Refuge Team Leader
Responsible To: Support Supervisor, Support Manager, Head of Services
Salary: £14ph
Days / Times: 37.5 Hrs 9 am to 5 pm
Flexibility is needed during a crisis or for staff support when necessary
Work Base: Grimsby Town Centre
As this position will include working in the Refuge, we are only accepting applications from women.
(Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010 applies)
To oversee a high-quality domestic abuse service – ensuring victims and survivors receive an excellent standard of accommodation and support that helps save lives and change lives.
Refuge - Main Duties
- To support the team in providing an immediate & safe place for women and children who are escaping domestic abuse
- To oversee decisions about the allocation of accommodation with the team
- To ensure women and children are welcomed into the Refuge and to ensure Licences, welcome packs and other information are delivered in a supportive and easy-to-understand way
- To support staff to help women throughout the re-housing process, including applications to register with local housing systems, housing providers/agencies, visits to the properties, etc
- With support supervisors, to ensure on-call and weekend shifts are covered
- To oversee warnings and evictions of residents, ensuring they are actioned in line with Women’s Aid policies and procedures as well as Housing Law
- To ensure women living in the Refuge maintain due regard for the other occupants of the building
- To deal with any disagreements or disputes in a professional and fair manner
- To discuss concerns about a family’s needs with the Support Supervisor, Support Manager and/or Children’s Workers
- To be responsible for ensuring vital daily communication and support with the teams
- To encourage and promote service user involvement and ensure staff are promoting this
- In liaison with the Admin Staff, to oversee the financial systems in the collection and recording of residents’ charges, rents and the administration of petty cash
- To ensure that the physical environment of the Refuge is acceptable to the women and that they are safe, clean and offer a high level of comfort
- To comply with Health & Safety at all times and to ensure safe working practices are adhered to
- To report and/or organise any maintenance and repair requirements as appropriate
- Act as a contact point for organisations and individuals wishing to provide activities and information for women and their children
- To introduce and develop additional activities, educational and/or employment opportunities for residents and their children as required
- To ensure the safeguarding procedure is adhered to, and refuge children are not exposed to unacceptable risk
Support - Main Duties
- Provide support to women and children living in the Refuge
- Oversee referrals for Refuge admissions and prioritise high-risk cases
- Manage and oversee occupancy levels
- Ensure support is high-quality, pro-active and outcomes-focused
- Ensure provisions of support are available and accessible 24 hrs a day
- Ensure we respond and record immediately to telephone calls, emails and enquiries in person
- Oversee management of caseloads, ranging from low to high risks and low to high support needs; ensuring all support is regular, structured and appropriate to the client’s individual needs and includes safety, protection, risk management and ongoing support & future plans
- Ensure support is delivered in a trauma-informed way
- Ensure participation in MARAC research, updates, actions, feedback and meetings when necessary
- Establish and practice good working partnerships and multi-agency work with other professionals and outside agencies
- Take part in accredited IDVA training when available. (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate)
- Be responsible for ensuring that relevant reporting data and information are up to date and available when requested
- Ensure individual case files are up to date and to take part in regular file reviews and spot-checks
- When requested, to prepare and undertake client reports and/or feedback on their support
General Responsibilities
- To work as a team member under the guidance of the management team
- To participate in supervisions (with line manager & clinical) and appraisals
- To participate in fundraising activities on behalf of Women’s Aid
- To work alone and on one's own initiative with due regard to our lone working procedures
- To participate in staff training, ensuring mandatory training is up-to-date and refreshed regularly
- To discuss any training personally identified in supervisions
- To attend team meetings, external meetings and Trustee meetings as requested
- To draw to the attention of the Support Manager any issues which may impact on clients or WA
- To be familiar with all policies of Women’s Aid; to ensure policies are signed off as instructed; to ensure policies are implemented and adhered to at all times
- To be familiar with and work in accordance with Women’s Aid's performance management system, including measuring change performance and monitoring satisfaction
- To work at all times in accordance with the confidentiality policy of Women's Aid
- To comply with data protection legislation, ensuring information sharing procedures are adhered to
- To ensure the highest standard of anti-discriminatory and equal opportunities practices are adhered to and to work in a non-judgemental way, within the guidelines of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice
- To work in a safe and responsible way, ensuring that safety and lone working procedures are followed and that you do not endanger yourself, your colleagues or service users
- To work in accordance with staff values and ethos as described in our staff agreement
- To constantly raise awareness of domestic abuse locally
- To assist with providing cover for absent colleagues during periods of sickness, holidays, etc., as requested by the Support Supervisor and Support Manager. Head of Services or CEO
- To carry out any other duties commensurate with the level of this post
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
- Any recognised professional qualifications
- Supporting and managing staff
- Undertaking client needs and risk assessments
- Working in supported housing
- Liaising with other agencies
- Support File Management and record keeping
- Safety planning and risk assessment
- The impact of domestic abuse on everyone
- The effects of homelessness
- Housing/welfare benefits legislation
- The local area, resources and agencies
- Safeguarding practices
- Drug, alcohol and mental health issues
- Ability to work as a member of a staff team and as an individual
- Excellent communication and organisational skills
- Computer skills (file management is undertaken electronically)
- Good literacy and numeracy skills
- Interpersonal skills – with both individuals and external organisations and agencies
- Ability to cope with crisis management, conflict and distress
- A commitment to the empowerment of those affected by abuse
- To foster a tolerant, supportive and empathic approach to clients
- To ensure a positive image of the organisation through personal behaviour and appearance
- Demonstrate a high level of motivation
- A commitment to Equal Opportunities
Desirable Criteria
- Any recognised professional qualifications
- Experience of supporting and managing staff
- Experience of working in supported housing
- Experience of liaising with other agencies
- Knowledge of domestic abuse, safeguarding and trauma-informed practice
- Knowledge of housing/welfare benefits legislation
- Knowledge of the local area, resources and agencies
- Coaching or mediation skills
- Experience in crisis management and conflict resolution
- Experience of working within a domestic abuse or safeguarding service
Values and Culture
We are a values-led organisation committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment for both our staff and the people we support.
