Domestic Abuse Refuge Children’s Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please note, due to the nature of the service, it is an occupational requirement that the post holder is female and the post is therefore exempt from the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in terms of Schedule 9, Part 1, and Paragraph 1 of the Act.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We're looking for a Children and Family Worker to join the team in our West London Women's refuge. The service is a refuge accommodation for women and children surviving domestic abuse many of whom are living with trauma. we are looking for someone who really cares about the rights of women and their children.

As a Children and Family worker, you will support in providing a much needed safe and nurturing environment for children and their mother's, providing pathways, support and appropriate interventions to enable resettlement. You will support various teams to co-produce a tailored support plan which is altered to the individual's needs through a recovery model providing trauma informed and enabling environments to achieve this. 

Shift Pattern: 37.5 hours per week, working on a rota which is over 7 days including evenings. You will be based on site within the service.

ABOUT YOU

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate compassion, empathy, empowerment and support to our residents in a trauma informed approach, able to communicate effectively with others and build purposeful relationships. You will be comfortable with the environment in which you will be working, with a passion to support women and their families rebuild confidents, relationships, and work towards their personal goals. You will be comfortable with lone and group working and have a passion to provide high quality care and support to others.

Benefits, including Non-Contractual Perks

• 25 days annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Medicash includes discount gym memberships, routine optometry care, dental treatments, and physiotherapy treatments
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards

If you have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to make a real difference in people's lives, challenge stigma and make our communities safer, we would love to hear from you!

OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Children and Family Relationships

• Provide parenting advice to support mothers and their families.
• Provide stimulating play opportunities to encourage children from all backgrounds to develop and express themselves, as well as support the children with their general learning, homework, and literacy.
• Support with early learning development, supporting mothers through advice and activity packs which aid their childrens learning and development.
• Deliver family sessions to support contract orders by social services and other organisations, as well as to help rebuild relationships, life skills, confidence, reliance, self-esteem and manage trauma.
• Offer age-appropriate sessions to children to provide a safe, encouraging, and development led environment which provides meaningful and memorable experiences.
• Work with residents and their keyworkers to understand complex needs to help build childrens and their families lives.

Support Working

• Build and sustain trusting and respectful relationships with our residents, including children.
• Create a safe, stable, psychologically informed environment which is nurturing to children and families.
• Provide support for residents, contributing to the development of support plans, risk assessments, reviews, regular support sessions and other personal development activities.
• Support with reducing barriers to reintegrating into communities, and re-developing confidence, skills, and coping mechanisms to support those with previous trauma.
• Develop and sustain therapeutic relationships with our residents, providing practical and emotional support with a trauma informed approach to ensure they are always treated with respect and dignity. Deal with sensitive information in a professional manner.

Additional Responsibilities

• Attend appointments as and when required in support of residents.
• Undertake shift lead responsibilities on rotation, taking responsibility for ensuring day-to-day support delivery is effective, with staff carrying out their designated responsibilities, alongside ensuring resident and service-specific follow up actions are completed.
• Housing Management responsibilities, ensure residents and staff are safe, and the surroundings are kept clean and well maintained.

Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position. 

KEY CRITERIA

What we are looking for:

• Understanding and/or experience of working with people of complex backgrounds
• Previous experience and/or in-depth knowledge about working with children who have experienced trauma
• IT Proficiency, ability to learn new software programs, basic Microsoft experience
• Understanding of the trauma children and families may go through due to domestic violence and other previous experiences
• Understanding of the social needs and support required for people with multiple and complex needs
• Understanding and/or practical knowledge of the social and societal marginalisation that can be attached to people with various challenging backgrounds, mental health, addiction, exploitation, homelessness, and previous convictions

What we would like, but not essential:

• Previous experience creating co-produced support plans, key working, and care planning, providing appropriate interventions for service users
• Previous experience providing housing support and practical assistance within a residential support role
• Appropriate Professional Qualification in: Social Care, Early years Education, Certificate in Childcare or other relevant
• Understanding and/or practical application of key legislation regarding social care, housing, criminal justice, and mental health
• Ability to Recognise signs of deteriorating mental health and initiate appropriate interventions to prevent crisis

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

WORKING FOR US

ABOUT US

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.

Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change

Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

Our Values

Ambition Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people

Empowerment Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential

Transparency Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff

Inclusivity Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.

For Recruitment related enquiries, or if you need support with making your application for example due to learning needs or a disability, please email recruitment@socialinterestgroup.org.uk or call us on 020 3668 9270

Person Specification

Qualifications

Desirable

• Understanding, knowledge, and/or practical application of key legislation Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Mental Health, Criminal Justice, Social Care, and Housing, and Health, Safety and Environment

Experience

Desirable

• Understanding, knowledge, and/or practical application of key legislation Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Mental Health, Criminal Justice, Social Care, and Housing, and Health, Safety and Environment

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

The Social Interest Group

Address

The Refuge

The Refuge

West London

London

N1 1TY

Employer's website

https://socialinterestgroup.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)