Outreach Worker
Location: Leicester City, Leicestershire and Rutland
Job Type: Part-Time
Salary: £13.38 per hour
Our client is a domestic and sexual abuse charity based in Loughborough, Leicestershire. They provide support to men, women and children affected by domestic abuse and/or sexual violence across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Role
The Outreach Worker will work as part of a Lotus Service Team to provide outreach support and information services to individuals affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. The role involves offering practical, emotional, and advocacy-based support to enable service users to make informed decisions and move towards safety and stability.
Key responsibilities:
- Provide information and options to enable service users to make informed decisions, including:
- Safety planning
- Legal rights and remedies and introductions to appropriate legal services
- Welfare benefits
- Housing options
- Further education and leisure pursuits
- Offer support including:
- Completing necessary documentation
- Acting as an advocate on matters such as benefits, maintenance payments, housing and legal issues
- Supporting access to refuge services
- Providing court support
- Assisting with tenancy issues, resettlement and housing solutions
- Networking with statutory and voluntary agencies to reduce homelessness and disruption caused by domestic abuse
- Leading group support programmes (Freedom Programme, Unbroken and Unbreakable)
- Supporting families resettling into new environments, including those leaving refuge
- Providing emotional support
- Referring service users to appropriate agencies
- Create and maintain accurate client records, including:
- Risk assessments
- Safety planning
- Needs assessments and Individual Support Plans (ISPs)
- Ongoing review of assessments and ISPs
- Documented reviews of actions taken
- Maintenance of computerised case records
- Promote the work of the organisation and awareness of domestic abuse and sexual violence through talks, training, campaigns and educational activities
- Maintain confidentiality in all aspects of work, including records, correspondence and data systems
- Attend internal meetings, contributing to service development and organisational discussions
- Work collaboratively within the team to develop and improve outreach services
- Maintain positive relationships with external agencies and make referrals where appropriate
- Keep up to date with legislation, training and best practice relating to domestic abuse
- Attend training, conferences and forums as required
- Follow all organisational policies and procedures
- Support the wider aims and objectives of the organisation as required
Requirements
Essential
- Understanding of domestic abuse and sexual violence and its impact on individuals and children, alongside a basic empathy for those who have experienced abuse
- Experience working in a paid or unpaid capacity within a support, advice or information service, including delivering group programmes
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with experience building and maintaining positive relationships with diverse individuals and organisations
- Ability to produce clear written work, including reports, case notes and letters with accurate grammar and punctuation
- Knowledge of accurate and timely record keeping, data collection and confidenti