Support Worker Jobs
Location: Homebased – Yorkshire & North-East
Hours: 14 hours per week (Thursday & Friday)
Contract - Permanent - Part-Time
Salary: £10,395.60 per annum + £300 per annum homeworking allowance
As a ‘not for profit’ organisation, TACT puts the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint individuals who are as passionate about fostering as we are. TACT invests all surplus income into staff, carers, and child development. This means that we have been able to establish expert in-house support services such as our TACT Health and Education Services and create TACT Connect, our ground-breaking scheme for care-experienced young people and adults. New staff will join us as we embark on a journey to become a wholly trauma-informed organisation with the aim of increasing our effectiveness and improving outcomes for the children and young people in our care.
We pride ourselves on our flexible working opportunities, an extensive wellbeing programme, and our benefits package, all curated to support a healthy work-life balance for all our staff. We will also invest in your learning, supporting you to grow and develop during your employment with TACT. You will be encouraged to attend personal and professional development opportunities and will have access to learning and resources to empower you to advance your knowledge and skills.
We are currently the 4th Best Charity to work for and the 16th Best Mid-Sized Company in the UK according to The Best Companies criteria and our survey results have evidenced “outstanding” levels of engagement amongst staff in recent years. You can view our Best Companies summary video here.
We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and highly motivated individual with experience in administration within the social care field to work with us as a Family Finding Worker. This role is home-based, and it will cover placements for our Yorkshire & North-East areas.
The Family Finding Worker is responsible for receiving placement requests for children who need to be looked after and matching them to our foster carer in cooperation with the Duty Social Worker. The role requires exceptional communication skills and discretion, sensitivity and the capability to deal with conflicting priorities at times.
In this role, you will be responsible for…
- Processing referrals received from the Local Authority requesting a place for a child
- Building and maintaining positive relationships with Local Authority Placement Teams
- Liaising with appropriate parties regarding discussion of potential matches
- Reviewing sensitive and confidential documents
- Establishing professional relationships with colleagues, carers, and the children they look after to ensure the best outcomes for the children and young people in our care
You will be suited to this role if you have…
- Experience in a social care & health setting
- Experience of working with children/young people
- Knowledge of current safeguarding procedures.
- Excellent communication skills
- The ability to build a rapport and a positive working relationship with external partners.
Please see the Job Information Pack and Job Description for further information.
TACT Yorkshire and North East team are also currently recruiting for a part-time (21 hours per week) Children and Young People's Wellbeing Practitioner role, which is advertised separately. We would welcome applications from candidates who feel able to meet the requirements of both posts and would be interested in full-time employment (35 hours per week) with a combined role comprising both posts. Any applicants interested in combining both roles will need to be based within the North East region, in order to meet the travel requirements of the Wellbeing Practitioner role.
A standard DBS clearance is required for this role, which TACT will undertake on your behalf.
- Closing Date: Friday, 26 April 2024
- Interview Date: Thursday, 9th May 2024 (via Microsoft Teams)
Safeguarding is everyone’s business and TACT believes that only the people with the right skills and values should work in social work. As part of TACT’s commitment to safeguarding, we properly examine the skills, experience, qualifications, and values of potential staff in relation to our work with vulnerable young children. We use rigorous and consistent recruitment approaches to help safeguard TACT’s young people. All our staff are expected to work in line with TACT’s safeguarding policies.
TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
TACT reserves the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Do you want to make a difference now and for the future?
We have an exciting opportunity to join our team in East Sussex who support Young Carers, aged 5-18 years, who have caring responsibilities for someone in their family due to disability, long-term illness, mental health, or drug or alcohol misuse.
You will manage an existing caseload and new referrals, meeting with families and Young Carers to complete statutory assessments, and providing short-term interventions that support Young Carers to improve their resilience, educational chances and wellbeing. This might be signposting to local services, action planning, one-to-one support, or our workshop programme.
Working closely with schools and Childrens Services, you will make referrals to a range of professionals and community services, ensuring whole family needs are met, and thereby reducing the impact of caring on the Young Carer.
As a CYP Coordinator, you will plan and deliver workshop sessions and activities, providing opportunities for Young Carers to spend time with their peers and recognise that they are not alone.
This is a full-time role delivering the service across Wealden (part-time hours considered), and includes working once a week at our Tunbridge Wells office. Some early evenings required. Own car essential.
You can make the difference and give a Young Carer their childhood back.
We offer our employees:
· Inclusive values-based environment
· Competitive remuneration package
· Workplace pension scheme
· Generous 31 days annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays
· Opportunities for hybrid working
· Benenden Health Care
· Death in Service Benefit
· Cycle to Work Scheme
· Employee Supported Volunteering scheme
· Development opportunities
· and more
Imago is committed to Safer Recruitment practices, and the post is subject to references and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Please either submit your CV with a short covering note or visit our website for full details.
Imago recognises that many people in our society experience discrimination or lack of opportunity for reasons that are not fair. We aim to create a culture that respects and values each other’s differences, and see these differences as an asset, as they improve our ability to meet the needs of the organisations and people we work with. We proactively seek to increase opportunities for inclusion, and celebrate diversity across our organisation and within communities.
Imago recognises its duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children, young people and adults at risk who access its services or with whom it comes into contact.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We currently have opportunities to join us as Initial Support Agents (known internally as Triage & Early Intervention Officers). These roles can be offered on a part-time basis and are based at our office in Ingatestone, Essex with the opportunity of hybrid working.
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About the role:
We are recruiting Triage and Early Intervention Officers on a part time basis. You will be supporting people on the telephone, by text or email from a variety of different backgrounds, all with different experiences. No two days are the same & you will need to use your communication skills and resilient nature to help those dealing with trauma and the effects of crime, who may have gone through a life-changing experience. Previous experience is not required as you will receive robust training prior to working directly with clients. You will also receive ongoing support to ensure that you can provide victims with quick responses to meet their needs and help them cope and recover.
These roles are based in our Essex office in Ingatestone. There may be an option to split the work between home and the office. You will be working within a supportive team that is part of a large independent charity which offers the opportunity to develop skills to enhance your ongoing personal development.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website, and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.
The application will ask you for specific evidence of how you have demonstrated each of the below shortlisting criteria. You will need to give examples of each in your application so that the panel can assess your potential based on previous experiences.
Those candidates determined by the panel as meeting or exceeding the criteria based on the written evidence will then be invited to attend a competency based interview and further skills assessment.
We looking forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
We have an exciting opportunity for a part-time Young Witness Service Caseworker to join the team in Lewes Crown Court, working 15hrs a week, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5pm.
Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to changes & improvement for those who need it?
Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care?
If yes, then we'd love to hear from you…
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your Birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About the role:
The position is based at our Lewes Crown Court office, working 15 hours per week Thursday and Friday 9am to 5pm. Hybrid working meaning 1 day office based and 1 day home based.
As a Young Witness Service Caseworker you will be:
- Supporting child and young person witnesses and victims of crime by providing information along with practical & emotional help
- Supporting child and young person witnesses to navigate the court system, providing advocacy and support directly to witnesses and anyone else affected by the crime
- Completing needs and risk assessments with victims
- Case management and updating databases in line with GDPR & safeguarding regulations
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships and collaborative working with local partnerships, other agencies and participating in community events.
You will need:
- To be able to work without direct supervision, prioritising work to meet competing demands
- Good communication skills, able to show empathy & deal with difficult situations
- To demonstrate good IT skills, able to use Microsoft Office & internal systems
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Purpose
This role is a job share with another Deputy Service Manager. Both Deputies will be responsible for equally sharing duties.
This role sits within our Adult Services department, across Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, Hounslow and Spelthorne.
You will be working directly with the Service Manager and be responsible for assisting with the operational delivery and service development, of a portfolio of services. Namely:
- Safe Space Community
- Safe Space ED
- Hounslow Helpline
- Nova Roots (Forensic Community Hub)
- Spelthorne Prevention Hub
The Role Purpose
The role of the Deputy Service Manager will be to work closely alongside the Service Manager and assist with the operational delivery of a portfolio of services. You will be there to support the rest of the team in delivering interventions on a one-to-one and group basis. The role will also involve triaging and assessing all clients accessing the service, signposting and delivering collaborative self-management plans with clients to improve mental wellbeing. The role will also include line management and supervision of Team Managers and supervision of Support Workers within the service. In addition, you will be responsible for deputising for the Service Manager in their absence. You will also be expected to provide on-call advice.
You can download a PDF of the job description for this role at the bottom of the page.
About Us
Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind are a specialist mental health provider and part of the Mind Federation. We provide support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
The lived experience of people with mental health problems is at the heart of everything we say and do.
We campaign to improve services and are committed to empowering local residents, promoting wellbeing and supporting recovery.
We work to transform understanding of mental health in the workplace, in schools and public services.
We do this by providing a range of services that are empowering, recovery focused and preventative.
Key Responsibilities
See job description for full list of responsibilities.
- Guiding the team, supporting the team managers in responding to referrals and planning each shift in terms of staffing, activities and case allocation
- Understanding of risk and risk management
- Understanding safeguarding adults and children processes and legal requirements
- Understanding of safety planning and de-escalation
- Working collaboratively with clients to understand their needs and developing flexible and realistic crisis support packages/person centred plans
- Listening to clients and encouraging positive steps towards self-management of crisis and recovery
- Providing advice, information, practical and emotional support to clients
- Proactively recognising the indicators of deteriorating mental health and facilitate appropriate action, whilst liaising with relevant agencies e.g. CATT, Emergency Duty Teams, CMHTS, etc
- Maintaining accurate records, detailing interventions
- Ensuring that outcomes, outputs and impact are recorded
- Understanding CQC standards and NICE guidelines around mental health
- Create and maintain good working relationships with partner agencies
- Actively participate in training and development
- Provide guidance to support workers and volunteers
- Direct line management of team managers
- To work with service managers and assist with reporting and monitoring
Dimensions and limits of authority
- In the absence of the Service Manager be responsible and accountable for the delivery of high-quality services
- In the absence of the Service Manager act as a point of contact for stakeholders
- In the absence of the Service Manager be responsible for the overall management of the staff working in the service
Person Specification
See job description for full person specification
- Minimum of 1 year working in mental health services and with clients experiencing mental health distress and crisis
- Experience of line management within a mental health setting
- Experience of de-escalation
- Experience of managing challenging behaviour and dealing with clients with complex needs
- Evidence of continual professional development
- Understanding of the Recovery Model in mental health
- Understanding of the principles of trauma informed care
- Understanding of suicide prevention and safety planning
- Experience of managing safeguarding risks and understanding legal requirements for safeguarding adults and children
- Understanding of how to report and mitigate risks
- Understanding of the relationship between mental health and social issues and how these issues may impact on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
- Understanding of relevant legislation and policies
- Understanding safeguarding adults and children processes and legal requirements
- Awareness of issues in mental health service provision
- A good understanding of mental health conditions
- Experience of working with vulnerable individuals
- Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals
- Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner and de-escalate challenging situations
- Ability to prioritise and manage workload
- Ability to involve clients and carers in all aspects of work
- Empathy and non-judgemental approach
- Good communication skills
- Capacity to work within an agreed shift pattern
- Experience of delivering information and advice (housing, benefits, debt etc)
- Experience of non-clinical, therapeutic interventions like psychoeducation
- Good IT skills including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, with proven ability to input and extract information and produce reports
- Understanding of different databases such as Views, Salesforce.
- Car driver with sole ownership of a vehicle and willingness to travel to locations would be desirable.
- Ability to work out of hours and on weekends
Closing Date
We reserve the right to change the closing date without notice depending on the number of responses received.
Equal Opportunities
We welcome applications from everyone, applicants with lived experience, LGBTQ+, people with a disability, or who are BAME are actively encouraged to apply. We are proud to have also been awarded Disability Confident employer status and therefore we ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to everyone.
We are an equal opportunities employer; and are proud to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
HFEH Mind are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk. Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are looking for motivated & empathetic individuals to join the Children & Young People team at Victim Support based in Hampshire as Initial Support Agents (known internally as Triage & Early Intervention Officers) working 15 hours per week.
Are you looking for a new challenge that will be rewarding and make a real difference to people's lives? Do you enjoy talking to people, providing empathy & support, and helping to find solutions to problems?
If this sound like you, then we'd love to hear from you...
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About the role:
This role is based between our independent office in Chandlers Ford and from home on a hybrid basis. You will be working shifts that vary between 8am-8pm Monday to Friday. You will also be required to work a minimum of 1 Saturday per month 8am to 4pm where you will receive a day off in lieu during the week. Shifts are designated on a rota basis which is given in advance.
As an Initial Support Agent/ Triage & Early Intervention Officer, you will be:
You will be talking to children, young people and parents and carers on the telephone from a variety of different backgrounds, all with different experiences. No two days are the same & you will need to use your communication skills and resilient nature to help those dealing with trauma and the effects of crime, who may have gone through a life-changing experience. You will receive robust training prior to working directly with clients and ongoing support to ensure that you can provide victims with quick responses to meet their needs and help them cope and recover.
You will be working within a supportive team that is part of a large independent charity which offers the opportunity to develop skills to enhance your ongoing personal development.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision
Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
We have an exciting opportunity for an Initial Support Agent (known internally as a Triage & Early Intervention Officer) to join the Eastern PIC team, working 22.5 hours a week.
Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who need it?
Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care?
If yes, then we'd love to hear from you…
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About the role:
This role is based between our East Hampshire office in Portsmouth and from home on a hybrid basis. You will be working shifts Monday to Friday between either 8am and 4pm, 10am and 6pm or 12pm and 8pm. You will also be required to work a minimum of 1 Saturday per month 8am to 4pm where you will receive a day off in lieu during the week. Shifts are designated on a rota basis which is given in advance.
As an Initial Support Agent/ Triage & Early Intervention Officer, you will be:
You will be talking to people on the telephone from a variety of different backgrounds, all with different experiences. No two days are the same & you will need to use your communication skills and resilient nature to help those dealing with trauma and the effects of crime, who may have gone through a life-changing experience. Previous experience is not required as you will receive robust training prior to working directly with clients. You will also receive ongoing support to ensure that you can provide victims with quick responses to meet their needs and help them cope and recover.
You will be working within a supportive team that is part of a large independent charity which offers the opportunity to develop skills to enhance your ongoing personal development.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision
Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
Main Purpose of the Role:
To provide advocacy and support to survivors of sexual violence. The ISVA will support adults who have reported or are wishing to report this crime navigate the criminal justice system. The ISVA will work closely with the Police Service, Sexual Assault Referral Centre, CPS, and other relevant organisations.
ISVA Main Duties
· Provide advice, guidance and information to adults who have experienced rape and sexual abuse.
· Support service users that have been referred to Trust House Reading.
· Support clients in making informed choices about their future options.
· Explain relevant criminal, legal and civil remedies and housing options to clients as required.
· Assess the risk and support needs of clients.
· Develop individual support plans to address risks /support needs of clients.
· Ensure that clients are aware of the services to which they are entitled and advocate for them to help them access services.
· Understand the legal framework relating to the protection of children and vulnerable adults including the policy and procedures in relation to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
· Support ISVA clients through the criminal justice system, explaining the procedures and their role and rights within that system, referring to Victim Support or the Witness Care Service as appropriate.
· Support the service user in making a witness statement and attending court.
· Keep the service user informed about case progress on behalf of the police in line with the requirements of the Service Code of Practice.
· Participate in case conferences with the police, CPS and prosecuting barrister.
· Assist clients accessing special measures.
· Liaise with the police, CPS and other service providers on behalf of the service user.
· Provide information and support in relation to Criminal Injuries Compensation.
· Help clients to develop their own support network.
· Refer on and arrange meetings with other agencies/services as necessary, for instance, sexual health services, mental health, drug and alcohol, counselling, housing etc.
· Actively and positively engage with other voluntary sector agencies, including sexual violence specialist agencies e.g. domestic violence service outreach, IDVA and refuge providers.
· Manage a caseload of approximately 14 active cases.
· Maintain and update records of all cases including initial referral, risk assessment, subsequent risk assessment, care and safety plans, and action taken.
· To understand and assess other support needs of clients, for example translation or interpretation needs and be fully aware of available resources.
· Where an assault is related to domestic violence and the client is assessed as high risk, refer on to Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) following locally agreed protocols (including working proactively with the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Service), attend and participate in meetings and follow-up on actions agreed in MARAC.
· Contribute to the development of policies, protocols, guidelines, strategies within practice area if necessary.
· Collate areas of service gap and service inadequacy to feed back to the commissioner and the relevant strategic groups.
· Note and feed back to the commissioner and the relevant strategic groups or other appropriate body any consistent difficulties clients are having accessing services.
ISVA Person Specification
Essential:
· Educated to A-level standard.
· Experience of working with vulnerable clients.
· Knowledge of the impact of rape/sexual violence and sexual abuse on service.
· Knowledge of the criminal justice system for survivors of rape and sexual abuse.
· Understanding of the principles of risk assessment and safety planning.
· Pro-active.
· Empathic, with a non-judgmental approach.
· A good listener.
· Strong crisis management skills.
· Understanding of the process of seeking help and barriers to seeking help.
· Good written and verbal communication skills.
· Ability to work on own without close supervision.
· Ability to manage caseload and work priorities.
· Ability to share sensitive information, adhering to protocols.
· Understanding of child protection and safeguarding issues and legal responsibilities.
· Willingness to undertake regular training.
· Willingness and ability to work with clients of all genders.
· Commitment to continued professional development.
· Knowledge of and commitment to diversity issues.
· Ability to work safely and within boundaries.
· Completed accredited ISVA training course (or equivalent) or willingness to complete the training.
· Willingness and ability to travel across the Thames Valley when necessary.
· Computer literate: word-processing, emailing, data collection/spreadsheets.
· Ability and willingness to work in partnership and as part of a team.
Desirable:
· Professional qualification in social work or related field.
· Current full driving license and own vehicle.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.