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Job Title:Refuge Project Worker (Part time -20 hours)

Grade:

Salary:

Responsible to:Senior Project Worker

Responsible for:n/a

Context of Job:Changing Lives, Halton Domestic Abuse Service, Cheshire

Purpose of Job:To provide high-quality frontline advice and support to women/men and their children fleeing domestic abuse living in the refuge.

To carry a client case load as Project worker.

This role is subject to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Check.

Main Duties:

  • Welcome and admit women/men and their children to the refuge project.
  • To ensure that the residential services provide a safe and secure environment for women/men and children escaping domestic abuse in compliance with housing law and the requirements of funders and registered social landlords.
  • To provide personal welfare support and ensure that women/men/children are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment.
  • To work with senior staff to support the management of budgets, including effective collection of rent and taking corrective action when required in line with the Refuge’s financial regulations. To work with the service manager to monitor voids and bad debts ensuring compliance with the Refuge’s procedures.

To ensure that any evictions/refusals are in consultation with the Senior Project Worker and Service Manager,ensuring the eviction policy is followed and all risks are effectively managed.

  • Adopt a key worker and resettlement role to provide advice and support to individual women/men who have experienced violence and abuse.
  • To provide information regarding housing rights and options and liaise closely with the local Authority Housing Departments, other RSL’s and private landlords where appropriate..
  • Facilitate an environment where women/men/men and their children can temporarily live together with minimum conflict
  • Ensure women/men can access appropriate support and services to local health centres, family centres, solicitors, housing agencies etc. as required
  • Finding women/men and their children alternative accommodation at other refuges or elsewhere, as appropriate and assist women/men to relocate to a new home.
  • Liaise with benefits agency and housing benefits departments regarding submitting and pursuing welfare benefit claims.
  • Co-ordinate and facilitate multi-agency responses to meet the needs of the women/men and children residing at the refuge project.
  • Empower survivors to recover and regain control of their lives through exploring aspects to be addressed to enhance safety, health and well being, by ensuring that women/men and their children receive adequate support through support planning.
  • Maintain confidentiality and work in accordance with the Data Protection Act, and all other Changing Lives policies and procedures.
  • Responsible for maintaining security procedures pertaining to access to the building and the safety of service users whilst in the refuge project.
  • Ensure reasonable up keeping of general maintenance and furnishings at the refuge.
  • Responsible for advising Senior Management of Child Protection Issues being dealt with.
  • To represent Changing Lives Halton Domestic Abuse Service at meetings locally as requested.
  • To support the line Manager and Service Manager to undertake awareness raising, through talks, presentations, training etc to external services or other agencies to highlight issues around Domestic Abuse.
  • Provide information and guidance to other agencies and foster good working relationships locally.
  • Ensure accurate and timely records and statistical information is updated and reported keeping all parties informed of progress and outcomes.
  • Carry out all duties in a non-judgemental, non-discriminatory manner in line with Changing Lives Policies and Procedures.
  • Act in accordance with the relevant legislation, employment regulations and policies, and code of practice related to promoting equality and valuing diversity
  • To undertake any other reasonable duties deemed appropriate by the line Manager/Service Manager.
  • Undertake on call duties as required.

These duties and responsibilities should be regarded as neither exclusive nor exhaustive as the post holder may be required to undertake other reasonably determined duties and responsibilities commensurate with the grading of the post, without changing the general character of the post.

Person Specification

Knowledge

You are required to:

  • Up to date knowledge of housing, criminal, civil and welfare rights legislation relating to domestic violence
  • Knowledge of the dynamics and impact of domestic violence and how best to

support survivors

  • Have a good understanding of domestic abuse including the impact of domestic abuse on victims and their children.
  • Understand child protection issues, and the legal responsibilities surrounding these issues.
  • Understand the principles of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management for victims of domestic abuse and their children.
  • Understand the remits and resources of relevant statutory bodies and voluntary agencies.
  • Understand and be committed to equal opportunities and diversity issues in policy and practice.

Experience

You are required to have experience of:

  • Practical experience of delivering services in a social care, health, residential, community /partnership context/setting
  • Experience of working in a multi agency environment particularly across the statutory and voluntary sectors
  • experience of building, managing and developing teams
  • Experience of developing, implementing and monitoring standards of performance against operational targets
  • Extensive experience of sensitively assessing and responding to the needs and risks of women and children experiencing domestic violence
  • Proven experience of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
  • Experience of working with/ in domestic violence services
  • .
  • Experience of working with Quality System Frameworks
  • Evidence of the ability to be an ambassador for Changing Lives Halton Domestic Violence Refuge and to communicate and work in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles
  • Demonstrable strong written and verbal communication skills; to be able to write reports, deliver presentations, and to communicate with stakeholders in a clear and effective way
  • Evidence of the ability to ensure that services deliver outcomes successfully for funders, and that services achieve the standard required including Level A of the Quality Assessment Framework
  • Evidence of the ability to develop, sustain and evaluate joint work between agencies, including establishing good working relationships negotiating effectively

Skills / Qualifications / Professional Membership:

You are required to:

  • Good standard of general education is Essential

Demonstrable ability to use Microsoft Office (word, excel, outlook, access), Data base systems (MODUS) and to collect and analyse statistics for Changing Lives.

Personal Qualities

You will be required to:

  • Evidence of the ability to build and develop supportive relationships with abused women/men and their children maintaining professional boundaries
  • Be compassionate and empathetic with your client’s situation.
  • Show initiative and be proactive and professional whenmanaging your case load and interacting with your clients and agencies you’re working with.
  • Act with integrity and respect when working with all clients, agencies and individuals.
  • Work flexibly as part of a team and in an open plan office environment.
  • Be optimistic about the possibility of personal growth and change.
  • Motivate individuals and agencies to move through courses of action and decision making processes.