Her Centre Domestic Violence Advocate Job Description

Role Title: Independent Domestic Violence Advocate

Responsible to: Senior IDVA

Hours: 35 hours a week

Based: Woolwich, London, SE18

Summary

Her Centre delivers information, advice and guidance to women exiting abuse or who want to know their options. We do this through one to one advice, workshops and support groups, training, and open forums. Our aim is to empower women to move forward with their lives.

Principle Function:

To provide individual support to women experiencing domestic abuse, through risk assessments, individual advice sessions, advocacy in court and with other statutory services, and by providing emotional support and links to specialist services as needed.

Duties:

1.  To provide advice for women experiencing domestic abuse by offering crisis intervention, information and support to all survivors where the police, social services, health workers, or any other agency have made a referral to the project, or where a woman refers herself.

2. To provide emergency safety plans to survivors and liaise with social services, emergency housing, and refuge to provide emergency housing if needed.

3.  To refer to appropriate support services if the victim is male or the survivor requires a specialist service

4.  To carry out risk assessments of women for possible referrals to MARAC

5.  To develop links to the courts and police and support women through the court process, explaining the effectiveness of criminal and civil sanctions available to her.

6.  To assist with rehousing issues in relation to domestic violence, by raising at MARAC and through joint work with the council and other housing bodies.

7.  To comply with safeguarding requirements relating to children and vulnerable adults, and explain the safeguarding requirements to the survivor.

8.  Maintain and update accurate written and computer records of all cases and share a summary of this information with managers, ensuring that data protection regulations are followed.

9.  To contact the survivor at regular intervals to ensure her safety, including updates of the risk assessment and safety plan

10.  To respond within the bounds of confidentiality, to requests from other agencies for consultations or facilitate direct contact between agencies and service users.

11.  To participate in multi-agency working parties and focus groups, when requested to do so by the Director or your manager.

12.  To provide advice and training at a range of locations as requested for both professionals and the public

13.  To provide one day a week at the Community Safety Unit at Plumstead Police station, to encourage referrals from the police

14.  To cover at the weekly One Stop Shop providing advice on domestic abuse, on a rota basis.

15.  To keep up to date on research, policy development and other literature relevant to the project. Attend relevant conferences and seminars on behalf of the project.

16.  To attend team meetings, relevant meetings with trustees and to be part of Her Centre outreach marketing plan

17.  To attend training as identified with your manager

18.  To take on other tasks as appropriate as requested by managers or the Trustees

Her Centre

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Post: Domestic Violence Advocate

Criteria Required being Short-Listed for Interview –Please pay careful attention to the Person Specification. Only those who meet the listed criteria will be short-listed for the interview. / Information Required in:[1]
·  1
o  1 / Minimum of 1 year full time equivalent experience of support work with women experiencing domestic violence, should also be able to demonstrate knowledge of recent legislation in relation to domestic violence and the law / App, & I
·  2 / SAFE LIVES (CAADA) trained or equivalent national bodies training like the Refuge
·  / Up to date knowledge of legal options open to women experiencing domestic abuse and the issues these approaches can raise both to assist and as a barrier / App, & I
·  / Knowledge of housing legislation with regards to victims of domestic violence / App & I
·  / Numeracy skills for recording expenditure for project budgets / App, & I
·  / Skills and experience for establishing, developing and delivering group sessions / App, & I
·  / Skills and experience for establishing and developing outreach services, partnerships and developing service delivery plans / App, & I
·  / Knowledge of domestic violence service provision in the borough and at regional level supporting women / I
·  / Proven skills for partnership working and achieving outcomes for own service and targets / App, & I
·  / Ability and experience to engage service users and work with them to develop services sensitive to their needs / App, & I
·  / Skills to manage difficult situations and competing priorities / App,& I
·  / Ability to support and contribute to effective team working / I
·  / Demonstrate awareness of, and sensitivity to, issues of equality, diversity and inclusion and to actively implement and promote Her Centre’s Equal Opportunities and Confidentiality policies. / I
·  / Ability to work within Her Centre’s aims, values, principles, and policies / App,& I
·  / Ability to agree and monitor outcomes with service users / App, & I
·  / Written communication skills for recording and monitoring outcomes / App, & I
·  / Skills for word-processing, reports and data input / App, & I
·  13) / Willingness to undertake an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Check and other checks as may be required from time to time / App
·  14) / Willingness to work at any location in the Borough of Greenwich and surrounding areas / App
·  / Skills to take responsibility for own learning and development / I

[1]App = Application Form I = Interview