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London, Greater London (On-site)
14.02 miles
£28,373 per year
Full-time
Contract (9 months)
Job description
At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Refuge Worker to play a pivotal role in our Domestic Abuse Service in Tower Hamlets
Sounds great, what will I be doing?
This role involves providing intensive, person-centred support to women in a residential setting. The role includes delivering key sessions, community meetings, and daily contact to assess and monitor individual needs. You will co-produce Support and Safety Plans with residents, focusing on their strengths and goals, and offer advice on safety, domestic abuse, housing, and independent living. Responsibilities also include liaising with statutory bodies on safeguarding matters, supporting move-on accommodation, and promoting empowerment through workshops and social activities. The role follows “The Hestia Approach,” prioritising co-production, recovery, and partnership with service users.
What do I need to bring with me?
You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.
Here's what the team will be looking for
The successful candidate will have substantial experience working directly with individuals who present a wide range of support needs, risks, and aspirations for their future. They will be confident in delivering high‑quality casework, including key working, support planning, and risk assessments, with a strong focus on promoting independence and recovery. A solid understanding of issues affecting women experiencing domestic abuse, as well as knowledge of mental health, substance misuse, and the wider social factors impacting service users, is essential.
The role requires someone who is able to work collaboratively with a variety of external agencies, including Social Services, mental health teams, drug and alcohol services, and other community organisations. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively with professionals to ensure that support packages are well‑coordinated and that safeguarding responsibilities are met. A thorough understanding of safeguarding legislation and procedures, including child protection, is fundamental to the role.
The postholder will need strong knowledge of welfare benefits, housing legislation, and the practical steps involved in supporting women to secure and maintain safe accommodation. They must be able to work confidently within service specifications, quality frameworks, and organisational policies, ensuring accurate record‑keeping, case notes, and monitoring reports. Experience using computer‑based systems to record client information is therefore required.
A commitment to equality, diversity, and the rights of service users is central to the role. The candidate must demonstrate an ability to promote dignity, choice, empowerment, and co‑production in all aspects of their work, in line with The Hestia Approach. They should be able to support women in developing confidence, resilience, and peer networks, and be comfortable facilitating group activities, workshops, and community‑based initiatives.
Please note: This role is open to female applicants only, in accordance with Schedule 9 (1a) of the Equality Act 2010.
Interview Steps
We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.
- Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
- Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.
Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.
We are a disability confident employer
Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.
Safeguarding Statement
Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.
Organisation
Hestia
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Registered Charity
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Registered Charity
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We deliver services across London as well as campaign and advocate nationally on the issues that affect the people we work with.
Posted on: 16 June 2026
Closing date: 30 June 2026 at 10:51
Tags: Domestic Violence / Abuse
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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Job description
The Hainault Forest Visitor Centre Assistant is an integral part of the team delivering a welcoming and memorable experience for visitors to Hainault Forest. Working in the Woodland Trust’s visitor centre, the role will assist with retail operations, provide excellent customer service, support various visitor engagement activities, and promote ways that visitors can support our cause - including Woodland Trust membership. This role contributes to enhancing the visitor experience while supporting the Woodland Trust’s mission. Our work at Hainault Forest is delivered in partnership with London Borough of Redbridge and Vision RCL.
The Role:
- Provide a warm, welcoming experience for visitors by sharing information about the forest, facilities, activities, and key site features, and responding to general enquiries.
- Promote the Trust’s membership offer and actively encourage sign-ups as part of the visitor experience.
- Support the delivery of events such as local walks workshops, often with children on an occasional basis.
- Work as part of the Visitor Centre team to manage building operations, including opening and closing procedures, upkeep of shared spaces, and handling financial transactions and cashing up.
- Deliver high-quality retail service, including operating the till efficiently, maintaining the retail area to a high standard, restocking and rotating stock, and ensuring strong visual merchandising.
- Contribute to retail performance by supporting stock selection and stock level decisions, monitoring sales, and helping to develop the retail offer to maximise income generation at the forest.
- Provide occasional support with social media by creating content and posting on relevant platforms to help promote the site and its activities.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues, volunteers, and external partners, while following all health and safety procedures and adhering to data protection regulations when handling personal information
- This role will be based in the Hainault Forest Visitor Centre. You would be expected to live locally or within a reasonable travelling distance.
The Candidate:
- Experience working in a retail and/or customer-facing environment, with knowledge of point-of-sale (POS) systems, visual merchandising and stock management processes.
- Ability to manage your own time effectively within agreed working hours, balancing multiple tasks and priorities.
- Comfortable working independently using your own initiative, while also being a reliable and collaborative team member.
- Strong communication skills, able to engage confidently and appropriately with a range of audiences including children and young people.
- A basic understanding of health and safety practices relevant to public-facing environments.
- Confident using MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
- A welcoming, organised, reliable, and passionate approach, with a genuine enthusiasm for nature and a desire to connect people with Hainault Forest and the Woodland Trust’s mission.
- Willingness to learn about Hainault Forest and the Woodland Trust, and subject to pre-employment checks including right-to-work, references and an enhanced DBS check.
- The successful candidate will be required to be over the age of 18 and required to undertake an Enhanced Background Check, as part of our pre-employment screening.
Benefits and Wellbeing:
Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:
- Enhanced Employer Pension
- Life Assurance
- Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
- Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time)
- Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
- Enhanced Parental Pay
- Employee Assistance Programme
About Us:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity. We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees.
People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.
Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.
Application Advice:
For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and CVs are redacted until after shortlisting is complete. Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role. Even if you don't meet every requirement of the role, we would encourage you to apply.
Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.
Apply Now:
If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete.
Interviews will take place at the Hainault Forest Visitor Centre.
Organisation
Posted on: 09 June 2026
Closing date: 24 June 2026 at 23:30
Tags: Retail / Sales, Customer Service, Engagement / Outreach, Wildlife
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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