Service Manager (Registered Service Manager – London Accommodation Pathfinder)
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £50,000
Closing Date: Tuesday 30th June 2026
Interviews: W/C 6th July 2026
Centrepoint, the UK's leading youth homelessness charity, is looking for a Service Manager (Registered Service Manager) to lead our innovative London Accommodation Pathfinder (LAP) service in London.
About us
We help vulnerable young people by providing the practical and emotional support they need to secure housing, access education and employment opportunities, and build independent lives. Together with our partners, we support over 16,000 young people every year and are working towards our ambition of ending youth homelessness by 2037.
About the service
The London Accommodation Pathfinder (LAP) is an exciting pan-London pilot developed in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and key youth justice stakeholders. The service has been designed to address the overrepresentation of racially minoritised young people in custody by providing a community-based alternative to custody for 16 and 17-year-olds.
Supporting up to five young people at any one time, the service delivers intensive, trauma-informed support that promotes positive outcomes, reduces risk and helps young people build brighter futures. This is an opportunity to be part of a pioneering programme that has the potential to influence wider system change across youth justice and accommodation services.
About the role
As Service Manager, you will hold Registered Service Manager responsibilities for this specialist Ofsted-regulated service. You will provide visible leadership, oversee day-to-day operations, manage and develop a multidisciplinary team, and ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality support for young people.
You'll work closely with Youth Justice Services, Local Authorities, courts, the Ministry of Justice and a range of specialist partners to ensure young people receive coordinated support that helps them achieve positive outcomes and reduce their involvement in the criminal justice system.
What you'll be doing
- Leading the day-to-day delivery of a specialist supported accommodation service.
- Managing, developing and motivating a multidisciplinary staff team.
- Holding Registered Service Manager responsibilities and maintaining Ofsted registration.
- Ensuring compliance with Supported Accommodation Regulations 2023 and maintaining inspection readiness.
- Leading safeguarding practice, risk management and incident response within the service.
- Overseeing referrals, placements and case management to ensure young people receive appropriate support.
- Embedding trauma-informed, psychologically informed and restorative approaches across the service.
- Building strong partnerships with Youth Justice Services, Local Authorities, commissioners and other statutory agencies.
- Managing service performance, occupancy levels and budgets.
- Driving continuous improvement through quality assurance, audits and service development activities.
About you
We're looking for a passionate and experienced leader who can create positive outcomes for young people facing significant challenges.
You will have:
- Experience managing services supporting children or young people with complex needs, trauma, offending histories or high-risk behaviours.
- Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation and practice relating to children and young people.
- Experience working within youth justice services, alternatives to custody, resettlement or related statutory environments.
- Proven leadership experience within complex, high-risk settings.
- The ability to lead and develop high-performing teams delivering person-centred support.
- Excellent partnership-building skills and experience working across multi-agency environments.
- Strong decision-making, risk management and problem-solving abilities.
- Experience embedding trauma-informed and restorative approaches into practice.
- Excellent communication, report-writing and stakeholder management skills.
- A commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and improving outcomes for racially minoritised young people.
- A Level 5 Leadership and Management qualification, or willingness to work towards one.
Why join Centrepoint?
In return for your efforts you'll receive a competitive salary, excellent training and development opportunities, and a host of staff benefits including:
- 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days with service
- Healthcare cash plan
- Private medical insurance
- Income protection
- Employer pension contributions of 5%
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Interest-free season ticket loan
At Centrepoint we challenge the discrimination within society that contributes to youth homelessness, and we are equally committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.
We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
Please note: This is an Ofsted-regulated role. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check and complete all safer recruitment and regulatory checks required for working within regulated services.
Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to join Centrepoint as our Service Manager (Registered Service Manager – LAP). Apply now!
