Refuge & Outreach Worker (Domestic Abuse Service)

We are Hestia. We make a difference. 

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. We provide a range of services, including Domestic Abuse support, Modern Slavery assistance, Mental Health & Complex Needs care, and Criminal Justice. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence.

The service you will work in….

Croydon DAS is a unique Domestic Abuse team who work in partnership alongside other agencies providing support to people who live in the borough. The Croydon Domestic Abuse Service is funded to provide high quality refuge and outreach provision to people who have experienced domestic abuse. Our service users are supported to build their self-esteem and live free from abuse. Support includes accessing other services, obtaining legal remedies, referrals and sign posting to other appropriate agencies, support with housing matter etc. 

The service places strong emphasis on co-production, thus ensuring that the needs and strengths of service users are paramount in delivering and developing the service, including developing and maintaining access to other community services and activities.

A day in this role looks like….

As a Refuge & Outreach Support Worker at Hestia, you will play a crucial role in our Croydon Domestic Abuse Service. Your contributions will directly influence the lives of our service users, guiding them towards a path of empowerment and independence.

A day will never look the same and some of the things you can expect to do/be responsible for are:

• Empower service users to improve their quality of life by promoting and maintaining independent living for themselves and any dependants they may have.
• Enabling service users to develop skills required for independent living and their broader needs by enabling access to other relevant services.
• Encourage and promote a Multi agency approach of working to ensure the needs of the service users are met to a high quality which will include partnership working within all aspects of service provision including when relevant, support planning.
• To offer face to face contact with service users who are or have experienced Domestic abuse while providing high quality emotional and practical support.
•  Provide relevant support in accordance to service users' needs through support and safety planning, risk and needs assessments and through one to one sessions, building their self-esteem and enable them to live free from abuse. 
• To have excellent listening skills to support service users to overcome their traumatic experiences and signpost them to appropriate support agencies or therapies.
• To work together with housing departments. 
• To continuously monitor the health and wellbeing, safety and security of our service users, to ensure that all concerns are addressed in a timely manner.  
• Adhere to all standards of the Floating Support Service Specification and the Quality Assessment Framework conditions, including, service delivery, completing all monitoring and relevant reports, case files and following all policy and procedures.
• Empower service users to improve their quality of life by promoting and maintaining independent living for themselves and any dependants they may have.
• Encourage and promote a Multi agency approach of working to ensure the needs of the service users are met to a high quality which will include partnership working within all aspects of service provision including when relevant, support planning.
• To establish close contacts with the various communities and statutory and voluntary organisations in the borough.
• To develop robust Service User Involvement, including promoting events, networking, fundraising and consulting with service users to ensure that they are fully involved in service review and development.
• Ensuring confidentiality is kept at all times.
• To report any safeguarding related concerns and incidents immediately to the line manager and ensure relevant policies are followed

Why Hestia?

Joining Hestia means more than just a job; it's an opportunity to be part of something bigger. We offer a supportive, inclusive and resolution driven work environment where your contributions are recognised and valued. As a member of our team, you will have the chance to grow both personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of passion, expertise, and dedication to the table. To excel in this role, you should possess:

• Person centred approach working in a Trauma informed Manner.
• Good sense of humour.
• Be open, honest and transparent towards Service users.
• Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• Experience of working with people with a range of different support needs, aspirations for their future and associated risks.
• Experience of delivering high quality floating/outreach support services to people with a range of needs and risks.
• Good knowledge of welfare benefits and housing options and legislation related to statutory duty.
• Knowledge of health and safety relevant to role as a Floating Support Worker and working in Service User's homes.
• An ability to undertake client-focused key working, support planning and risk assessments to maximise Service Users' independence.
• Good understanding of the range of issues, diagnoses and treatment relevant to the client group including mental health and substance misuse.
• Commitment to equal opportunities and to promoting service users' rights, privacy, dignity, choice and control.
• Ability to liaise with external professionals to inform and develop Service Users' support package.
• Willingness to actively engage in undertaking relevant personal development and training.
• Ability to travel throughout the Borough of operation.
• Previous experience of using computer based systems to accurately record work and client details.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and ability to address them appropriately.

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

At Hestia, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. All candidates will be required to undergo appropriate pre-employment checks, including references and enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, as part of our commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all those in our care. We expect all staff to share this responsibility and to adhere to our safeguarding policies and procedures.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.