Senior Refuge Practitioner

at  Womens Aid Leicestershire

To apply, please go to the Women’s Aid Leicestershire Ltd. website to submit an application form for this role:
https://wa-leicester.org.uk/work-for-us/
Due to the nature of the role this post is open to women only under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1 and subject to enhanced DBS checks.
Please note that if you have previously accessed support from WALL, you will need to have completed your support two years ago or more before you can apply for a role.
Main Tasks:

To coordinate support services and a programme of activities in the city refuges and to manage the team of employees providing:

• Specialist housing advice
• Enhanced security measures as a part of a wider package of care and support
• Provision of accommodation for those fleeing domestic abuse

On Call: You are required to participate in an out of hours rota.

Key Responsibilities:

• Service Co-ordination

This includes management of staff and resources to enable the services to function efficiently and effectively.

• Service Development

This includes understanding the needs of clients and developing and improving services to meet those needs and promoting the service to potential victims and survivors.

• Service Delivery

This includes working alongside colleagues, managers and other agencies to deliver support services to specialist clients.

To act as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, to develop and implement WALL’s safeguarding policies and practices alongside WALL’s Designated Safeguarding Manager, ensuring the highest safeguarding standards are in place throughout all aspects of service delivery, embedding learning into working practice.

• General

This includes all duties that ensure the safety and effectiveness of the accommodation provision, and team, with broader responsibilities that contribute to the development of WALL.
Duties:

Service Co-ordination

• To be responsible for, supervise and support employees and volunteers across WALL’s City Refuge projects ensuring appropriate and effective delivery of services.
• To be responsible for employee day-to-day supervision and professional development of employees, including the completion of supervision, case management supervision and appraisals.
• To assist with recruitment and selection, across the organisation.
• To oversee the allocation of referrals, and cases, to refuge practitioners and manage the workload capacity for teams.
• To assist in the volunteer training programme, and domestic abuse awareness training, to external organisations and agencies.
• To organise employee rotas to ensure the continuation of services including periods of leave and/or absence.
• To ensure monitoring is up to date and submitted in line with funder requirements.
• To keep accurate financial records and monitor the financial systems in the refuge, and for the dispersed accommodation.
• To coordinate the provision of enhanced security measures, as part of a wider package of care, and support to improve the safety of refuge.
• To co-ordinate the programme of activities for women and their children in the refuge. This may include the co-ordination of a service user’s forum.
• To work in partnership with other agencies to provide full integration for children into service provision within the area.
• To keep clear, accurate records and maintain confidential files on clients and their children in the refuge.
• To maintain a record of equipment needed, order new and replacement items when required and ensure regular maintenance and health and safety checks of equipment in the refuge.

Service Development

• To regularly assess the needs of clients and employees and make recommendations for improving and developing services.
• To ensure monitoring and evaluation systems, which assess intake, output and outcomes of the service are accurate and up to date.
• To assist the senior management team in the collection of statistical and financial information for monitoring, auditing and quality assurance purposes.
• To support the administrative systems, and use effectively, in providing high quality services across the organisation.
• To develop and maintain links with other agencies and assist in developing protocols and referral procedures as appropriate.
• To assist in the development of WALL policies and practices, and ensure all employees are able to apply to their own practice.
• To help in the development and promotion of WALL training services to external agencies and individuals, and specifically to raise awareness of the effects of domestic violence on victims.
• To represent WALL to relevant external agencies.
• To work with partner agencies in developing and improving services for victims of domestic abuse.
• To ensure that the service recognises the needs and concerns of a diverse range of survivors and address them appropriately, by working proactively to ensure that a non-discriminatory service is accessible to all eligible clients.
• To keep up to date with policy and practice in your area of work and undertake employee development and training relevant to the post.

Service Delivery

• To accept and oversee the referrals pathway into WALL, and accept and triage admissions to the refuge.
• To keep clear and accurate records and maintain confidential files on clients.
• To oversee a case load of clients when needed, ensuring that each client receives the appropriate service, individual to their needs and develop appropriate support and safety plans.
• To provide support for survivors and their children based on their needs and interests.
• To organise and participate in the rota of Seniors on duty in the evenings and weekends. This includes duty during bank holidays and national holidays.
• To facilitate and chair team meetings.
• To facilitate and attend refuge house meetings.
• To represent residents and their children at meetings with external agencies where appropriate.
• To act as a Safeguarding Lead for WALL.

General

• To act in accordance with the policies and practices of WALL. In particular to maintain the strict confidentiality of the Refuges and Dispersed properties.
• To act in a fair and supportive way, and positively promote equal opportunities and eradicate discrimination.
• To work in a safe and responsible way, ensuring that safety procedures are followed and that you do not endanger yourself, your colleagues or clients.
• To be punctual and minimise absence from work.

Other duties commensurate with responsibilities

• To attend all supervision, staff meetings and training days.
• To undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as may be reasonably required, and which are consistent with the general level of responsibility of this role.

Line Management relationship

• The post holder will be line managed by the Head of Operations.
• The post holder will line manage a team of 7. This is subject to change, in line with funding outcomes.

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential Requirements:
- Good standard of general education
Desirable Requirements:
- A recognised social work/housing/legal/ counselling or other relevant qualification
- First Aid qualification
Method of Assessment: Application Form & copies of certificates taken

EXPERIENCE

Essential Requirements:
- Experience of supervising and supporting staff and volunteers
- Experience of working in a refuge, or hostel, or supported accommodation
- Experience of working with vulnerable adults and children
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural context
- Experience of following and implementing safeguarding policies and procedures
- Experience of writing delivery or individual development / support plans
- Experience of liasing effectively with other organisations and agencies
- Experience of financial monitoring and working to a budget
- Experience of planning and evaluating own and other’s work
- Experience of fundraising
- Experience of training others
Desirable Requirements:
- Experience of working in the voluntary sector
- Experience of project development
- Experience of making grant applications
Method of Assessment: Application Form, Interview and References

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Essential Requirements:
- Up to date knowledge of housing, criminal, civil and welfare rights legislation, relating to domestic abuse.
- An understanding of domestic abuse and the effects on victims
- Ability to supervise the work of others
- Able to empathise and communicate well
- Working knowledge of equality and diversity
- Good administrative skills, including ability to write reports
- Working knowledge of ICT and ability to use computerised systems
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to work in a non-discriminative way, and promote equality of opportunity
- Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team
Method of Assessment: Application form, Presentation, Interview and References

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Essential Requirements:
- These posts are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1976 under (Exemption Amendments Order 1986)
- Able to work to Policies and Procedures
- Available to some evenings and occasional weekends
- A willingness to be flexible and adapt to changing needs
- Full Driving Licence and access to own transport for work
Method of Assessment: Application Form, Interview, References, DBS application & ID documents
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From £28,371.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Casual dress
• Company pension
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Leicester, Leicestershire: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 20/01/2025
Reference ID: Senior Ref PracCity37hr

Other duties commensurate with responsibilities

• To attend all supervision, staff meetings and training days.
• To undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as may be reasonably required, and which are consistent with the general level of responsibility of this role