Client Overview
Cross Keys Homes (CKH) is one of the East of England's leading housing associations, owning and managing thousands of homes while providing a wide range of housing, care and community services. With a significant property portfolio, multiple office locations and a commitment to safe, sustainable environments for both colleagues and residents, effective facilities and compliance management is fundamental to how the organisation operates.
To strengthen its operational leadership, Cross Keys Homes partnered with Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Health, Safety, Environmental & Facilities Manager responsible for leading facilities management, health & safety and environmental compliance across the organisation.
The Challenge
Cross Keys Homes needed an experienced leader capable of overseeing facilities management while driving health, safety and environmental best practice across a diverse property portfolio.
The successful candidate would manage corporate offices, operational facilities and support services while ensuring statutory compliance, improving operational efficiency and leading a multidisciplinary facilities team.
Key responsibilities included:
- Leading Facilities Management across all office locations and operational sites.
- Managing Health, Safety and Environmental compliance across the organisation.
- Developing and implementing HSE policies, procedures and management systems.
- Managing facilities contractors and supplier performance.
- Overseeing planned maintenance and workplace services.
- Managing ICT-related service contracts, including telephony and printing infrastructure.
- Leading the in-house Facilities Management team.
- Managing operational facilities budgets and procurement activities.
- Overseeing security services, fleet management and workplace operations.
- Conducting compliance audits and preparing performance reports.
- Delivering Health & Safety training and promoting a positive safety culture.
- Driving continuous improvement across facilities and environmental performance.
The organisation wanted someone who could combine technical expertise with strong leadership, commercial awareness and a collaborative management style. Combined HSE and facilities roles are harder to fill than either discipline on its own: candidates from a pure health and safety background often lack hands-on facilities and contractor management experience, while facilities managers do not always carry the formal HSE grounding a role of this scope demands.
Our Approach
Working closely with Cross Keys Homes, Maxwell Stephens developed a detailed understanding of the organisation's operational structure, regulatory obligations and long-term strategic objectives.
Using our specialist Facilities and Health & Safety recruitment network, we undertook a targeted executive search for professionals with experience across housing, property and corporate facilities management.
Our assessment focused on candidates who demonstrated:
- Significant Facilities Management leadership experience.
- Health & Safety management expertise.
- Environmental compliance and sustainability knowledge.
- NEBOSH qualification and professional FM accreditation.
- Contractor, supplier and procurement management capability.
- Budget management and commercial awareness.
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Experience working within property, housing or multi-site environments.
Each shortlisted candidate completed a rigorous assessment process covering both technical capability and cultural alignment with CKH.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens appointed an experienced Health, Safety, Environmental & Facilities Manager who quickly became a key member of the organisation's operational leadership team.
The successful candidate brought extensive experience across facilities management, compliance, environmental management and operational leadership, enabling them to make an immediate impact across the business.
Results Delivered
- Stronger facilities management. Operational standards were enhanced across CKH's office locations through improved maintenance planning, contractor management and workplace services.
- Enhanced Health & Safety compliance. The appointed manager strengthened governance by implementing robust Health & Safety systems, ensuring full compliance with statutory legislation and industry best practice.
- Environmental leadership. Environmental management initiatives were expanded, supporting sustainability objectives while embedding greater environmental awareness throughout the organisation.
- Improved operational performance. Through effective budget management, supplier oversight and performance monitoring, the facilities function delivered improved value for money while maintaining high service standards.
- Leadership and workforce development. The successful candidate introduced structured Health & Safety training programmes, improved team engagement and helped build a positive safety culture across the organisation.
- Better governance and reporting. Regular compliance audits, performance reporting and risk assessments strengthened organisational governance and supported continuous improvement across the property portfolio.
The Impact
The appointment significantly strengthened Cross Keys Homes' Facilities, Health & Safety and Environmental functions, providing experienced leadership across a complex and diverse estate.
By improving compliance, operational efficiency and workplace standards, the successful candidate helped ensure that colleagues, residents and visitors benefit from safe, well-managed and sustainable environments.
This appointment reflects Maxwell Stephens' experience recruiting senior Facilities Management, Health & Safety and Environmental professionals for housing associations, property organisations and large multi-site estates. If you are recruiting a combined HSE and facilities leadership role, or a senior compliance position across a housing or multi-site portfolio, get in touch with our team.