Women's Services Coordinator

Spires was established as a response to homelessness in the late 1980s. Spires has developed into an organization that provides a range of services, including day centre style drop-ins for homeless people, a Women’s drop in, a Refugee drop in and outreach targeted at supporting Women who are sex working. Our core mission is to support homeless people into housing and to assist those who have been homeless in maintaining their accommodation.

Part 1:  The Role

The Women’s Service Coordinator will manage Spires’ Women’s service offer. The Women’s Service offer comprises of:

• Spires-Street Link, which is a dedicated nighttime outreach service to support women who are involved in street-based sex working. This includes follow up work, casework, and multi-agency working.
• Centre based support for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This also includes casework and supporting Spires’ Housing and Homelessness team.

Part 2: Key duties and responsibilities

• Manage a small team of support workers and a team of dedicated volunteers.
• Oversee the delivery of effective assessment and allocation for clients.
• Oversee the effectiveness of casework across the Women’s Service.
• Directly support a small caseload of clients.
• Manage the team’s rota to ensure sufficient coverage across activities.
• Represent Spires to external organisations, developing and maintaining good working relationships with other professionals, community organisations, and statutory agencies.
• Manage the teams’ outcomes and data to produce reports for funders and stakeholders.
• Support Spires’ fundraising manager in making applications where required.

Part 3: Person specification

Essential experience: 

• Experience of working with women with complex support needs (including substance addiction, mental health needs, domestic violence, no recourse to public funds and sex working) .
• Experience of managing people within a relevant sector.
• Experience of challenging appropriately and maintaining clear and appropriate boundaries  
• Networking and effectively liaising with specialist service providers or agencies in order to establish and/or improve access to services for clients.

Desirable experience: 

• Relevant management experience
• Working with people who are sex-working  

Essential knowledge: 

• Sound understanding of the issues faced by women and other individuals involved in sex work.
• Understanding of the legislation around supporting the victims of Domestic Violence.
• Understanding of the effects of trauma on people and how to work in a trauma informed way.  
• Good understanding of safeguarding practices in outreach work, social care and/or day centre environment. 
• Good understanding of confidentiality and working with sensitive information. 
• Good understanding of the principles of people management.

Essential skills and personal qualities: 

• Willingness to work unsocial hours  
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills 
• Full drivers’ licence (required for outreach)
• Ability to effectively manage time, work under pressure and balance competing priorities to meet deadlines 
• IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and databases 
• Honest and reliable, with ability to maintain enthusiasm for a high level of contact with clients on a day-to-day basis 
• A commitment to providing a safe and inclusive service to all regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or age 

Spires is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. This post however, is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.  

Part 4: Summary of terms and conditions of service 

Probation: This post is subject to a 6-month probationary period.  

Notice: This post is subject to one week’s notice during the probationary period and a six-week notice period thereafter. 

Annual leave: The annual leave entitlement is 35 days per year pro rata, made up of eight bank and public holidays and 27 days annual leave. The 27 days annual leave is normally split between 24 ‘bookable’ days and three closure days that fall between Christmas and the New Year. Although the centre is closed between Christmas and the New Year, we open on Christmas Day for clients. Staff are encouraged to work on Christmas Day if available. Double time off in lieu is offered in return.  

Pension: The Spires Centre operates an Opt-out group pension arrangement and currently contributes 5% of annual salary for those who qualify. Personal contributions are currently 3%. 

Other benefits: The Spires Centre will provide life and income protection insurance for those who qualify for our group plans.  

Safeguarding: The postholder will adhere to The Spires Centre’s safeguarding policy for vulnerable adults. This post is also subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.