Job Title:DVA Safe Accommodation Partner – Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation and Support Service (Female Only post)

Location:West Sussex 

Salary: £28,325 per year Permanent, Full Time (40 hours)

YOU is a registered charity that has been providing care, support and advice for over 30 years to vulnerable people, working across Hampshire, Portsmouth, Somerset, Dorset, Sussex and the Isle of Wight to give them the tools and resources they need to live independent, secure and valued lives.

Essential Requirements:

• Management or Health and Social Care qualification or equivalent to Diploma/ Degree/NVQ 3 or equivalent work level experience.

• Experience of working with people who have been subject to domestic violence and abuse.

• Experience of undertaking strengths, needs & risk assessments.

• Experience of supporting, reviewing and enabling positive client outcomes

• Experience of effective multi-agency and partnership working.

• In depth knowledge of housing related support, housing law, debt, welfare benefits, welfare reform and universal credit.

• Knowledge of Safeguarding for adults, children and young people

• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends when required and be part of a 24/7 on-call service.

• Ability to work across identified contract area and travel for training and meeting purposes.

• Car driver with use of car for work purposes.

The Role: 

The appointed DVA Safe Accommodation partner  will:

• I will develop close partnerships and work in collaboration with other providers in the voluntary and statutory sectors, specifically colleagues across other DVA team.

• I will co-produce full risk assessments with the client and ensure their needs and circumstances are reflected within all safety and support plans, carrying out property surveys and safety planning where identified .

• I hold a case load of clients and manage my diary ensuring i meet the needs of clients as individuals.

• I advocate on behalf of clients in a professional and respectful manner, encouraging and empowering clients to have their own voice and develop self-resilience.

• I will provide housing related support, including signing up of all tenancies, assisting people to maintain their independence and prevent homelessness.

• I will be the point of contact for the intake and will ensure that all licence agreements are signed and saved correctly, and that all housing benefits are applied for and each person pays their rent regularly.

• I will ensure the accommodation are kept to a very high standard of cleanliness and are warm and welcoming, preparing rooms for people to move in and working with each resident in partnership.

• I will support people to move on from safe accommodation, liaising and advocating for accommodation that is appropriate to their needs.

• I will work and support the PARAGON team to deliver the service in line with the specification, KIP's and YOU processes, policies and procedures.

• I will work with each client to successfully move on from safe accommodation and achieve positive outcomes around health and wellbeing.

• I will offer 1:1 sessions in order to provide trauma informed person centred support which includes promoting independent living skills, maintaining health and safety and further resilience.

• I will work in partnership with individuals to be part of their communities, helping people gain confidence, helping them use resources, and helping them start new or maintain existing key relationships in their life and develop sustainable peer support groups.

• I provide safe, skilled support and advice around income maximisation, Personal Independence Payments, direct payments, brokerage, housing needs, budgeting, home maintenance, physical and emotional wellbeing.

The PARAGON Safe Accommodation Team offers practical and emotional support to people who are fleeing domestic violence and abuse and require accommodation across the county of West Sussex.  Working as part of a wider team you will focus on housing related tasks and help each person to maintain their accommodation and provide innovative and personalised dedicated recovery focused interventions. You will offer regular support sessions that focus on positive outcomes via a co-produced safety plan that will help each person to remain independent, healthy and safe.  You will link with colleagues from other agencies to develop holistic recovery plans and attend multi agency meetings, advocating on behalf of, and supporting each person to attend those meetings. This role is also responsible for housing management including intake processes, health and safety checks, applying for rents, move on and readying the property for the next occupant.  

About you:

• You will be experienced, skilled and enthusiastic.

• You will be used to working in a fast-paced environment.

• You will be passionate about working with victims/survivors of domestic abuse.

• You will be able to prioritise and manage own time/workload.

• Have the ability to network/liaise with a wide range of external agencies.

• Skilled at putting others at ease and being approachable.

• Have excellent advocacy, mediation and negotiation skills.
   

YOU has a strong value base, striving to be person-centred, innovative, trustworthy, can-do and excellent at all times, so it is important that you are as passionate about these principles as we are.

Our Benefits

• If you choose to begin a career with our organisation, you are guaranteed:

• Competitive rates of pay and paid travel time, including a higher mileage rate for car sharing.

• Enhanced annual leave entitlements, with the opportunity to buy and sell holiday.

• Matched pension scheme contributions, plus Death in Service Benefit and salary sacrifice options.

• Enhanced sick pay allowances and paid compassionate and emergency dependent leave.

• Excellent and professionally certified training, as well as access to fully-funded apprenticeship programmes.

• Real opportunities to develop in your profession.

• Free health and wellbeing advice via a 24/7, confidential Employee Assistance Programme.

• Everything you need to carry out your role free of charge, which may include a mobile phone, safety equipment and other necessary technology, a uniform where applicable, and of course a nice cup of tea or coffee throughout your day!

• Access to discounts across lots of your favourite stores and online shopping sites, as well as discounted bus travel on the First bus network.

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The You Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our clients. Applicants must be willing to undergo appropriate Adult and Child protection screening, including employment references and DBS check.

Where a role involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to adults and/or children it is an offence to apply for the role if you have been barred from engaging in such regulated activity.

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