Job Description
Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocate – Fixed term contract
Responsible to: / Advocacy Co-ordinator / Direct Reports: / N/ALocation: / Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Havering / Work Pattern:
Monday – Friday 37.5 hours per week between9.00am – 6.00 pm
you will be required to work as part of a 24 hour emergency cover rota.
Job Purpose: / The independent domestic and sexualviolence advocate will work closely with victims of domestic violence, providing personal welfare support. The postholder will provide:
independent advocacy and support to service users of domestic and sexual violence;
work with service users from the point of crisis and offer intensive support to help ensure short and long term safety;
maintain multi-agency links and partnerships through protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of service users;
empower service-users by providing them with emotional and practical support, thus enabling them to access their rights, empowering them to make decisions and increasing their life options;
inform service users of the full range of civil, criminal and practical options that might increase their safety.
Main Responsibilities:
Casework management
To advise and support survivors of domestic and sexual violence through the Criminal Justice System.
To undertake advocacy casework working with service users at high risk and/or women accessing
maternity services following an initial assessment of their needs and working within a structured
key-working relationship.
To provide one to one emotional, practical, legal and advocacy support to service users through the
development of an individual support plan, including risk assessments, safety planning and assistance
in accessing other relevant services such as counselling, housing, legal services and Sexual Assault
Referral Centres.
To ensure that service users who face barriers to seeking help are able to access the advocacy service, including those from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, LGBT communities, people with disabilities and other hard to reach groups.
To develop and maintain good working relationships and links with outside agencies, referring service-users to appropriate specialist agencies where necessary as part of a support plan and in consultation with the service-user.
To notify the line manager of any complaints received and participate in follow up investigations as required and in line with relevant Refuge policies and procedures.
To ensure that any issues in relation to child or adult protection concerns are responded to in line with
Refuge policy and are brought to the immediate attention of the line manager.
To work within Refuge’s policies and procedures to provide initial safety planning, risk assessment
and signposting to male service users of domestic and sexual violence.
To participate in an on call rota to provide 24 hour emergency telephonesupport for the service.
To coordinate referral sources for the Barking and Dagenham “Sanctuary Project” including carrying out service-user risk assessments.
Monitoring, evaluation and information management
To participate in the collection and maintenance of information on relevant referral agencies and local services.
To ensure accurate and effective statistical monitoring is undertaken in accordancewith Refuge’s procedures.
To produce reports as requested by the line manager and the executive assistant for the director of
operations.
To maintain accurate, confidential service-user records of contact details and interventions, ensuring
that personal information isup-to-date and that it iskept secure and confidential at all times in
compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Refuge policies and procedures.
To ensure that feedback from service-users and agencies is actively sought to inform the continuous improvement and development of the service.
Professional development and training
To keep up-to-date with developments in legislation, policy and local/national government initiatives that
address domestic violence.
To provide training on domestic violence to health professionals and support to midwives on conducting domestic violence routine enquiries.
The above is provided for guidance and is not an exhaustive list of all accountabilities that the post holder may have over time.The job description may be amended and will be reviewed on a regular basis.
1
October 2010