Please read before applying:

To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and statement of suitability. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and statement of suitability. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

If you experience technical issues during the application process we have found using a different browser or device in the first instance can be a quick fix.

If those don't work please email scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk with your application and/or CV before the submission deadline. Any applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

Short Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to lead reform in a demanding area of social policy, working directly to the Deputy Prime Minister on a Manifesto commitment. The postholder oversees policy development and delivery of programmes, as well assuming a high profile and visible leadership role with colleagues in central government, local authorities and homelessness charities.

Job Description

Homelessness has risen sharply in recent years. Over 100,000 households are now living in temporary accommodation and levels of rough sleeping are rising. The Government has set out an ambitious commitment to develop a new cross-government, long-term strategy to get back on track to ending homelessness as part of its manifesto, working with Mayors and Councils across the country. A new inter-ministerial group chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister will oversee the development of the strategy.  ​ ​

As the Director for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, you will shape the Government's approach to this critical strategy. You will be leading a highly-motivated, skilled and collaborative team. You will be expected to lead across systems and have the energy and drive to deliver ambitious outcomes. ​

​In delivery terms, you will be the SRO for delivering the government’s existing funding 2022-2025 programme (£2bn revenue and capital over 3 years of the current spending review) and the future programme. You will ensure that you maintain track of delivery, manage risks and deliver good value for money. The Director is also responsible for stewardship of the statutory homelessness framework, updating this where necessary to take account of policy or legal developments, and holding councils to account for delivering their statutory duties​. You will lead a shared government programme to improve outcomes for adults experiencing multiple disadvantage, working closely with other departments – including combinations of homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse and contact with the criminal justice system – and developing future policy direction on multiple disadvantage.

Key accountabilities

The Director is responsible for:​

• Leading the development and delivery of a new cross-government, long-term strategy to get back on track to end homelessness, driving the agenda for the Deputy Prime Minister and overseeing the Inter Ministerial Group.

• Providing overarching leadership on issues of homelessness, rough sleeping and multiple disadvantage across Government. Connect this work to broader cross-government priorities including work on prevention and missions – including growth, safer streets, child poverty and opportunity.

• Leading and inspiring a close-knit, highly-motivated and high-performing policy, strategy and delivery team to give a quality service to ministers, including policy advice, programme delivery and leading complex stakeholder relationships.​ ​​

• Being a visible leader and key collaborator on this agenda with external stakeholders, colleagues within MHCLG and other departments. Able to front up the work at a very senior level, building relationships to constructively to solve issues together, and offering effective challenge. ​ ​

• Maintaining the statutory homelessness framework, updating legislation as required and holding local authorities to account for delivery. ​​ ​

• Delivering the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Programme on track, to time and budget.​ ​ ​

• Contributing to the leadership of MHCLG as part of the Departmental Leadership Team, acting as a visible leadership presence and role model for colleagues across the Department.

Person specification

This is a high profile and demanding Director role at the heart of the Department’s priorities. It is a huge opportunity for the right person to set the direction on this set of policy issues at the start of a new Parliament and make a real difference to thousands of lives.

To be successful, you will need to be able to work at pace, think strategically and operationally, engage in intellectually stimulating complex policy problem solving, and to work sensitively with key partners across central government, local government, business and the voluntary sector.

You will be a confident systems leader, able to collaborate and influence across boundaries, navigate conflicting views and handle a broad range of complex policy issues with significant stakeholder interests. You will be able to use your judgement, creativity and political awareness to make effective decisions in a complex and dynamic environment, drawing in outside expertise as needed to develop your advice.

You will need to be able to engage effectively across departmental boundaries at a senior level, using your excellent communication skills to engage, influence and form strong working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders at all levels, internally and externally. You will need to be credible at senior levels, including with a wide range of Ministers, senior central government officials, local councils, and other stakeholders.

You will be responsible for a significant delivery programme, using a range of levers including funding and targets, personal and organisational influence, to achieve the Government’s outcomes.

You will be an outstanding, visible leader, able to engage a motivated team working under pressure and inspire and guide a range of teams to achieve the Government’s ambitions. As a senior leader in the Civil Service, you will also have a strong commitment to the Civil Service values of impartiality, honesty, integrity and objectivity.

We actively encourage individuals from across local government, the wider public sector and voluntary sector to apply for this opportunity as well as existing civil servants.

Essential Criteria​

• An inspiring, confident and empowering leader who can set strategic direction, lead effectively through ambiguity and get the best out of a diverse workforce through promoting an inclusive, high-performance culture and valuing a range of professional skills.​

• Significant experience of strategic policy thinking and systems leadership, with an ability to use judgement, evidence, creativity and political awareness to make effective decisions in a complex environment.

• A track record of driving successful delivery at pace, including the ability to manage strategic and operational risks effectively and adapt to changing situations.​

• The ability to engage, influence and optimise strong working relationships with stakeholders at all levels across a diverse range of sectors, working in partnership and delivering through others to achieve positive outcomes.​

A record of working effectively with Ministers, or similar equivalent senior stakeholders at Board level, and the judgement to handle sensitive and political issues confidently.

Desireable Criteria:

• A good understanding of and/or experience in the housing sector, voluntary and community sector or relevant social policy issues.

How to apply

Please click the Be Applied link to provide the required information and complete your application through the Be Applied website by 23:55 on Sunday 5 January 2025.

You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​

When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of:

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and your relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. ​ 

• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification. (max. 2 pages)​ 

Please remember to save these two items in one document. Both items will be assessed to determine sift outcomes.  

Failure to submit both a CV and statement of suitability will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the Essential Criteria. 

Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied. 

The hiring manager, Catherine Fances, would be happy to have informal discussions with candidates who would like further information about the role before submitting an application. If interested, please contact scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk  

The selection panel will be made up of: 

• Christopher Pilgrim, Civil Service Commissioner and chair​

• Catherine Frances, MHCLG Director General and hiring manager​

• Joanna Key, MHCLG Director General

Additionally, the panel will be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion. 

Selection process and assessments

During sifting, both your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the role’s Essential Criteria. These Essential Criteria will also be used to form the basis of the panel’s questions in your final interview.

If a role lists Desirable Criteria, these will only be used to determine the merit order of candidates who rank evenly when assessed against the Essential Criteria.

Candidates that are shortlisted may be invited to attend a staff engagement panel.  

At MHCLG we hold staff engagement panels as an integral part of the recruitment process for Senior Civil Servants (SCS) – they are designed to help us build up a rounded picture of each candidate and give us an insight into how you might engage and interact with your team should you be successful. The purpose of the session is to help us assess your engagement and communication skills and is not about testing your subject knowledge or expertise for this particular role. Feedback from the session is passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to a meeting with a Minister or the Deputy PM, and/or other senior stakeholders. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview.  

All of the evidence presented as part of the process will be considered in the final assessment. 

Location 

This role is available in one of the locations listed below. During the application process you will be asked to express a location preference, from the advertised locations. Any offer made will be based on that specific location. ​ 

• London

• Wolverhampton

• Darlington

• Leeds

• Manchester

• Bristol 

Salary 

For external appointments, remuneration for this role will be £98,000 pa plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension.​

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for Director.

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.

Reserve List  

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this.

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Near Miss Offers​ 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

Security Clearance 

All DLUHC colleagues must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

In addition to the BPSS, the level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC) and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

Complaints Process 

Please see candidate pack slide 23 for details.