Specialist Support Worker

The specialist support worker role delivers specialist support work that is trauma-informed and focused on the delivery of activities identified through the implementation of individual survivor support plans. These activities could include advocacy, trauma stabilisation, workshops, programmes or other creative community development activities. The specialist support worker has a key role in advocacy, community engagement (outreach) and works collaboratively with each survivor and partners to develop a bespoke support offer., To deliver a needs-led, recovery focused service to people affected by sexual violence to include trauma interventions, trauma stabilisation, advocacy and practical support.

Service Delivery

1. To deliver specialist trauma support to people who have experienced sexual violence

2. To provide telephone and email support to people, their family, friends and partners

3. To be part of an on-call system for out of hours work by volunteers and to undertake telephone helpline work as required by the service.

4. To ensure the smooth coordination of the specialist support team service

5. To ensure the service provided is focused on the ability of people to cope with and recover from the effects of sexual violence

6. Undertake safeguarding training at level three to support the on-call system for out of hours work by volunteers and to use agreed processes to make safeguarding decisions during those times

7. Complete safeguarding tasks where safeguarding issues are identified working in line with DRCSAS policies on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. This will include sharing information with relevant agencies, recording decision making and where safe to do so, keeping service users updated on our safeguarding decisions.

8. Co-produce support plans with individual survivors that include initial assessments of need and identified risks. Identify with survivors what access requirements they have and what adjustments are needed to enable full participation and access.

9. Work with partners to collaborative in order to meet survivor's needs

10. Enable equality and inclusion, promoting approaches which prevent discrimination and encourage accessibility

11. Demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in all elements of the role

12. Work with communities who experience social exclusion, adapting approaches to reach survivors from different communities

13. Deliver support work for all ages 13+

Service Development

1. To attend relevant local forums as required to ensure effective partnership work

2. To build effective and positive relationships with workers from partner agencies

3. To assist in the development and delivery of training events

4. Work alongside volunteer specialist support workers to enable effective engagement

Quality Assurance

1. To ensure that the services provided are within agreed organisational policy and process and values

2. To proactively maintain professional knowledge and practice

3. To attend and contribute to team meetings and assist in the development of policy and procedure

4. To ensure compliance and responsiveness to child and adult safeguarding policies and procedures

5. To gather the views of service users at agreed intervals

Monitoring and Evaluation

1. To work alongside the DRCSAS team to ensure that all service activity is recorded, inputted and evaluated

2. To work to all agreed monitoring and evaluation procedures and to contribute to their continual improvement

3. To provide specific data as required and to write reports and case studies as necessary

Communication

1. To ensure effective communication of information within DRCSAS resulting in an accessible, reliable and smooth running service for all service users

2. To promote a positive view of DRCSAS when interacting with external partners and stakeholder

Other

1. Engage with line management, supervision, training, personal development and wellbeing, using opportunities provided by DRCSAS to do so

2. Work in partnership with Rape Crisis England and Wales and other rape crisis centres as necessary

Are you an experienced Support Worker who has supported survivors of Sexual Violence in the community, through both 1:1 and group work?

Do you a passion for working in an organisation, offering high quality support to victims of Sexual Violence?

Are you organised and creative? Can you work well in a team but also work on your own initiative?,

• Experience of supporting people who have experienced trauma and who might be in distress



• Experience of working with people who have experienced sexual violence



• Experience of delivering outcome-focused support



• Experience of co-designing individual support plans with people



• Experience of managing a diverse case load with varying individual needs



• Experience of enabling access to support and meeting people's inclusion needs



• Experience of building positive relationships which are warm and empathetic



• Experience of assessing need and using partner referral pathways



• Experience of multi-disciplinary working, in particular, working alongside colleagues in mental health, social care and the police



• Experience of working with safeguarding issues


Desirable:

• Experience of delivering training



• Experience of working with volunteers



• Experience in developing programmes and workshops



• Experience in delivering group work



• Able to deliver training sessions



• Able to hold safe and effective group spaces


Skills and Abilities:

Essential:

• A sensitive, empathic and mature approach to working with victims of sexual violence



• Skills in advocacy



• Skills in practice adaption for all ages (+13) and diverse needs (willingness to develop more fully if not extensive)



• Confidence to work in diverse venues and in community spaces



• An ability to adapt and ensure a fluid service offer which meets individual need



• An ability to work confidently and sensitively with people from a range of diverse backgrounds



• Ability to work in a team and with a whole service ethos



• Confidence in working with distressed people and the ability to inspire confidence



• Ability to manage a case load of service users with a variety of complex needs



• Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills



• Skilled in maintaining boundaries and able to support volunteer support workers with boundaries



• Ability to maintain accurate and up to date records and input onto central database



• Competence in using Microsoft Office applications


Desirable:

• Able to deliver training sessions



• Able to hold safe and effective group spaces


Knowledge:

Essential:

• Comprehensive understanding of the impacts of sexual violence



• Comprehensive knowledge of the impacts of trauma and effective interventions to address these



• Knowledge of approaches to effective advocacy



• Knowledge of anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice



• Understanding of and commitment to the feminist perspective of sexual violence held by DRCSAS



• Robust knowledge of safeguarding principles and ability to apply them


Personal Traits:

Essential:

• Creative, flexible and curious



• Collaborative



• Ability to work as part of a small team and across a whole service



• Passionate about supporting people who have experienced sexual violence



• Commitment to own wellbeing and able to source support or ask for assistance



• Commitment to continuing own professional development
  
  DRCSAS exists to relieve the trauma and distress and help rebuild the lives of survivors living in Devon and Torbay who have experienced any form of sexual violence, at any point in their lives.


DRCSAS also campaigns and raises awareness about rape and sexual violence to change the narrative around sexual violence and to enable survivors' voices to be heard.

DRCSAS works to feminist principles, which underpin our service, and we maintain a woman only workforce and women only support spaces four days a week. Our work is guided by a trauma-informed approach which understands how traumatic experiences can impact on survivors and keeps an awareness of the effects of trauma at the forefront of our approach.

From £25,398 a year - Permanent, Full-time, Pulled from the full job description

• Casual dress


• Company pension


• Health & wellbeing programme


• Sick pay, The post includes participation in an evening on-call rota and occasional weekend work.


Salary: £25,389 FTE (Spinal point 1 on a 5-year annual incremental scale. Details of which will be provided on appointment)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week to include Wednesday afternoons and the flexibility to do 1 evening a week to meet service needs.

Responsible to: Specialist Support Team Leader

Office Base: Main Office Base is Exeter, and you will also work in our other offices, out in the community and occasionally home

Contract: Permanent