Chief Executive Officer

RESTART Lives is a London homelessness charity supporting homeless people (our guests) to break the cycle of homelessness and move towards independent living, feeling more empowered, confident and resilient. 

Now, with the departure of the current CEO, the Board of trustees is seeking the organisation’s next CEO to lead the charity through the next stage of its development.

Job location:

RESTART LIVES is a pan-London, small homeless charity with an office hub in Shoreditch, London E1 and projects delivered at St. Columba’s Church, Knightsbridge, London and across London more broadly. The CEO is expected to work across the organisation’s footprint.
 

About RESTART LIVES:
The charity’s aim is to support people overcoming the challenges of life on the streets by assisting them to secure accommodation, find employment and/or volunteering, improve social relationships, mental health and well-being. Many of its guests have come from, or are currently living in, vulnerable situations (including sleeping on the street or in temporary accommodation).

For many people who are homeless, long-term, sustainable employment is essential if they are to lead fulfilling, independent lives. We work collaboratively and strategically with other organisations to deliver effective impact and dynamic change.

RESTART is building a reputation locally as an organisation that takes a more individual, “person-centred” approach to its relationships and builds trust with guests experiencing homelessness. Addressing mental health issues and wellbeing are at the heart of what it offers, with free access to counselling, mentors and befriending services.

This approach has seen demand for its support services increase sharply, in response to its innovative new ways of meeting the needs of London’s homeless communities.

The Trustees have recently restated RESTART’s purpose and objectives and are looking for a CEO who will be able to translate those into successfully delivered programmes.
 

Main purpose of post

• To promote the mission, aims, values and objectives of the Charity and deliver our programmes.

• To be directly responsible for specific agreed areas of the charity’s operations and to oversee and ensure the success of all operations.

• To be accountable to the Trustees for the Charity’s affairs.

• To advise the Trustees on the strategic direction of the organisation and to implement Board decisions.

• To assist with charity fundraising.

 

Principal tasks and responsibilities

• To support the Trustees in developing the Charity’s strategic plans in consultation with staff, volunteers and guests.

• To deliver the Charity's programmes effectively and efficiently.

• To work with the Trustees to develop and deliver successful fundraising programmes and build income streams and reserves.

• To develop and implement operational plans and policies and deliver some of them in person, as well as managing staff and volunteers to do so

• To develop the Charity’s public profile, influence key stakeholders and develop or maintain good relationships with other charities and private sector agencies, as well as with guests, volunteers and the general public.

• To keep up to date with new developments in the field of homelessness and employment and ensure that the organisation can respond rapidly to them.

• To manage and develop RESTART’s staff in accordance with its values, ensuring they are motivated and focused.

• To ensure that the Charity’s policies and practices are up to date, relevant and fair in the current environment and that the Charity is managed in line with current best practice.

 

Managerial

• To work with the Trustees to ensure that the Charity’s mission is delivered, statutory and regulatory duties are observed and that strategic and operational objectives are implemented in a timely, clear and relevant way.

• To provide the Trustees with timely, relevant and transparent information.

• To support the Chair in further developing the Board and its role.

• To ensure that the staff structure and accountabilities develop so that all members of staff understand their key role and their accountability to the Trustees.

• To formulate the annual budget for trustee approval, to ensure that quarterly financial management information is provided to the Board, to monitor performance against budget and to take necessary corrective action.

• To manage the staff effectively, providing supervision, support, development and to undertake annual appraisals for all staff.

• To ensure that a risk management policy is in place and that the risk register is maintained and reviewed.

• To ensure an effective complaints system, dealing personally with initial complaints and referring to the designated Trustee where further investigation is required.

• To ensure compliance with employment and equality legislation and accepted good practice.

• To liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (Trustee) regarding safeguarding policy and practice.

• To review and extend the Charity’s existing policies and procedures regularly for compliance with relevant regulation and update them as necessary.

Communication/Ambassadorial

• To be the principal spokesperson for the Charity in all media including face to face opportunities with all stakeholders in order to promote the Charity’s mission and programmes.

• To ensure that the Charity communicates its messages clearly and persuasively through its written work, website and social media platforms.

• To develop and build relationships with key partners in the sector as a model for sourcing additional guests for our programmes and/or delivering some of our programmes in collaboration with partners to broaden the programmes RESTART and our partners can deliver. 

Fundraising

• To lead the Charity’s fundraising and promote the Charity to funders and the general public in order to secure the funding required to support the Charity and build up its reserves.

General

• To maintain the required level of confidentiality.

• To ensure that all staff, guests, partners and volunteers are respected and valued.

• To uphold the commitment of the organisation to equality and diversity.

• To undertake any other duties as required by the Trustees.

This job description is not contractual and is liable to change over time 

Person Specification:
 

Experience 

Minimum of three years professional experience in any relevant sector

Knowledge 

Expert knowledge of issues surrounding homelessness and / or employment of vulnerable adults

A good understanding of the implications of working with current and former homeless people or with vulnerable adults more generally

A good understanding of health, housing, employment and social care systems in UK

A good understanding of the issues facing charities in the current market

A good understanding and experience of charitable fundraising

 

Skills 

A person / service /customer centred approach

A track record of successful interventions with homeless and/or vulnerable people

Strong communications skills across all media, conferences, meetings and one to ones 

Strong people management skills and knowledge of HR practice and ability to motivate staff

Outstanding time management and prioritisation skills

 

Personal Qualities 

Ability to motivate a team and defuse problems quickly 

Ability to lead by example

Emotional intelligence, resilience and initiative

Empathy with the Charity’s aims and objectives and a commitment to equality and diversity

Efficient and reliable working practices

Methodical and thorough

Self-motivated, innovative, pro-active, excellent communicator and target driven