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Head of Community Services
| Posting date: | 24 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £41,700 to £46,850 per year, pro rata |
| Additional salary information: | 5% pension employee contribution, various benefits |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 17 November 2025 |
| Location: | 82 Russia Lane, E2. Marie Lloyd Centre, E8. Merchant Street Hub, E3. 655 Barking Road, E13. |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 1 day per week |
| Company: | Age UK East London |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
The Head of Community will work with the Director of Services on strategic and operational planning and provide operational leadership for the range of Community services delivered by Age UK East London.
The purpose of this role is to:
• Take responsibility for the delivery of Age UK East London’s Community Service
offer, ensuring its delivery requirements are met and we are responsive to new
opportunities.
• Ensure that older people who are supported by the Community team also benefit
from the range of AUKEL services and those provided by other local partners.
• Be an active member of our SLT, working with senior leaders across AUKEL,
contributing your experience and expertise to problem solve, spot and develop
opportunities as well as make an impact on our overall organisational development
journey.
• Build responsive and accountable relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
including commissioners, partner providers, senior health and social care professionals.
• Motivate and inspire a frontline staff and volunteer team, using excellent
communication skills and a strong understanding of key issues affecting older
people.
• Ensure the services are meeting all KPI’s for quality and delivery, overseeing data
management and analysis to ensure compliance and insight that supports future
development and demonstration of impact, taking a continuous improvement
approach.
• Ensure service staffing and delivery arrangements are optimal, including by assessing which services need allocated staff and which would be better delivered by a central team.
Key Tasks
Coordination and Management of service
• Line manage service managers and coordinators, and oversee the good management of all service staff.
• Ensure services are delivered in line with contractual requirements
• Work with other senior managers, ensuring good joined up internal referral pathways, clear communication and joint-working where possible
• Ensure the team is fully conversant with the organisation’s CRM and that this is used effectively to record and manage casework and evidence of outcomes and impact of the service
• Ensure the team is knowledgeable about the local service offers and are effective in
referring and signposting clients to other relevant services
• Complete and maintain relevant risk assessments.
• Ensure there is cover for gaps in service delivery (e.g. due to A/L or sickness).
• Support team members to supervise volunteers effectively
• Support implementation of any organisation-wide operational changes
Quality and Insight
• Produce quarterly KPI monitoring and evaluation reports for each contract as required to include data, case studies and insight on service delivery and opportunities
• Produce quarterly insight to the Board of Trustees at committee level.
• Monitor compliance in record keeping around key areas
General
• Develop and nurture supportive and collaborative relationships with local community,
voluntary and faith partners.
• Identify, explore and develop new opportunities that address the needs of local older
people.
• Lead the development and delivery of current and future commissioned community
services in AUKEL.
• Work with senior colleagues to conduct ongoing ‘horizon scanning’ of changes in national and local priorities and approaches to services, to maximise opportunities and identify upcoming challenges for older people
• Work with local partners to share best practice and develop opportunities to work
together
• Develop strategic relationships in the local health and social care system, to gain insights and inroads to future opportunities and build service reputation and influence.
• Continuously gain feedback from the team in considering how the service can develop further, for example around reach, client journey and other areas.
Leadership and management
• Engage, motivate and inspire the team
• Evaluate and manage overall team and individual performance and wellbeing
• Run regular team meetings with content that promotes team cohesion as well as being informative and operationally useful
• Ensure communication and training of the team is in line with contractual requirements and AUKEL policies
• Encourage and provide opportunity for sharing of knowledge within the team and between colleagues within AUKEL
• Take a person-centred approach to line management responsibilities
Person Specification
Research shows that while middle class white men tend to apply for job when they meet around 60% of the criteria, women, people from the global majority, and people from other marginalised groups that encounter systematic discrimination tend to apply only when they meet all criteria. So, if you think you have what it takes, but don’t meet every single aspect of the job description, please still apply!
Experience
• Of operational service management within community based setting within the
statutory, voluntary or private sector
• Of working with data to monitor outputs, outcomes and reach.
• Of carrying out programme evaluation and report writing.
The purpose of this role is to:
• Take responsibility for the delivery of Age UK East London’s Community Service
offer, ensuring its delivery requirements are met and we are responsive to new
opportunities.
• Ensure that older people who are supported by the Community team also benefit
from the range of AUKEL services and those provided by other local partners.
• Be an active member of our SLT, working with senior leaders across AUKEL,
contributing your experience and expertise to problem solve, spot and develop
opportunities as well as make an impact on our overall organisational development
journey.
• Build responsive and accountable relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
including commissioners, partner providers, senior health and social care professionals.
• Motivate and inspire a frontline staff and volunteer team, using excellent
communication skills and a strong understanding of key issues affecting older
people.
• Ensure the services are meeting all KPI’s for quality and delivery, overseeing data
management and analysis to ensure compliance and insight that supports future
development and demonstration of impact, taking a continuous improvement
approach.
• Ensure service staffing and delivery arrangements are optimal, including by assessing which services need allocated staff and which would be better delivered by a central team.
Key Tasks
Coordination and Management of service
• Line manage service managers and coordinators, and oversee the good management of all service staff.
• Ensure services are delivered in line with contractual requirements
• Work with other senior managers, ensuring good joined up internal referral pathways, clear communication and joint-working where possible
• Ensure the team is fully conversant with the organisation’s CRM and that this is used effectively to record and manage casework and evidence of outcomes and impact of the service
• Ensure the team is knowledgeable about the local service offers and are effective in
referring and signposting clients to other relevant services
• Complete and maintain relevant risk assessments.
• Ensure there is cover for gaps in service delivery (e.g. due to A/L or sickness).
• Support team members to supervise volunteers effectively
• Support implementation of any organisation-wide operational changes
Quality and Insight
• Produce quarterly KPI monitoring and evaluation reports for each contract as required to include data, case studies and insight on service delivery and opportunities
• Produce quarterly insight to the Board of Trustees at committee level.
• Monitor compliance in record keeping around key areas
General
• Develop and nurture supportive and collaborative relationships with local community,
voluntary and faith partners.
• Identify, explore and develop new opportunities that address the needs of local older
people.
• Lead the development and delivery of current and future commissioned community
services in AUKEL.
• Work with senior colleagues to conduct ongoing ‘horizon scanning’ of changes in national and local priorities and approaches to services, to maximise opportunities and identify upcoming challenges for older people
• Work with local partners to share best practice and develop opportunities to work
together
• Develop strategic relationships in the local health and social care system, to gain insights and inroads to future opportunities and build service reputation and influence.
• Continuously gain feedback from the team in considering how the service can develop further, for example around reach, client journey and other areas.
Leadership and management
• Engage, motivate and inspire the team
• Evaluate and manage overall team and individual performance and wellbeing
• Run regular team meetings with content that promotes team cohesion as well as being informative and operationally useful
• Ensure communication and training of the team is in line with contractual requirements and AUKEL policies
• Encourage and provide opportunity for sharing of knowledge within the team and between colleagues within AUKEL
• Take a person-centred approach to line management responsibilities
Person Specification
Research shows that while middle class white men tend to apply for job when they meet around 60% of the criteria, women, people from the global majority, and people from other marginalised groups that encounter systematic discrimination tend to apply only when they meet all criteria. So, if you think you have what it takes, but don’t meet every single aspect of the job description, please still apply!
Experience
• Of operational service management within community based setting within the
statutory, voluntary or private sector
• Of working with data to monitor outputs, outcomes and reach.
• Of carrying out programme evaluation and report writing.