Female Domestic & Sexual Violence & Abuse Worker (Internally known as DSVA)

Location: Paragon Isle of Wight - based in Newport

Salary: £13,155.50 (£26,311 FTE)

Please note that, in line with the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9 Part 1, there is a genuine occupational requirement for this post to be filled by a female worker. 

Domestic & Sexual Violence and Abuse Workers (DSVA) are part of a team providing practical and emotional support to individuals and families who are experiencing domestic and/or intimate partner sexual violence and abuse. DSVA Workers work with individuals, parents and others to develop and deliver a range of effective interventions to ensure a whole family approach (where indicated they may work with partners/ex-partners). This may be via proactive in-reach support to people living in refuge and outreach, move on and resettlement support, providing a flexible, trauma informed, client centred risk led service. Workers lead on assessments, facilitate drop ins, may lead training, lead on and arrange campaigns and awareness raising events and design, develop and facilitate group work in accommodation and community settings.

PARAGON are a specialist team within The YOU Trust and our mission is ‘together empowering change’ for individuals, families, and our communities. We are committed to ending violence against adults and children, and do this through empowering individual and communities to change. 

Essential Requirements:

We are looking for a person who has experience of:

• Domestic violence and abuse front-line services for men, women and children, (e.g. crisis accommodation, supporting outreach clients in the community)with an emphasis on older people.

• Safeguarding best practice for adults and children

• Carrying out assessments and co-producing individual support plans

• Completing risk assessment and carrying out referrals

• Delivering group work

 The appointed DSVA will:

1.      Understand the issues affecting adults who have experienced domestic violence and abuse

2.      Understand and commit to diversity and inclusion responsibilities

3.      Be person centred at all times and act with integrity, be trustworthy and treat people with dignity and respect

4.      Share best practice knowledge

5.      Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service and staff team which will include evenings and weekends (as required)

6.      Remain calm when dealing with a crisis or emergency

7.      Ensure all services meet contract requirements

8.      Ensure clients are at the forefront when making decisions about service design and delivery

9.      Work to raise awareness of the service, produce good publicity materials, develop and maintain excellent relationships with people both within YOU and externally, and be an ambassador and champion for our work

The Role:

This is a great opportunity for the right person to support the development of this service to deliver evidenced based and researched support for adults who are experiencing domestic abuse and to support our sexual violence team.  You will be skilled and experienced at engagement with women and men, able to develop and deliver individual one to one sessions and group work, work in partnership with colleagues and ensure a whole family approach, taking the lead where necessary.  The successful applicant may need to work in refuge accommodation and within the community, will attend safeguarding meetings and contribute to other professional meetings where necessary.  The role holder will be required to update all information on a case management system, complete reports and be part of a wider team working across the Isle of Wight.

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 adults who are victims of domestic abuse

• You will work alongside our clients as an equal partner and give advice and guidance at a level matching the person’s skills and strengths.

• Developing positive working relationships with the local community and support agencies to create a network of support for your clients will be central to the work you do.

• You will be a skilled, motivated and innovative person driven by passion to support adults and families who are at risk of violence and abuse.   You will have worked with individuals, parents or families and will understand how to engage and deliver appropriate and personalised emotional and practical support.

• You will enjoy being part of a team and love learning which you will share, just as your colleagues will share theirs.  You will believe in a whole family approach and remain client centred at all times.  You will be able to use national and local evidence based resources to develop your own groups and individual sessions.

• You will have an understanding and commitment to a wide range of values that underpin this work including being non-judgemental, person centred, trauma informed and gender responsive and be able to demonstrate these values within your work.

• You will hold values that inspire a client led approach and be self-motivating, reflective and have a positive response to challenging situations.

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.

If this sounds like the ideal role for you, please apply today! Should your application be successful our recruiting manager will make contact to discuss next steps.

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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