Join SSJ as Head of Continual Improvement & Safeguarding, leading quality, safety and performance across a complex, multi-service organisation tackling homelessness across Hampshire.
The Society of St James is a long-established homelessness charity operating at scale across Hampshire, delivering a diverse range of housing, recovery and wellbeing services.
As we move into the next phase of our strategy, we are strengthening how we ensure quality, safety and consistency across our services. We are now seeking a Head of Continual Improvement & Safeguarding to lead this work across the organisation.
This is a senior leadership role with organisation-wide reach. Sitting at the intersection of safeguarding, governance, risk, performance and culture, you will play a central role in ensuring our services are safe, effective and continually improving.
You will work across a complex operational landscape, supporting managers in embedding strong practices while ensuring the organisation meets its regulatory, contractual and ethical responsibilities.
This role is not about compliance alone. It is about building organisational maturity by using data, insights and learning to strengthen how we deliver services and support people.
Who we are
The Society of St James is a Southampton-based homelessness charity supporting people across Hampshire to move towards safety, independence and wellbeing.
We work with individuals experiencing homelessness, problematic alcohol or substance use, mental-health challenges and long-term disadvantage.
Our services span supported accommodation, housing, recovery and community-based provision. This breadth brings both impact and complexity, requiring strong operational delivery alongside careful financial stewardship.
Today, SSJ is a sizeable and complex organisation with an annual income approaching £18m and a workforce of over 300. A significant proportion of our income is derived from government contracts and commissioned services, requiring careful oversight of financial risk, performance and compliance.
We believe everyone deserves somewhere safe to live and the opportunity to build a more stable future. As we look ahead, our focus is on strengthening our resilience to meet growing demand.
As Head of Continual Improvement & Safeguarding, you will lead the development and embedding of a culture where quality, safety and learning are visible, consistent and owned across the organisation.
This is a broad and influential role, bringing together safeguarding leadership, quality assurance, governance, performance and continuous improvement.
Working closely with the Executive Director of Services and senior colleagues, you will:
- Lead safeguarding practice across the organisation, ensuring compliance, oversight and learning from serious incidents, reviews and investigations.
- Develop and embed quality assurance frameworks to ensure services meet high standards and are audit-ready.
- Strengthen governance, risk and compliance processes across operational services.
- Implement performance frameworks and use data and insight to drive improvement and consistency.
- Support managers to take ownership of quality, performance and safeguarding within their services.
- Oversee organisational learning, ensuring insights from incidents, audits and data translate into tangible improvement.
- Contribute to contract monitoring, service development and future tender opportunities.
This role includes oversight of complex service areas and regulatory responsibilities where decisions directly impact service delivery, organisational risk and the people we support.
You will play a key role in ensuring SSJ continues to develop as a confident, accountable and high-performing organisation.
Who we are looking for
We are looking for a senior leader who combines strong safeguarding and regulatory expertise with the ability to drive improvement across complex services.
You will bring:
- Significant experience in safeguarding leadership within complex, regulated environments (e.g. homelessness, housing, health, social care or related sectors).
- Strong understanding of governance, risk and compliance frameworks.
- Experience in leading quality assurance and performance improvement across multiple services.
- Ability to use data and insight to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
- Experience in managing and influencing senior operational leaders.
- Confidence operating in environments involving serious incidents, reviews and regulatory scrutiny.
- Strong judgement, resilience and the ability to balance support with constructive challenge.
You will also:
- Be comfortable working across complexity, without defaulting to centralised control.
- Be able to build trust and influence across teams, enabling managers to take ownership of quality and performance.
- Bring a clear commitment to trauma-informed practice, co-production and anti-discriminatory approaches.
More than anything, you will be motivated to strengthen systems, culture and practice in ways that improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantages.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Clare Chesworth | clarec@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07904 158737
Welcome from the Chief Executive
Thank you for your interest in joining the Society of St James.
Our charity exists to end homelessness in Hampshire, person by person. The people we support have often experienced trauma, poverty and systems that have not worked for them. Our role is to provide consistent, respectful support that enables change over time.
We operate in a complex and demanding environment, delivering a wide range of services across Hampshire, supported by a workforce of over 300 staff and a diverse funding base, including significant government contracts and commissioned services.
As we continue to develop as an organisation, strengthening how we ensure quality, safety and consistency across our services is a key priority.
This role will play a central part in that. You will help ensure that safeguarding is strong, learning is embedded and that we are using data and insight to continually improve how we work.
You will work closely with the Executive Director of Services, the wider senior team and the Board, providing both assurance and constructive challenge.
We are looking for someone who shares our commitment to dignity, fairness and long-term impact and who wants to apply their expertise in a way that makes a meaningful difference.
If this resonates with you, we look forward to hearing from you.
Tania Marsh
Chief Executive
Society of St James
About the Society of St James
The Society of St James supports people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
We believe everyone has the right to a safe home, dignity and the opportunity to rebuild their life.
Founded in 1972, we began as a small volunteer-led initiative providing emergency accommodation. While our services have evolved significantly over the last 50 years, our core purpose remains the same: to stand alongside people as they navigate and overcome homelessness.
Today, SSJ is a complex, multi-service organisation delivering housing, recovery and wellbeing services across Hampshire. With annual income approaching £18m and a significant portfolio of commissioned services, we operate at scale within a challenging and evolving funding environment.
Our work is rooted in dignity, opportunity and a commitment to supporting people through complex and often non-linear journeys.
Our current organisational strategy focuses on:
- Ending homelessness across Hampshire
- Developing our People and Culture
- Ensuring financial stability and resilience
This role is central to delivering that strategy, ensuring strong governance, quality and safeguarding underpin everything we do.
Society of St James Annual Accounts 2024Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Society of St James—Head of Continual Improvement & Safeguarding” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Clare Chesworth | clarec@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07904 158737
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Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. TBC
Candidates informed of outcome: TBC
First stage interviews: TBC
Second stage interviews: TBC
We are in the process of confirming interview dates. Once confirmed, we will update the site and contact those who have applied.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
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