Domestic Abuse peer mentor (Support Groups)
About Hestia
Hestia Housing & Support works across London and has 45 years of experience providing housing, care and support services to people with mental health needs in a range of types of service. Hestia also supports women and children experiencing domestic violence, older people, ex-offenders, young people, homeless people and complex needs including substance misuse and manages several community development and engagement services. Hestia provides services to over 5000 service users and has 400 staff and over 180 volunteers.
About the Service
Hestia Domestic Abuse Services (DAS) operates across 14 different London Boroughs providing refuge accommodation, outreach projects, floating support and children & families services.
The Butterfly project is a community based women's group which offers emotional and practical support to women who have experienced domestic abuse or who are currently in an abusive relationships. Most groups run fortnightly and they are based in a local community centre. Attendees can be self-referred or referred by an agency. The groups are run by trained volunteers known as peer mentors and the domestic abuse services’ staff team.
The Butterfly groups are designed to
· reduce the isolation experienced by survivors of domestic abuse
· empower women by developing their informal support network
· provide recreational/learning opportunities, including skills training for group leaders
· create a safe space where women can develop their self confidence
About the Role
We are looking for volunteers to be peer mentors who can commit a regular half day to help facilitate and deliver bi-monthly peer support groups to women survivors of domestic abuse.
Main tasks
· To assist in the running, facilitation and delivery of bi-monthly support groups. This includes a range of duties from arranging for refreshments to helping the group members plan future sessions and helping staff making the necessary arrangements.
· To be supportive to group members during the sessions. This includes listening carefully to the women, encouraging group members to develop their own support networks, understanding when to refer a group member to other professionals and agencies, all in consultation with staff.
· As a Hestia representative you will be expected:
o To develop positive relationships, maintain boundaries and confidentiality
o To work with a commitment to equal opportunities to ensure that our services are equally accessible to a diverse group of clients.
o To keep a time log and other monitoring information as needed.
o To participate fully in volunteer induction and to take up relevant training courses as agreed with your supervisor
o To attend monthly supervision meetings quarterly Peer support meetings.
o To work safely at all times, adhering to health & safety policies
This role requires a 5 days training; 3 prior of commencing and 2 in the following six months.
This role is exempt under the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1. As such we can only consider applications from women.
DBS check will be required due to the nature of the role.
Location and times
The Butterfly project is run in seven locations - Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston and Westminster. See the Frequently Asked Questions pages FAQ for further details.
Skills, experience, qualities needed
· A good understanding of domestic abuse and the impact it has on women and children- usually gained by personal experience as a survivor or witness, or by previous work.
· Emotional strength to support domestic abuse survivors
· Good interpersonal & communication skills including
o Willingness and ability to listen to people
o Confident, sympathetic and can inspire trust
o Able to establish/maintain boundaries in a non-judgemental way
o Friendly and approachable with a genuine enthusiasm to support others
o Responsive to the needs of others and sensitive to a range of personalities, cultures, views and opinions
· Be willing to offer support to other volunteers as a part of a team.
· Able to maintain strict confidentiality and good working relationships with different groups of people
Training & Development:
All domestic abuse group supporters are expected to attend a 5 days mentoring training, 3 before starting volunteering and 2 in the first six months. Monthly one to one supervision and quarterly peer support groups will be arranged on your non group meeting weeks.
What you can expect from Hestia:
· Induction to the role and the team
· A programme of volunteer training
· Access to Hestia core staff training
· Supervision and Support
· Full travel expenses and up to £3 refreshment expenses are reimbursed.
· References
Dates to note – please keep these dates free.
Interviews will be held on September 21, 22 and 23 in our Head office which is about 10 minutes walk from London Bridge Station. We will reimburse expenses for coming here.
Your initial 3 day training will be on October 19, 20, and 21 also at our head office.
If interested please complete application forms and return to Hestia’s Volunteer Team –
If you have any questions please see the FAQ which follows. At the end there is a phone number and time to call if you would like to talk to one of the staff about the role.
Hestia Housing & Support, Head Office, Maya House 1st and 2nd floors, 134-138 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LD Registered Charity No. 294555, Company No. 2020165
Some Frequently Asked Questions to give you more information
Ø Am I the right sort of person to be a volunteer?
The women who come to our group meetings are very diverse and we want our volunteers to be like that. You could be young and single, older with grandchildren, a busy Mum with children at school, of any age and any ethnic background. Each Butterfly group has ways to cope with sessions where a volunteer cannot come because of other commitments – eg looking after children in the school holidays.
And you don’t need to have experience of being a volunteer – we are most concerned to find women who have the potential to be sympathetic supporters to women dealing with domestic abuse issues
Ø Can I volunteer near to home
You can volunteer for the Butterfly project in seven areas – please check you can do the times.
They are all close to a tube station.
Camden Thursday 10-12 – volunteers meet at a tube station at 9.30
Hillingdon Saturday mornings 10-12
Kensington and Chelsea Tuesday 10-12
Kingston Thursday 10-12
Westminster Friday 10-12 – volunteers meet at a tube station at 9.30
Harrow not known yet – new service
Hammersmith and Fulham not known yet – new service
Ø Is this a new scheme?
The Butterfly project has been running for some time, though we are extending it to some new areas. Volunteers have played a major part in making it successful, up to the point of winning a Team London Award in 2012 in a ceremony hosted by the Mayor of London. The Butterfly project volunteers feel that the group should enable survivors to look forward, and focus on creativity, learning new skills, support, knowledge, understanding and empowerment through activities and speakers. It is hoped this will increase awareness of domestic abuse as well as allow attendees to develop themselves, relax, have fun and make new friends
Ø Will we be left on our own?
No – there is always a staff member supporting the group session, and you will have regular supervision to build your skills and confidence. Our goal is to always have more than one volunteer at each session as well so you can support each other.
Ø Will I have to give advice to the women who come to the group?
No – in fact volunteers are asked not to give advice on specific issues and to refer service users to the staff member supporting the group. Staff get a lot of training to keep them up to date on legal and financial issues. Volunteers provide an essential role in listening to and supporting the women by accepting them for who they are and helping them build confidence
Ø What does the term ‘maintain boundaries’ mean?
Staff and volunteers working with people with big challenges have to be careful not to get emotionally involved with the service users; otherwise they lose their capacity to be objectively supportive. We will cover more of this in the training.
Ø Do we have to decide what happens at the group meetings?
The group is directed by the women who attend (we call them service users). Previous group activities, all suggested by the members, have included things such as meditation, relaxation, cookery, confidence workshops and art therapy. Volunteers provide continuity for the group as women service users can chose how often to come. So the group is owned by the service users and volunteers, with a staff member to provide back up support.
Ø What am I committing to?
We ask you to be available to volunteer for the same half day each week, although you may not be needed every week. The groups meet every other week in a community location near a tube stop. Group meetings last one and a half or two hours, and volunteers usually meet about half an hour in advance with the staff organiser to get refreshments and then set up the session. Clearing up can take about 15-30 minutes, making about 3 hours in total.
You will also need to be available for occasional planning sessions, monthly supervision, and group volunteer meetings - . The times for these are agreed with your local staff supervisor and colleague volunteers. Some volunteers come into the office on the weeks when there is no group meeting for these activities, others prefer to stay on after a group meeting. .
Ø I have children at school – can I do this?
Yes – many of the service users have school age children, and some of the groups are run during term time only. Training is mostly arranged to fit during school times, but there may be a training day where we ask you to stay later than school collecting time – we are hoping volunteers have a friend who can collect their children that day, or that the school has an afterschool club. We will cover these child care costs.
Ø I have a child still at home with me – can I apply?
Unfortunately at this point we are unable to pay for any childcare for volunteers.
Ø I’ve never done anything like this before – should I apply?
Yes – if you are interested in what we do and would like to help. At the interview we will be looking to check that you have the potential to do this, not whether you have done it before.
Ø What happens if I have to miss a session?
There is always a staff member at a Butterfly group, and there are usually other volunteers involved, – so if occasionally you can’t manage to come this does not matter. But if regular attendance becomes a problem, you can talk to your supervisor about other ways to volunteer to support women who have or are experiencing domestic abuse. It is important to provide continuity for service users.
Ø I am being pressurised by the job centre to apply for jobs now my children are at school. How will this post affect that?
This is a one day a week 3 hours role so you should be able to combine it with the requirements from the Jobcentre and work search. Still it is your responsibility to decide whether this is something you can take on without affecting your benefits.
This volunteering and the training attached to it, will give you soma valuable and skills and knowledge that could be used when applying for jobs and going for jobs interviews. Hestia regularly offer employment related training to their volunteers as we are aware that people might want to eventually get a job in this sector.
Ø What is a DBS check?
This is a check with criminal records for spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. We will do this with you. It is free for volunteers.
Ø I have no spare money – will it cost me anything to be a volunteer?
We cover lunch expenses up to £3 and agreed travel expenses will be paid. All expenses for running the group meeting are covered by Hestia.
Ø I cannot do the training days you have listed at the end of the role description
Sadly you cannot do this particular volunteer role for us without this training. If you would like we can let you know about future training opportunities or other volunteer roles.
Ø The boxes on the application form are very small and I can’t fit in everything I want to say
If you type into the form on the computer, it will expand as you type. If you are filling in a printed version with a pen, then please continue on an extra page if you need to.
Ø I have a question that is not answered here
There will be a chance to talk to one of the staff who has been running the Butterfly scheme with any further questions you have
Please call Lucia on Tel. 07964 121967
She will be available at these times
Tuesday September 8th , 10am- 12pm
Wednesday September 9th 2 to 4pm
Revised August 2015