Specialist Intervention Worker - Domestic Abuse (London)

We are Hestia. We make a difference. At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Specialist Intervention Worker to play a pivotal role in our Domestic Abuse Services across London.

This role provides specialist interventions to women living in refuge with multiple needs who have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence. Holding a caseload across a number of refuges providing emotional and practical support and advocacy to the women accessing the refuge. Within the role you will be responsible for working alongside the refuge team as well as a wider support network.

With a sound understanding and experience of working within the domestic abuse sector and with those with multiple needs you will be providing support and recovery planning to ensure women are linked into a wider support network including and not limited to housing, drug and alcohol service, mental health treatment and social services.

• Provide a welcoming, supportive and safe environment for women immediately fleeing domestic abuse.
• Promote a trauma informed, empowering, anti-racist and intersectional feminist culture ensuring that women with multiple support needs are at the forefront of service delivery.
• Work in line with Hestia's values: Respectful, Genuine, Dedicated, Collaborative, Courageous.
• Work peripatetically across a number of refuge sites, coordinating cases and providing bespoke interventions to those with multiple support needs.

Casework:

• Understand and comply with Children and Adult safeguarding legislation.
• Case coordinate across multiple refuge sites a caseload of women with multiple support needs.
• Provide domestic abuse support and risk management including DASH, referral and attendance at MARAC.
• Provide high quality assessments in line with ‘The Hestia Approach', a psychologically informed framework that is trauma informed and puts recovery first, focusing on the individuals' strengths alongside their care and support needs.
• Work with women in co-producing a ‘Safety Plan' and ‘Strengths and Aspirations Plan', with a focus on the individuals' strengths to meet their chosen goals.
• Support women to access therapeutic support to facilitate their recovery.
• Ensure that women have access to emergency supplies including basics of clothing and toiletries and apply for all appropriate grants.
• Support women to maximise their income.
• Recognise and manage challenging behaviours with a resilient approach ensuring it is swiftly and safely deescalated and support the wider refuge staff team to gain the skills and confidence in managing these behaviours.
• Work pan London providing crisis interventions to those that are most at need within Hestia's refuges.
• Work alongside refuge staff, providing additional support and upskilling on working with women with multiple support needs.

Partnership work:

• Develop strong links with a range of agencies including drug and alcohol services, mental health teams, DWP, police, local authority housing teams, social services and voluntary agencies in order to both safeguard and promote the welfare and/or opportunities of our service users.
• Hold relationships with local mental health and drug and alcohol services and ensuring that regular multi-disciplinary case conferences are held and chairing where needed.
• Work with GP's and other health professionals to look at treatment routes including social prescribing routes.
• Support women to access these appointments attending with them where appropriate.

Working Together:

• Lead on an activities programme across a number of Refuges focused on fun and joy to support with Women's wellbeing and supporting Hestia's goals of bringing Hope and Purpose.
• Facilitate regular community meetings bringing all the staff and women together including house meetings, domestic abuse safety event and the ‘Be You' empowerment programme.
• Work with the Volunteer team to bring in volunteer opportunities within the Refuge.
• Support women to access community services attending with them where appropriate.

Move on Support:

• Provide high quality assessments in line with ‘The Hestia Approach', a psychologically informed framework that is trauma informed and puts recovery first, focusing on the individuals' strengths alongside their care and support needs.
• Work with women in co-producing a ‘Safety Plan' and ‘Strengths and Aspirations Plan', with a focus on the individuals' strengths to meet their chosen goals.
• Support women to access therapeutic support to facilitate their recovery.
• Ensure that women have access to emergency supplies including basics of clothing and toiletries and apply for all appropriate grants.
• Support women to maximise their income.
• Recognise and manage challenging behaviours with a resilient approach ensuring it is swiftly and safely deescalated and support the wider refuge staff team to gain the skills and confidence in managing these behaviours.
• Work pan London providing crisis interventions to those that are most at need within Hestia's refuges.
• Work alongside refuge staff, providing additional support and upskilling on working with women with multiple support needs.
• Have a sound understanding of current housing legislation, welfare benefits and entitlements.
• Create bespoke move on goals as part of the strengths and aspiration assessment.
• Ensuring that the housing rights and responsibilities are clearly explained from the beginning of the stay in refuge.
• Accurately record all information on Hestia's case management system INFORM in real time ensuring information is factual and SMART.
• Understanding the importance of confidentiality and complying with organisational policies around GDPR and data protection.
• Keep accurate records of all petty cash and refuge spends including where needed credit card spends.

What do I need to bring with me?