Refuge Family Support Worker

Refuge Manager

Hours of work 18.5 hours per week, evenings and weekends. This also includes (1 week in 4) rota out of hours on call. 25 days + Bank Holidays (pro rata) + Birthday

• Responsible To
• FCWA Board of Trustees
• CEO
• Refuge Manager
• Function

The Support Workers role includes providing proactive practical and emotional support to victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

You will work as a member of our dedicated team providing regular support to women and children within a refuge environment.

To do this you will engage in a supportive and empathic manner working sensitively with residents, helping them to achieve independent lives free from harm and abuse.

This role supports refuge and residents in a communal setting.

You will encourage residents to engage in support and wellbeing activities that can help to reduce isolation and encourage residents to feel part of the refuge community

Main Duties

• To ensure that women and children are provided with a high: quality service.
• To conduct key work sessions regularly and keep casework records up: to: date and per FCWAs requirements.
• To assess the practical and emotional support needs of residents and to ensure appropriate support for that resident.
• To assess welfare benefit requirements of women and assist in making applications when necessary.
• To assist in helpline cover.
• To welcome new arrivals, complete all necessary paperwork. Ensure the family has what they need to make them comfortable.
• To maintain knowledge of local services and signpost to specialist agencies where appropriate.
• Use the DASH risk assessment to assess risk and refer to MARAC where necessary.
• Undertake appropriate training to maintain expertise in domestic violence/abuse.
• Maintain house security and ensure all house rules are adhered to by residents : communicate any breaches to the line manager.
• To ensure good practice in safeguarding children and young people and follow policies and procedures.
• To ensure a good standard of hygiene is maintained in the refuge. Clean and prepare vacant rooms. Carry out cleaning when required and other light manual duties as needed.
• To develop and maintain positive, collaborative working relationships with all FCWAs staff, including colleagues at other sites and the police health and social services.
• To work within the confines of confidentiality and ensure that professional boundaries are always maintained when working with residents, staff, and external bodies and to work within FCWAs Code of Conduct.

To ensure that the security of sensitive information is maintained.

• To be available for On call service on a rota basis
• To attend any meetings or training either internal or external as requested by the line manager and to attend regular supervision sessions.
• Advocate on behalf of residents where necessary.
• To carry out any other duties that may be required by the Line Manager and work at any of its other sites when required to do so.

Whilst this job description attempts to cover the main duties of the post, it is not exhaustive.

The potholder is, therefore, expected to undertake any other reasonable duties within their capabilities and the scope of the post as specified by their line manager.

This role is subject to successful references and an enhanced DBS check.

This post is exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9 and Part 1 : female applicants only.

Person Specification

Essential

• Excellent literary and administrative skills including ability in information technology, data collection, and report writing
• At least two direct years experience in providing emotional and practical support to women.
• Experience in assisting women in applying for benefits.
• Demonstrable understanding of the diverse needs of women and children experiencing domestic violence and the discrimination issues as they
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