Specialist Refuge Worker

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as a Specialist Refuge Worker at Solace Women's Aid.

We exist to end the harm caused by gender-based violence. Our aim is to prevent violence and abuse, as well as provide services that meet the individual needs of survivors, particularly women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives free from abuse.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work, and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service

Frances House is a specialist refuge accommodating eight women affected by Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and multiple disadvantages. The house is staffed 24/7 and all work with residents is trauma-informed.

Specialist Refuge Workers work in shifts: 8am – 4pm and 1pm to 9pm (rotating on alternative weeks) and including some weekend shifts.

About the Role

As Specialist Refuge Worker, you will help create a safe, welcoming environment for women and families escaping abuse. You’ll handle phone enquiries, prepare rooms for new arrivals, support with deliveries, and help maintain clean, safe communal areas.

You’ll introduce new residents to Solace services, explain key policies, and ensure they are aware of internal and external support options. Working alongside each resident, you will develop support plans, assist with benefits and housing applications, accompany them to appointments when needed, and help them work towards safe, independent move‑on accommodation.

About You

The postholder will have experience of working intensively with service users in an accommodation setting and be adept at risk and needs assessment and support planning.

You will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the intersection between domestic abuse and multiple disadvantages, a developed understanding of how this can make it difficult for women to engage with support, and an ability to reflect on your own practice.

The ideal candidate will be compassionate, practical, and resilient, with a genuine commitment to supporting survivors of domestic abuse. You’re confident working in a busy, varied environment and can balance hands‑on tasks with administrative responsibilities.

You communicate clearly, build trusting relationships, and work well with residents, colleagues, and external agencies. You are organised, reliable, and able to maintain accurate records and follow safeguarding, health and safety, and organisational procedures.

You’re also comfortable supporting service users with practical needs such as benefits, housing, and appointments, and you approach challenges with patience, empathy, and a problem‑solving mindset. You have the ability to manage occasional physical tasks, such as helping prepare rooms or assisting with deliveries.

Additional Information

The postholder will be based at Frances House refuge, working full-time, providing on-site support to survivors. Given the nature of this role and our refuge services, we are unable to offer hybrid working for this position.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits, and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

Please submit your CV and Supporting Statement through the recruitment portal. When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Values, Behaviours & Competencies
• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. 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. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work. If you require any support to apply for this role, please do contact us.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1. Section 7(2)(e) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 applies. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies.