Female family support worker

Job Description

Responsible to: Centre Manager Salary: To be negotiated Direct Reports:Centre Manager

To work closely as part of a team providing a confidential and supportive service, working closely with abused women and their children who are living in our refuge as a result of experiencing domestic abuse. The key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women and their children are provided with a safe, supportive welcoming and non judgmental environment.

Main duties:

1. To ensure that women and children admitted to the centre are made to feel welcome safe and comfortable. Assisting where necessary to move belongings and family into their allocated unit.
2. To ensure new arrivals are shown around premises, settled into accommodation, provided with welcome packs, informed of all services and sign documentation and that staff are available to answer any queries or to deal with concerns.
3. To ensure house rules, licence agreement and safety procedures are effectively communicated and implemented.
4. To keep and monitor all inventories and obtain resident signatures on admission and exit from the centre.
5. To assess benefit requirements of clients and to ensure prompt take up or transfer of housing and other benefits.
6. With residents explore and assess their housing needs and inform them of housing options. Arrange housing appointments, attend meetings and advocate on their behalf presenting their cases as required.
7. Key worker to complete client support needs assessment, risk assessments & risk management plans fully and effectively on first available shift to ensure quality of service.
8. To ensure all assessments and management plans are presented for signing and discussion with management at the earliest opportunity.
9. To ensure that women and children are provided with a high quality service in line with Supporting People requirements and that individual support plans are in place for each resident in accordance with centre policy and that these are regularly reviewed.
10. To ensure all support plans are recorded correctly with actions required, the outcome achieved and date for review.
11. To ensure that all relevant support hours are clearly and correctly recorded in the appropriate format to enable input onto the centre’s data base.
12. To conduct key work sessions on a weekly basis and produce and maintain comprehensive records in accordance with centre requirements and at all times demonstrate an awareness and sensitivity to the support needs of resident ensuring that these are being met effectively.
13. To ensure all advice and guidance given to residents is appropriate and relevant and fully takes into account their background and circumstances.
14. To arrange for the provision of legal advice as required and accompany women to appointments if appropriate, by arrangement with management.
15. To refer women to specialist agencies where appropriate as part of their support plan and with the agreement of management.
16. To ensure that any issues in relation to Child Protection matters are brought to the immediate attention of management.
17. To attend Child Protection Case Conferences and Core Groups as appropriate.
18. To communicate immediately with management any breaches of security, house rules or licence agreements especially where there is concern about safety.
19. Ensure all allocated files are reviewed at each shift and any concerns or discrepancies are addressed with relevant members of staff.
20. Maintain an overall knowledge of all clients resident within the centre and update on individual circumstances regularly.
21. Ensure all relevant occurrences on shift are recorded fully in the appropriate format and that log/handover book entries are appropriate, informative and state the time of occurrence.
22. Ensure that the needs of clients are a priority at all times and effective support is given in a non discriminatory and non judgmental way.
23. To keep up to date with literature on domestic violence as well as the effects of domestic violence e.g. through reading and training events. Keep updated on all associated training.
24. To ensure that clients comply with rent payment arrangements.
25. To undertake petty cash responsibilities and record all transactions as required. Seeking authorisation where necessary.
26. To carry out regular fire and health and safety checks in accordance with centre’s policies and procedures.
27. To ensure that correct procedures are followed during an evacuation and all paperwork completed correctly stating all required information.

FULL JD ON REQUEST