St Mungo's has appointed Steve Douglas as its new chief executive.

Douglas, who was last year awarded a CBE for his service to housing, will join the charity on 1 July, taking over from Howard Sinclair who announced plans to step down last year.

Douglas will take on his role with the homelessness charity from Aquila Services, a housing associations consultancy, where he is currently the CEO.

He's previously held roles at the Housing Corporation and the London Borough of Hackney, where he was chief executive and corporate director of neighbourhoods and regeneration respectively.

His role will begin following a difficult time for the charity after a long-standing dispute with trade union, Unite, over staff terms and conditions.

Charity staff went on strike earlier this year to protest breaches of the 'junior staffing cap' – an agreement between the charity and the union – which Unite claimed enforces a "reinstatement of race to the bottom terms and conditions".

The strike was also based on a number of other issues, including the charity’s 'disproportionate and unfair use of disciplinary procedures and onerous sickness policy'.

Unite called for Sinclair to step down earlier than planned after it claimed he was discouraging staff from joining the strikes.

Douglas said he is "honoured" to take on the leadership of the charity at "such a crucial time".

“I look forward to working with the board, the client advisory board and great staff and volunteers at this important charity."

The charity's chair of trustees, Robert Napier added: “I am delighted to be welcoming Steve at what is a critical time in the homelessness sector. Steve brings with him a huge wealth of experience relevant to our mission to ensure that everyone has a place to call home and can fulfil their hopes and ambitions.

“Howard has been outstanding in leading the organisation and I thank him for the role he has played at St Mungo’s, and indeed before that with his many years working in the homelessness and charitable sector."

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