and maintain appropriate oversight of service delivery.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with people using services, colleagues and external partners.
• Experience working collaboratively with other organisations and agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
• Commitment to psychologically informed, trauma-responsive and person-centred approaches.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries while developing trusting and respectful relationships with people who may have experienced significant disadvantage or trauma.
• Experience maintaining accurate records and handling sensitive information appropriately.
• Ability to use data, feedback and learning to improve service delivery.
• A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and to treating people with dignity, fairness and respect.
• A commitment to Caring in Bristol’s vision, mission and values.

Desirable

• Experience managing an accommodation-based, supported housing, emergency accommodation or shelter service.
• Experience working specifically with young people aged 18–25.
• Knowledge of homelessness and housing services in Bristol.
• Experience managing volunteers within a frontline service.
• Experience developing or improving operational systems and procedures.
• Experience in partnership working with local authorities, housing providers or voluntary sector organisations.
• Relevant qualification or training in housing, homelessness, safeguarding, youth work, leadership or a related area.
• Lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Caring in Bristol believes strongly in equity and respect for every individual. We know there are some demographics under-represented in our workforce, and we are actively seeking ways to create accessible opportunities that expand the diversity of our staff and volunteers.

We welcome applications from everyone who meets the requirements of the Person Specification. Due to the nature of our work, we especially encourage applications from people with lived experience of homelessness.  

Caring in Bristol is an inclusive workplace that offers flexible working options wherever possible. We are committed to actively supporting the wellbeing of our staff and encourage a healthy work/life balance.

If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please do let us know in your application form or send any queries to recruitment@caringinbristol.org.uk.

How to apply

To apply, please submit a completed application form to recruitment@caringinbristol.org.uk with the subject line: Your Name –Service Manager – Z House.

Deadline for completed applications: 11 October 2026