Job Purpose:
Reporting to the Senior Manager of Operations and Finance, the Shelter Manager will play a pivotal role in nurturing and leading a compassionate and supportive team.
Responsible for achieving and maintaining high standards in delivering client-centered services, ensuring that staff, students, and volunteers perform and provide quality care to all clients. This position requires a kind and empathetic leader dedicated to promoting safety, offering advocacy, and developing therapeutic relationships and resources to support women and children affected by gender-based violence (GBV). The Shelter Manager will ensure all shelter reporting, quality assurance, and programming requirements are met with the utmost care and integrity.
A core responsibility of the Shelter Manager is to prioritize the safety of women and children, ensuring that services are delivered in a culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, and strength-based manner. This includes creating a safe and welcoming environment that respects and honors the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all clients and staff. The Shelter Manager holds the ability to work with compassion, to learn about issues of social justice, and to work within anti-racism and anti-oppression frameworks.
Exceptional skills in conflict resolution and de-escalation are crucial for this role. The Shelter Manager must be adept at managing and resolving conflicts calmly and effectively, ensuring a peaceful and supportive environment for both clients and staff. Their ability to deescalate tense situations with compassion and professionalism is essential to maintaining the safety and well-being of everyone at the shelter.
Working closely with the Executive Director and the Leadership Team, the Shelter Manager will align with the guidelines, policies, and mission of the Women’s Rural Resource Centre (WRRC).
This role demands accountability and responsibility for achieving organizational goals and completing specific projects, all while fostering a warm and welcoming environment for both clients and team members.
Supervision & Staffing
- Ensure a physically and emotionally safe environment in line with the agency’s policies, procedures, and practices, to ensure the safety and security of women, children, staff, and volunteers.
- Support the Transitional Housing and Support Program, the VAW Counsellor Program and the Child & Youth Program as it relates to shelter and client needs.
- Facilitate team meetings to include case management.
- Responsible for recruitment, selection, orientation, and training of new hires to effectively fulfill staffing needs for the shelter.
- Responsible for the development and implementation of the training and onboarding of all shelter staff, students, and volunteers.
- Review and update shelter practices which include intake, safety and risk assessments, case noting, and internal and external reporting requirements.
- Capture and report on all statistics that relate to shelter services.
- Manage the performance of shelter staff by maintaining communication systems that support teamwork and promote collaborative and intentional working relationships.
- Provide clinical supervision to staff to include performance evaluations, recommendation for staff training and development, goal setting opportunities for skill development, and the implementation of restorative actions as required.
- Facilitate staff debriefing as needed.
- Ensuring simple and effective shift change processes are implemented and monitored.
- Responsible for shelter schedules, timesheets, time off requests, grocery list, and supply inventory.
- Ensure that policies, procedures, and budget requirements are met.
- Represent WRRC with external requests as assigned by the leadership team.
- Other responsibilities and tasks as assigned.
Shelter Responsibilities
- Lead the development and implementation of routine programming.
- Create and maintain an environment that is culturally safe and welcoming for all women, children, and families, with particular emphasis on Indigenous communities and other marginalized groups.
- Establish daily and weekly priorities for shelter programs and case management ensuring program action plans and service delivery are in alignment with program objectives, strategic direction, and agency mission.
- Identify trends, risks, and opportunities in program and service delivery, bringing relevant information to the Leadership Team.
- Ability to multitask and prioritize in a 24/7 environment with multiple demands.
- Develop new initiatives and expand programs in response to emergent needs and populations to support WRRC’s strategic direction.
- Responsible for reviewing and maintaining budget for funds allocated to Shelter programs. Identifies cost reduction strategies and makes recommendations for allocation of resources. To be reviewed on a quarterly/annual basis with the Finance Manager.
- Provide input into the annual budget planning process to ensure adequate staffing and resources for service and program delivery.
- Assist with statistical reporting and data required for grant applications as requested.
- Assist in completing reports for funders.
- Monitor client database (W.I.S.H) and ensure accurate record keeping.
- Ensure that program activities operate within the policies and procedures of the organization.
- Manage and ensure the on-call team is working collaboratively and effectively.
- Provide backup client services as needed which includes the crisis phone line, intakes, emergency situations and on call.
- Facilitate quarterly relief staff meetings to ensure relief staff are informed and updated on changes, emerging trends, policies, and procedures.
- Other responsibilities and tasks as assigned.
Shelter Maintenance
- Responsible for prioritizing repairs and contractor communication when needed in shelter.
- In conjunction with the Senior Manager of Operations, ensuring shelter repair costs are formally approved and within WRRC’s annual budget before proceeding.
- Brings forward needs of building updates for budget planning.
- Ensures the shelter is being regularly cleaned and maintained.
- Maintain quality standards of the shelter environment and programming while adhering to the shelter standards set by the funder.
- Actively participate in ensuring maintenance of a safe and healthy work environment.
- Participate with and support the Joint Health and Safety Committee.
Community Collaboration
- Maintain good and intentional relationships with other service partners and community members.
- Participate in collaborative projects and partnerships.
- As delegated monthly, quarterly, or as assigned on designated committees.
- Attending groups or gatherings as directed.
Preferred Skills and Qualifications
- Experience in leadership; managing staff in a shelter setting.
- Excellent conflict resolution, problem solving and team building skills: ability to facilitate difficult conversations in a restorative manner.
- Sound knowledge of shelter services, the non-profit sector, government funded services and relevant community resources.
- Excellent time management skills with the ability to efficiently organize team`s work, set priorities to ensure the deadlines are met.
- Reporting on statistics and writing.
- Clinical supervision experience.
- Demonstrated women’s advocacy skills, strong case planning skills and effective child/women-centered practice delivery.
- Superior communication, listening, organizational and customer service skills.
- Strong people management skills and the ability to effectively manage, support and develop a diverse team of talented, professional staff.
- Excellent working knowledge of computer office technology and applications including Microsoft Office applications, WISH database, Payworks, etc.
- Self-aware and highly organized with strong administrative and budgeting skills.
Required Qualifications:
- A minimum of a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or honor’s BA in psych or equivalent is preferred. Social Service Worker (SSW) along with 5+ years of shelter management and leadership will be considered.
- 3 to 5 years of clinical experience with leadership knowledge and skills is preferred.
Job Requirements:
- Clear current Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC).
- Ability to work independently as well as within a team with minimal supervision.
- Valid driver’s license.
- CPR/ First Aid – Level C.
Working Conditions
The Shelter Manager typically works in an office environment; however, the position may require working in non-standard workplaces.
The Shelter Manager typically works a standard work week (37.5 hrs/wk) but may be required to work some evenings and weekend to support the on-call team or shelter staff.
Physical Requirements
This position will require routine supervisory duties including office work, attending off-site meetings, climbing stairs, lifting up to 25 pounds.
Direct Reports
Shelter team, on call team.
145 Beech Street, Strathroy, ON N7G 1K9
519-246-1526