Head of Services
| Posting date: | 03 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 29 September 2025 |
| Location: | FK8 1XD |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | job25 |
Summary
As our lead practitioner, the Head of Services is responsible for the management, design and delivery of our therapeutic support service and training offers, and for managing the delivery of our criminal justice advocacy and prevention programmes. Delivering a quality and responsive service for survivors of sexual violence requires the post holder to keep survivors at the centre of everything she does and to ensure the team of practitioners are appropriately trained, skilled, inspired and supported to do so. The Head of Service is a member of the Senior Management team and will contribute through her operational and practice expertise and experience to the organisational vision, mission and strategy, which informs the operational action plans and individual development plans of her team.
Summary of main responsibilities and activities
Rape Crisis Services: Operational and Quality Management
• Be the centre’s lead practitioner with responsibility for ensuring the co-ordination and delivery of services to individuals aged 13 and over who have experienced sexual violence
• Develop and implement relevant policies and processes for the organisation as required
• Maintaining, reviewing and complying with the Rape Crisis National Service Standards and Best Practice Model’s Ethos and Values and ensuring the service meets agreed Scottish Government and funders’ objectives/outcomes
• Leading the development and delivery of practice handbooks
• Developing and delivering a framework for practice supervision
• Liaising with external practice supervisors, ensuring their adherence to FVRCC practice standards
• Reporting to the Board on the delivery of practice and compliance with standards
Financial Monitoring and Support
• Operate the service within the agreed budgets, working closely with the CEO to support budget setting, forecasting, and the preparation of financial statements
• Collaborate as a member of the senior management team to ensure financial requirements are met and assist in providing necessary information for budgeting and financial planning
• Supporting the financial performance, systems and reporting
• Preparing operational reports for the board
• Attending and actively contributing to board sub-committees
Building and Space Management
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of trauma-informed spaces for the delivery of services, ensuring the environment is conducive to the well-being of survivors
• Support the Centre Coordinator in the management and operation of the building and facilities
Ensure the Provision of Support to Survivors
• To foster a culture which enables sensitive, safe and responsive emotional support and advocacy to survivors, their families and friends
• To lead the organisation’s safeguarding in relation to child protection, vulnerable adult protection and suicide risk
• To organise staff to maximise their effectiveness in supporting survivors
• To provide or access suitable training for staff development
• To directly provide back-up support to survivors
• Carry a small caseload of survivors; attending to any needs arising from support sessions (e.g. liaise with others, onward referrals, signposting)
• Participating in external practice supervision; reflect on practice and keeping up to date on new developments on practice
• Developing and delivering mechanisms for survivor consultation and involvement and working with the CEO to ensure service user involvement informs the development of the service.
• Monitoring the referral processes and identifying gaps in services
Supervision and Support
• Ensure effective communication for all staff and volunteers
• Provide regular and structured support and supervision to staff and student counsellors
• Supporting the senior counsellor to monitor staff caseloads to ensure fair distribution
• Work with the senior counsellor to monitor staff health and well-being
• Facilitating and coordinating appropriate student placements
• Keeping accurate and up-to-date records in line with GDPR and FVRCC data protection policy
Development
• Ensure service user involvement informs the development of the service
• Ensure that evaluation and outcomes monitoring feeds into the development of the service
• Attend Rape Crisis Scotland database training and manager meetings
• Collect and submit statistics for the service in preparation for any monitoring, evaluation and reporting processes
• Responsible for the development of FVRCC training programmes and upskill team members to assist in delivering these externally
• Leading the innovation and development of services, ensuring they remain relevant, evidence-based, and responsive to the evolving needs of clients and stakeholders
• Developing and implementing training and continuing professional development programmes to ensure appropriate skills for service provision
• Maintaining the record keeping systems such as Oasis, Human Resource , Health and Safety
Multi-Agency Working
• Represent the organisation at relevant working groups and forums
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with appropriate statutory and voluntary bodies
• Deliver training to local partnerships
• Collaborating with partner organisations in sharing best practice and the development of practice guidelines
• Any other relevant duties as required and work with other staff /participate in day-to-day tasks in running the centre
Summary of main responsibilities and activities
Rape Crisis Services: Operational and Quality Management
• Be the centre’s lead practitioner with responsibility for ensuring the co-ordination and delivery of services to individuals aged 13 and over who have experienced sexual violence
• Develop and implement relevant policies and processes for the organisation as required
• Maintaining, reviewing and complying with the Rape Crisis National Service Standards and Best Practice Model’s Ethos and Values and ensuring the service meets agreed Scottish Government and funders’ objectives/outcomes
• Leading the development and delivery of practice handbooks
• Developing and delivering a framework for practice supervision
• Liaising with external practice supervisors, ensuring their adherence to FVRCC practice standards
• Reporting to the Board on the delivery of practice and compliance with standards
Financial Monitoring and Support
• Operate the service within the agreed budgets, working closely with the CEO to support budget setting, forecasting, and the preparation of financial statements
• Collaborate as a member of the senior management team to ensure financial requirements are met and assist in providing necessary information for budgeting and financial planning
• Supporting the financial performance, systems and reporting
• Preparing operational reports for the board
• Attending and actively contributing to board sub-committees
Building and Space Management
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of trauma-informed spaces for the delivery of services, ensuring the environment is conducive to the well-being of survivors
• Support the Centre Coordinator in the management and operation of the building and facilities
Ensure the Provision of Support to Survivors
• To foster a culture which enables sensitive, safe and responsive emotional support and advocacy to survivors, their families and friends
• To lead the organisation’s safeguarding in relation to child protection, vulnerable adult protection and suicide risk
• To organise staff to maximise their effectiveness in supporting survivors
• To provide or access suitable training for staff development
• To directly provide back-up support to survivors
• Carry a small caseload of survivors; attending to any needs arising from support sessions (e.g. liaise with others, onward referrals, signposting)
• Participating in external practice supervision; reflect on practice and keeping up to date on new developments on practice
• Developing and delivering mechanisms for survivor consultation and involvement and working with the CEO to ensure service user involvement informs the development of the service.
• Monitoring the referral processes and identifying gaps in services
Supervision and Support
• Ensure effective communication for all staff and volunteers
• Provide regular and structured support and supervision to staff and student counsellors
• Supporting the senior counsellor to monitor staff caseloads to ensure fair distribution
• Work with the senior counsellor to monitor staff health and well-being
• Facilitating and coordinating appropriate student placements
• Keeping accurate and up-to-date records in line with GDPR and FVRCC data protection policy
Development
• Ensure service user involvement informs the development of the service
• Ensure that evaluation and outcomes monitoring feeds into the development of the service
• Attend Rape Crisis Scotland database training and manager meetings
• Collect and submit statistics for the service in preparation for any monitoring, evaluation and reporting processes
• Responsible for the development of FVRCC training programmes and upskill team members to assist in delivering these externally
• Leading the innovation and development of services, ensuring they remain relevant, evidence-based, and responsive to the evolving needs of clients and stakeholders
• Developing and implementing training and continuing professional development programmes to ensure appropriate skills for service provision
• Maintaining the record keeping systems such as Oasis, Human Resource , Health and Safety
Multi-Agency Working
• Represent the organisation at relevant working groups and forums
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with appropriate statutory and voluntary bodies
• Deliver training to local partnerships
• Collaborating with partner organisations in sharing best practice and the development of practice guidelines
• Any other relevant duties as required and work with other staff /participate in day-to-day tasks in running the centre