Chief Executive Officer
Role Purpose
To provide inspirational, and strategic leadership to Home-Start Portsmouth (HSP), ensuring the charity delivers on its mission that no parent is unsupported in raising children and giving them the best start in life. The CEO is accountable for organisational performance, culture, sustainability, safeguarding, and impact, working in close partnership with the Board of Trustees.
Location: Home-Start Portsmouth
Reports to: Board of Trustees
Hours: 32-37 hours pw (over 4-5 days)
Salary: £57, 000
Who we are –
Home-Start Portsmouth is a local family support charity based in Portsmouth, providing outreach services, free Stay & Play groups and working within the Portsmouth Family hubs as part of the Best Start in Life offer in the city. Portsmouth is one of the most deprived cities in the country, and many of the families we support are living with many adversities.
We are a volunteer led service providing parents and carers with the support and guidance they need to ensure the best possible outcomes for their children and their family. We empower families to thrive by providing child-centered family support and in 2025 we supported 1000 unique families across our 12 projects with the support from our 110 volunteers.
Our impact is measured and significant for the families we support and as a result, children will experience improved wellbeing and development. Our focus is to build a compassionate community of support for families, parents and children – because childhood can’t wait.
Our next chapter –
We are at a pivotal moment in the journey of Home-Start Portsmouth. After 25 years of exceptional service, our current CEO is stepping down, marking the end of an era and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the charity. Over the past few years, we have grown to more than three times our original size, expanding our reach, services, and impact across the community.
Rising levels of need, increasing pressure on family services, and evolving external factors mean that demand for our support is growing. To meet these challenges, we are committed not only to sustaining our growth, but to strengthening it in a purposeful, strategic way by exploring new delivery models, new funding streams, and new partnerships that will secure the future of the organisation.
The new CEO will shape and inspire this next phase of development, whilst embodying the values and ethos of the charity. They will drive our future sustainability, develop strong external partnerships, and increase our influence locally ensuring that the charity remains resilient, relevant, and impactful.
Why this role matters –
Changing children’s futures is at the heart of everything we do. Families today are facing unprecedented pressures. Home-Start Portsmouth exists to stand alongside these families by providing practical, emotional, and relational support at the earliest possible stage, helping parents build confidence, resilience, and stability so children can thrive.
This is a rare opportunity to lead a transforming charity with extraordinary potential. The CEO will play a defining role in shaping the next era of Home-Start Portsmouth, ensuring that our mission is not only protected, but reinforced. The role directly influences the lives of children and families where the decisions made, the culture shaped, and the partnerships built by the CEO will determine how many families we can reach, how well we can support them, and how lasting that change will be. This is leadership with purpose where strategy, compassion, and impact come together to create lasting change.
CEO – Home-Start Portsmouth – Job Description
Apply with your CV and a supporting letter to hr@portsmouth.org.uk
