| Job Title: | Refuge Support Officer | Place of Work: | Refuges and Office Locations |
| Hours of Work: | 37.5 hours per week | Reports to: | Refuge Team Leader |
| Salary | £26,600 |
Our Mission:
We aim to reduce the devastating impact of gender-based abuse and exploitation on all women and children, through safeguarding, empowerment, and education.
Our Vision:
is for all women exposed to gender-based violence and exploitation, and their children, to be safe and have access to appropriate intervention, support and advice in order to live free from fear and harm.
Our Values:
| Diversity & Inclusion | We value difference and know that we cannot achieve our vision without proactively working to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination. We recognise our role in championing equity for all. Through our work and how we conduct ourselves as an organisation, we challenge ourselves, and others, to practice in an anti-racist and anti- discriminatory way and develop professional cultures that recognise and challenge oppression in all forms. We will promote inclusion and ensure we are working towards establishing the right of all to access help and support that acknowledges, respects and values individual lived experiences. |
| Collaboration | We believe in working with women survivors, other organisations, specialist services and supporters to drive change. This commitment will see us seeking opportunities to learn from, and engage with, service users and partner with others to ensure any woman approaching us for support is able to access the help she needs. |
| Advocacy | As experts in the field of gender-based domestic abuse, we want to be able to use our voice and influence to magnify the voices of women and children experiencing abuse and exploitation. |
| Innovation | We are committed to seeking new solutions to some of the long-standing, pervasive problems associated with gender-based abuse and exploitation, as well as new or emerging issues. Wherever possible, we want to explore new ideas and co-create innovative interventions to improve outcomes for women, and their children. |
Job purpose:
• To support families, children and young people entering into the refuges; being part of a flexible service that can meet their changing and evolving needs.
• To inform, encourage and empower women, to make their own choices about how they want to live
• To be part of a flexible, person-centred, trauma informed service that can respond to the changing and evolving needs of the women in Refuge.
• To support women to engage with local services and support relevant to their needs
• To act as an advocate and/or mediator where necessary to ensure Women get the best support from services relevant to their needs.
Overall Responsibilities
The postholder will maintain and demonstrate a commitment to the Organisation’s vision, values, strategic aims and objectives. They will provide support to the team and to service users living within the refuges and will promote personal development for service users by co-facilitating meetings and groups run on their behalf. They will maintain high standards of professionalism; keeping abreast of current legislation, standards, best practice and maintain a focus on continuous improvement.
Specifically, the postholder will be responsible for the following: -
1. SUPPORT WORK
1.1 To provide individual, support to the women in Refuge who have experienced Domestic Abuse, through the delivery of high-quality practical support, guidance, information, and advocacy.
This will include: -
I. Assessing their needs and risks.
II. Supporting them to devise a person-centred/service user led support plan
III. Give information, support and guidance on accessing relevant services
IV. Carry out Evaluations and provide case-histories on an on-going basis.
1.2 To be responsible for managing a caseload and working with service users across all the premises within WAL.
1.3 To be responsible for admission and the induction of new service users into the refuges; ensuring that the women and children are aware of their rights and obligations as a licensee whilst living on the premises and that they fully understand the Health and Safety requirements for residents, including fire evacuation procedures.
1.4 To conduct regular key-working sessions with each assigned service user at their assigned house.
1.5 To ensure accurate service user records are maintained, using the case management system (Oasis) and other methods as necessary ensuring that all information is securely stored in line with WAL policies.
1.6 To ensure all necessary Risk Assessments and Individual Safety Plans are completed and updated on a regular basis.
1.7 To facilitate referrals to other services, supporting engagement and joint working where possible. To support the organisation as a whole and to share skills, knowledge and information with the rest of the WAL team.
1.8 To Work in collaboration with the other agencies and services, providing support and advice to adult victims and witnesses of Domestic Abuse, in accordance with agreed protocols, as required.
1.9 To raise any adult/child safeguarding issues promptly and in accordance with WAL’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedure. Attend court and Social Services case conferences as required, providing reports as required in respect of vulnerable adults and associated children.
1.10 Where appropriate, to provide advice and guidance to women on issues such as housing, education, health, employment, benefits and signposting them to appropriate agencies for more complex or legal issues including immigration.
1.11 To empower the service user to access wider support networks.
1.12 To deliver development programmes to service user groups, supplementing their individual support plans with personal development and empowerment skills.
1.13 To work closely with and provide managed information sharing to partner agencies in accordance with WAL’s Data and Information Sharing Agreements, Confidentiality and Adult and Child Protection policies where necessary.
1.14 To facilitate House Meetings in Refuge and to participate in wider service meetings involving residents from WAL
1.15 In line with the individual support plan, to work with each service user in their preparation for independent living or to other accommodation services as appropriate.
1.16 Where appropriate to continue to provide remote telephone or email support to service users during the resettlement period in order to support service users to maintain their new accommodation and signposting to other relevant agencies for other relevant support.
1.17 To attend Weekly Team meetings, internal team training sessions and clinical supervision as required
1.18 To participate in the ‘out of hour’s’ emergency services rota.
1.19 When required to cover Helpline and for other members of the team where necessary.
1.20 To collect monies owed for rent/service charge by service users and to support access to emergency funding where appropriate.
2. SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
2.1 To build relationships and networks with appropriate agencies, developing an interagency network of support for Women in Refuge, with joint support-planning and joint working where appropriate. To promote the awareness of Domestic Abuse and WAL services in the wider community.
Women’s Aid in Luton is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registered Charity No.1160555. Our registered office address is 32 – 42 Duke Street Luton Beds LU2 0HH
2.2 To engage in and support the Service in the development of improved working practices and any new developments in WAL
2.3 To work in partnership with other agencies to promote awareness of Domestic Abuse and support to develop services across Luton.
3. ASPECTS OF THE ROLE
Financial Resources:
The postholder will not have specific budgetary responsibilities; but they will be expected to support the Organisation in achieving their fiscal targets through the provision of timely information and returns.
Context:
Due to the sensitive nature if this role we will be considering female applicants only for this post in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Requirement (Equality Act 2010, pursuant to schedule 9 part 1)
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974:
Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. Therefore, it is essential in making your application you disclose whether you have any pending charges, convictions, bind-over or cautions and, if so, for which offences. This post will be exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders 1974 (Exemptions) (Amendments) Order 1986. Therefore, applicants are not entitled to withhold information about convictions which for other purposes are ‘spent’ under the provision of the Act, and, in the event of the employment being taken up. The fact that a pending charge, conviction, bind-over or caution has been recorded against you will not necessarily debar you from consideration for this appointment. Disclosures are handled in accordance with the DBS (formerly CRB) Code of Practice.
Physical Resources:
None
Physical Effort / Strain:
Accessing buildings which are on several levels.
Working Environment:
The work will be undertaken across all locations within Women’s Aid in Luton
Charitable Status:
WA is a registered charity and as such, all employees are expected to contribute to work undertaken by the Organisation in respect of ‘fundraising’ and ‘income generation’.
Policies and Procedures:
All staff working within WAL are expected to adhere to all policies and procedures relevant to their employment and each have a responsibility to ensure that they are aware of the current policies that are in place. Specifically, all staff will be responsible for adhering to those policies and practice concerning Financial Controls Health & Safety and Data Protection/Confidentiality.
Responsive to Change:
WAL is an organisation dedicated to development and as such all employees must be open to change. The organization is duties and responsibilities highlighted in this job description are indicative and may vary over time. The post-holder is expected to undertake their duties and responsibilities commensurate with the nature, level and scope of this post and to work flexibly within the agreed hours to ensure that the needs of the Business and its service-users can be met.