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Domestic Abuse Support Worker

This post is open to Women only: Occupational Requirement (Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1) applies to this post.

Based in central Middlesbrough, My Sisters Place provides specialist services to women 16 years of age and over.  We are seeking a full time Support Worker, to join this dynamic team.  Our holistic approach requires high performing individuals with excellent people skills, and a resilient personality to deal with some difficult issues with a strong client focus.  Clear adherence to confidentiality and Safeguarding is essential.  This is a busy ‘response’ service dependent upon good teamwork and strong multi-agency working offering a challenging and rewarding role if you want to ‘make a difference’ and are committed to our charitable aims.

All employees are subject to enhanced DBS checks prior to commencement of the post.

Job Purpose:

To deliver a range of crisis intervention, early intervention and prevention work, intensive support, and accommodation-based support.

Specific Responsibilities:

  1. Ensure effective access for survivors and encourage engagement with the service by responding to referrals, making contact and completing a telephone or face-to-face assessment where appropriate.
  1. Provide Independent advice, support and advocacy to survivors who have experienced domestic abuse based on an assessment of risk and need.
  1. Deliver trauma informed support through robust risk and needs assessment and individual safety an support plans
  1. Provide brief advice to clients and professionals (Short term work) including responding to repeat referrals where they do not wish to re-engage in services but require brief advice or intervention
  1. Proactively assess the needs of and safety of any children that women using the service may have, ensure that any risks/needs identified are addressed directly with the service user and take appropriate action to safeguard them.

Duties of the post:

  1. Initiate, complete and review robust risk/needs assessment and Individual Safety and Support Plans (ISSP) which identify needs and support recovery for all service users referred to support service.
  1. Maintain accurate and timely recording of case notes and data collection of referrals received and relevant information and actions.
  1. Work with IDVA’s to ensure needs assessments are completed and a comprehensive support plan agreed with service users assessed as High-Medium risk. Working with the team to provide an instant access service through our duty system.
  1. Safeguard cases by referring to adults and children’s Social Care and MARAC/MATAC/MAPPA where appropriate or other multi agency safeguarding processes in line with MSP policies and procedures, and ensure that relevant cases are sent to Managers for QA and allocation.
  1. To attend and participate in multi-agency meetings on behalf of clients representing their needs and highlighting any concerns.
  1. Discuss and identify with clients, their hopes and needs; creating an agreed action plan for positive change.
  1. Provide support to tenants of our Homes for Good dispersed accommodation including supporting move on where appropriate, supporting financial resilience, maintaining regular contact and completing home visits.
  1. Support women with additional vulnerabilities, which create barriers to accessing services including accommodation, to be safe and supported through assertive outreach approaches and multi-agency partnerships. 
  1. Identify services, agencies and professionals that will assist the client to achieve the set goals agreed in the action plan, e.g. work, education and training organisations, housing bodies, support groups, therapists, etc.
  1. Support and assist clients to access the agreed services, agencies and professionals, including accompanying them to appointments as necessary.
  1. Maintain case records to a high standard and ensure confidentiality of all women accessing the service in line with MSP policies and procedures.
  1. Work with Line Managers and Head of Service to ensure case recording and monitoring systems are kept up to date and secure and write internal and external report where required including for safeguarding conferences, meetings, management and others.
  1. Attend managerial supervision and participate in annual appraisal of performance by the manager.
  1. Engage in clinical supervision and reflective practice approaches.
  1. To have an awareness of both local and national government legislation and how it impacts on the work of the project and the communities in which the project works.
  1. Maintain up to date knowledge necessary to the service by actively seeking out and attending training relevant to the post.
  1. Maintain positive relationships with partner agencies to provide the best outcomes for women accessing the centre.
  1. Comply with data protection legislation, confidentiality and information sharing policy and procedures and all legislation connected to your work.

Other duties and responsibilities:

My Sister’s Place is committed to continuous organisation and employee development. All staff members are required to participate fully in all initiatives, which facilitate continuous improvement in Service Quality Performance including employee performance.

General responsibilities include:

  1. Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service or the Job Description.
  2. Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.
  3. Promote and support volunteer involvement and contribution to effective safe service delivery.
  4. Represent and promote My Sister Place at multi agency meetings event and in delivery of training and awareness raising.
  5. Undertake all work with a view to continuous improvement in service quality and with due regards to the public image of the organisation.
  6. Participate fully as a member of the staff team, attending meetings, sharing information and maintaining and sharing local and national policy and practice that impacts on the work of My Sisters Place and covering other posts during staff sickness as necessary.
  7. Take responsibility for meeting targets and deadlines according to agreed work plans and ensure utilise personal strategies for effective time management.
  8. Undertake all work with reference to My Sisters Place policies, procedures and values.
  9. Contribute to maintaining of a working environment in which diversity is respected and equality of opportunity promoted. 
  10. Demonstrate a commitment to the principles of equal rights both in relation to employment issues and service delivery, and adhere to the polices of the organisation in the performance of their duties.
  11. Submit and present reports to the Chief Officer/Board as required.
  12. Undertake any other duties as set down by the Line Manager

The above duties and responsibilities cannot totally encompass or define all of the tasks that may be required of the post holder. The outlined duty may therefore vary from time to time, without materially changing either the character or level of responsibilities. These factors are reflected in the post grade.

Application Pack including Person Specificatiion can be found on our website.  Completed applications can be emailed to recruitment@mysistersplace.co.uk

Closing Date: 5th October 2020 at 12 noon

Interview Date: 8th October 2020

 

Contact

Lisa McGovern
01642241864
recruitment@mysistersplace.co.uk

Apply now

The closing date for this job is 5 October 2020 - 12:00pm.