At Concrete, we believe in supporting not just our customers but our people too. Steph’s story is a powerful example of how a career in homelessness support can be both personally fulfilling and professionally rewarding.
From first steps to leadership
Steph has been part of the Concrete family for 2 years, but her dedication to supporting vulnerable communities spans nearly 25 years. Her journey began at Gingerbread, a local support provider, where she started as a Night Project Worker. Over time, she rose through the ranks to become an Operations Manager, showing a passion for creating real change in people’s lives.
Despite her success, Steph found herself seeking something new. “I needed a new challenge,” she shared. “Seeing families be broken up was emotionally difficult, and I had reached a point where there was no room left to grow.” It was this desire for purpose and progression that led her to Concrete.
A new chapter: The SPHERE Service
Steph joined Concrete as the SPHERE Manager just as we were launching this groundbreaking new service. SPHERE (Supporting People through Harm Reduction and Engagement) is designed specifically to help individuals using psychoactive substances, often referred to as monkey dust, who are some of the most marginalised in society.
The SPHERE service takes a Housing First approach. This means we provide people with a stable home as the first step, rather than making housing conditional on recovery or engagement. From there, we work with our customers, not on them. Support is tailored to their goals, whether that’s recovery, improved wellbeing, or simply feeling safe and respected.
“SPHERE was and still is revolutionary,” Steph said. “It’s about meeting people where they’re at, giving them a real chance, and believing that everyone deserves a home.”
Under Steph’s leadership, SPHERE has grown into a vital, life changing service for Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas.
Growth, recognition and new opportunities
After 15 successful months managing SPHERE, Steph was promoted to Scheme Operations Manager, a role where she now oversees the running of all our supported housing schemes including VCH, Carolilian, Station Street and Snowhill.
In her new role, Steph continues to champion a compassionate and person led approach, drawing on decades of experience to ensure our services remain supportive, inclusive, and effective.
Why support work matters
Steph never planned to enter the homelessness sector. “When I first started, it was mainly for flexibility,” she explained. “I could work night shifts and still be there for my children. But I stayed because it was rewarding. You can really make a difference every day.”
This sense of purpose is something many of our colleague’s share. At Concrete, we don’t just offer jobs. We offer people the chance to grow, lead, and impact lives in meaningful ways.
Want to join us?
Whether you’ve got lived experience that can be used to support someone else, need a role that fits around your life, or want a job with purpose each day, Concrete is for you.
We’re proud to be part of Honeycomb Group, a team of socially minded brands helping to provide happy homes and thriving futures for people in Staffordshire and the surrounding areas. All of our job opportunities are advertised through Honeycomb Group.
Explore careers with Honeycomb Group and start building a future with purpose:
www.honeycombgroup.org.uk/careers
