ANDOVER CRISIS AND SUPPORT CENTRE

Finding Freedom From Abuse

Role Title

Domestic Abuse Support Worker

Reports to  Head of Refuge

Location

Test Valley
•  To work outside of normal working hours including participation in the on-call rota. When on

Special
conditions

call, the role holder needs to be available for work and have access to a car.

•  The role holder needs to have an objective distance from any personal experience of violence

or abuse.

•  Due to the nature of this role, there is a Genuine Occupational Requirement that only female

candidates will be considered.

Role
Purpose

To provide high quality support and safety planning to women and children in crisis. This includes
enabling women to access housing, welfare, benefits and legal advice.  A key requirement is to
provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women are provided with a safe, supportive
and welcoming environment.

Responsibility
Areas

Service
delivery

Key Activities

•  To provide practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and other

forms of violence and abuse in accordance with FFFA values.  This will include
conducting key work sessions on a regular basis and keeping casework records up to
date.

•  To welcome new residents, explain and arrange for them to sign occupancy

agreements, ensuring that they are aware of their options for moving on to more
permanent accommodation and to develop a proactive move on strategy for individual
residents.

•  To collect rent payments promptly, record properly, and bank within agreed timescales.
•  To ensure that rooms becoming vacant are re-let as soon as possible, taking all

appropriate steps to enable new referrals into the service.

•  To establish the risks to, and the needs of survivors of, domestic violence and their
children through assessing their practical and emotional support needs throughout
their stay at the refuge.

•  To develop individual support and risk management plans which address the risk of

harm to survivors of domestic violence and other forms of violence and abuse and their
children, and to ensure that such plans are in place for each resident.

•  To ensure that any issues in relation to safeguarding children or vulnerable adults are
brought to the immediate attention of the service manager, or if unavailable another
manager.

•  To work in partnership with other agencies and to advocate for survivors to ensure

their needs are met.

•  To assess benefit requirements of women escaping domestic violence and other forms
of violence and abuse and to ensure prompt take up of housing and other benefits.
•  To ensure that survivors are aware of their rights to legal protection for themselves and
their children, arranging for the provision of legal advice as required and accompany
women to appointments if appropriate.

•  To recognise, respect and address the needs of service-users who face barriers when
seeking help to access the service, including those from different ethnic and cultural
backgrounds, LGBTQ+ communities, disabled people, women with complex needs and
other hard to reach groups.

•  To be an ambassador for FFFA, working in partnership with other agencies to ensure an
effective, coordinated community response to survivors of domestic violence and other
forms of violence and abuse and their children.

•  To work within FFFA management system following all policies and procedures.
•  To provide statistical monitoring or reports as required.

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•  To report any problems/difficulties/complaints to the Head of Refuge and participate in

follow up investigations as required.

•  Ensuring that all relevant records are kept accurately and in a timely manner.
•  To write accurate and concise reports and case studies
•  Undertaking administrative and financial tasks and maintaining full records and receipts

for all activities.  This will include issuing licence agreements, collecting rents and
service charges, and assisting women in completing applications for housing and
benefits.

•  Help maintain accurate and confidential records using our secure web-based case
management database and contribute to monitoring information for the service.

•  To participate in fundraising activities on behalf of finding freedom from abuse
•  To maintain confidentiality and to ensure that professional boundaries are observed
when working with residents, staff and external bodies and to work within FFFA Code
of Conduct.

•  To participate in the on-call rota, providing 24-hour support over 7 days, to ensure

effective out of hours coverage of the service.

Security

•  To maintain the security and well-being of survivors of domestic violence and other forms

of violence and abuse and their children within the premises, and to communicate
immediately with the Head of Refuge any breaches of security, house rules or occupancy
agreements especially where there is concern about safety.

•  To control access to the refuge when on duty and remind residents to keep the building

secure when staff are not present.

•  To check efficient working of any entry phone and CCTV systems daily.
•  To ensure that security of sensitive information is maintained and complies with the

requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Health and
safety

•  To support the management of health, safety and security within a refuge, including

carrying out and recording regular fire and health and safety checks, ensuring that fire
equipment and fire doors are in working order and not obstructed.

•  To ensure that all equipment provided by FFFA is in safe working order and that periodic

testing and maintenance is carried out.

•  To ensure that the accommodation is always attractive and comfortable and that a good
standard of hygiene is maintained in the refuge.  To carry out cleaning and other light
manual duties when required.

•  To arrange and supervise contractors, carrying out maintenance, window cleaning and

cleaning of communal areas.

Managing self

•  To promote and support equality and empowerment within all areas of work.
•  To represent and be an ambassador for FFFA, working in partnership internally and

externally with other agencies to ensure an effective coordinated community response to
survivors of sexual violence and their children.

•  To actively participate in FFFA performance management processes including regular

supervisions and development.

Person Specification: The experience, knowledge, skills and attributes needed ot carry out the role at
a proficient level.

Essential role related qualifications and experience at recruitment
•  Good standard of general education
•  Ability to work at NVQ (or equivalent) level III
•  Further Education Qualification
•  A recognised social work/housing/legal/ counselling or other relevant qualification
Essential role related skills and knowledge at recruitment
•  Experience of providing support to vulnerable people and children under stress.
•  Experience of advocating for vulnerable people and children.
•  Experience of developing new services for victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
•  Working within a multi-agency and legislative framework.

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•  Demonstrable experience of supporting individuals within the context of a helping environment, both face to

face and on the telephone.

•  Experience of facilitating support groups and targeted group work.
•  Experience of taking personal responsibility for specific projects/work areas, devising work plans and their

implementation.

•  Experience of working with a diverse range of people, including those experiencing deprivation.
•  A working knowledge of the complexities of domestic abuse and its effects on women and children, and the
current civil and criminal legislation relating to victims and survivors of domestic abuse e.g. DSS and Housing
benefits/ homelessness legislation /injunctions.

•  A working knowledge of Key Working, safeguarding and child protection, and supporting complex needs such

as mental health, challenging behaviour and substance misuse.

•  Ability to develop appropriate, professional, supportive relationships with women and their children, while

maintaining professional boundaries.

•  Good written and verbal communication skills, and proficient in Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and

PowerPoint.
Personal attributes
•  Passionate about helping those affected by domestic violence and abuse, and an empathetic and non-

judgemental approach to those in crisis.

•  Ability to manage, support and motivate staff, and to delegate responsibility and appropriately.
•  Ability to prioritise workload and operate without close supervision. Resilience, strength of character and
flexibility to deal calmly and with a problem-solving approach in complex, stressful and crisis situations.

•  Has a good understanding of how FFFA’s values are demonstrated in the role.

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