At Concrete, we believe everyone deserves not just a safe place to live, but the support, belief and opportunity to build a better future. For Richard Hughes, that belief is more than a job. It is a personal mission.
As Scheme Manager at Carolilian, our supported housing service for young people aged 18 to 25, Richard leads the team with passion, empathy and an unshakeable commitment to helping people thrive. Every day, he is focused on two things: supporting his team and standing beside the young people in their journey toward independence.
From the pub trade to purpose
Richard’s path to homelessness support was anything but conventional. He started out working in the pub trade, taking on various roles from bartender to team leader. But it was not the drinks or the shifts that stuck with him, it was the people.
“I loved hearing people’s stories,” he said. “You’d meet someone and find out they were unbelievably clever or had lived through the most incredible things. It usually came from the people you’d never expect. That stuck with me.”
After a short time working in digital marketing for payday loans, Richard realised he needed to be doing something more meaningful. “It just didn’t align with my values,” he said. “It felt wrong. I wanted to give back instead.”
That decision led him to a learning disability care service in Blythe Bridge, where he stayed for six years, working his way up from Support Worker to Deputy Manager. From there, he joined the YMCA in Crewe as a Housing Support Coach and found a role where he could make a difference every single day.
Then came Concrete.
Finding his place at Concrete
Richard joined Concrete as a Housing Support Coach at the Young Person’s Service, Carolilian. “I was not sure about working with young people at first,” he said, “but once I started, I knew I was in the right place. Seeing the impact the team had every day was amazing. We were shaping the next generation.”
He quickly progressed through the organisation, taking on the Deputy Manager role, and then working in the Gateway Team, which processes referrals across the city for the Destination:Home partnership. Though he loved leading the Gateway Team, something was missing.
“I missed hearing from customers, seeing the impact firsthand. I wanted to be back at the heart of it.”
So, when the Scheme Manager role at Carolilian came up, Richard applied, and has not looked back since.
“I love it. My purpose each morning is getting out of bed for the young people we support and my incredible team.”
(Pictured: Housing Support Coaches, part of Richard’s team, Jane and Karen)
Breaking the cycle of homelessness
What makes Carolilian different is that it is not just reactive support, it is preventative. Richard knows how powerful that is.
“There’s so much stigma around homelessness. People think it’s a choice, but it’s not. It often comes from things outside someone’s control, like growing up in care, trauma or family breakdowns. Instead of criminalising people, we need to support them. That’s what we do here.”
At Carolilian, young people often arrive with few options and little trust in any system. Some have left care at 18 with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Richard and his team provide not just a safe home, but the tools and support to build life skills, self-belief and hope for the future.
“This is where we stop homelessness before it starts,” Richard explained. “We help people learn to manage a tenancy, rebuild confidence, and start looking toward a brilliant future. That’s what makes this job so powerful.”
Putting good into the world
Richard’s vision goes beyond his role. He is driven by a deep passion for rebuilding Stoke-on-Trent and creating a community where people can thrive.
“I’m so passionate about this city and the people in it. I think we’d all do good if we just had a bit more empathy and compassion. Everyone deserves a chance, and that’s what we’re trying to give here.”
Want to join us?
Whether you have lived experience that can help support someone else, need a role that fits around your life, or want a job with purpose each day, Concrete is for you.
We are 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 your own story with us: www.honeycombgroup.org.uk/careers
