Housing Floating Support Worker

Description

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Housing Floating Support Worker

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.

About the role:

The Floating Support Worker will specialise in working with women for whom housing, and risk of tenancy breakdown is a priority. You will provide specialist housing and domestic abuse support to women aged 18 and over. The accommodation needs of the women you support will require you to advocate and support for each woman efficiently and empathically, whilst liaising with providers and stakeholders to ensure her accommodation needs are met. The role is dynamic and requires the post holder to respond to women with effective crisis intervention, advocacy and support. They will be required to coordinate the provision of multiagency support which focuses on working with clients to maintain their tenancies and prevent homelessness. The post holder will establish positive, proactive, and innovative working relationships with housing services and partner agencies.

The Floating Support Worker will ensure that the women survivors views and needs inform every stage of the process, and so the post holder will be empathic, empowering and able to advocate for women. You will also share your learning with your team, Advance and other stakeholders to ensure best practice is consistently achieved.

Working as part of a team of Floating Support Workers, you will make proactive contact and provide high quality non-judgemental advocacy and support based upon a client led needs and risk assessment. You will be responsible for a number of women at a time and you will be their designated and consistent support worker. You will also support women and referrers at the first stage of referral by completing assessments and providing crisis intervention support as part of a duty team with designated days for you to do this.

The Floating Support Worker will have an excellent understanding of domestic violence and its effects on women and children and of best practice within the domestic abuse and the housing sectors. As an experienced domestic abuse advocate who has worked with complex and multiple needs, you will be skilled in risk management and safety planning, remaining calm in a crisis and in handling sensitive information appropriately.

Experience of supporting female survivors of domestic violence with housing and accommodation needs, in partnership with other organisations, and of safeguarding procedures is essential for this post.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Create effective working partnerships with housing service providers and the local council to promote the Floating Support Worker Service

Provide information, guidance and support to referral stakeholders to enable them to identify women at risk of and experiencing domestic violence, enabling them to confidently respond and refer women to the service. This may include delivery of briefings and information sessions to upskill housing workers. To continuously build awareness of the service and confidence of stakeholders in order to ensure women in need are identified and supported

Effectively support a number of women at any one time, undertaking case management activities such as excellent assessments, action planning, referrals, and record keeping

Conduct comprehensive assessments of needs and risk for women experiencing domestic violence, carry out short- and longer-term risk management, safety planning and support; and identify and refer to services appropriate to their needs, including attendance at specialist/dedicated courts and MARAC as required

Develop and deliver support plans that include delivery of high-quality face to face or telephone crisis intervention, information, advocacy and support, in respect to criminal and civil remedies, housing, health, welfare rights, children s legislation and other appropriate interventions. Ensure that focus on safe tenancy sustainment and homelessness prevention underpins all work

Advise women of their rights and options for seeking help and support from other agencies, making referrals and co-ordinating the provision of multi-agency support where necessary, and proactively advocate ensuring barriers to accessing support and protection are minimised

Proactively assess the needs and safety of any children that women using the service may have, ensure that any risks/needs identified are addressed directly with the woman, and take appropriate action to safeguard them

Proactively assess the needs and safety of women at risk proactively following Adult at Risk policies and procedures

Participate in multi-agency conferences in respect of children and adults at risk as required, providing reports and undertaking actions as necessary

Ensure all monitoring and evaluation for each woman, all cases and the project overall is accurate and up to date. Work in partnership with your team and the Advance Insights and Evidence team to ensure all reporting requirements are met. Highlight issues and successes in a timely manner

Ensure that agreed case recording and monitoring systems are kept up to date and secure, and write internal and external reports where required, including for safeguarding conferences, team meetings, managers and other appropriate partners and stakeholders

Participate in multi-agency working and focus groups when requested to do so and follow through on agreed appropriate actions that arise from these

Work effectively as a member of your own team and as a team member of Advance supporting all organisational objectives

Work in partnership with housing staff and provide institutional advocacy to maximise positive outcomes and use the appropriate reporting mechanisms to highlight persistent or recurring issues that arise

Be responsible for your own personal learning development and keep up to date on research, relevant legislation, policy and practice, and other literature relevant to the role

Participate in supervision, training and meetings as required, and assist in the development of services in line with agreed development plans

How to apply:

Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered.

Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 31st August :59

Interviews are taking place on a rolling basis

Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits:

A 35-hour working week

An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!)

Additional days off to celebrate International Women s Day, and for religious observance and moving home

Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more

Pension scheme

Enhanced maternity/adoption provision

Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

Employee eye-care scheme

Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles

Refer a Friend Scheme - GBP250 for each referral who passes probation

Organisation wide away days

Thorough induction and training

Career development pathways

Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team who will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

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Ad ID: 5416923049