Refuge Worker

We are Hestia. We make a difference.

At Hestia, we live by our values and are committed to a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation that provides a variety of services such as Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery, Mental Health & Complex Needs and Criminal Justice. We are committed to empower people to rebuild their lives and regain independence.

The service you will work in….

The Wandsworth & Richmond service has 8 accommodation based services, supporting individuals across the borough fleeing domestic abuse, alongside a floating support service.

We aim to provide holistic, person centered support and trauma informed care to those who access our services. We support men, women and children to re-build their lives, begin their recovery journey and to reach their full potential.

A day in this role looks like….

As a Refuge Worker at Hestia, you will play a crucial role in our Domestic Abuse Support 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:

• You will hold a caseload of 7 women and work in partnership with the children & family worker.
• You will provide emotional and practical support which includes safety planning, risk assessing, maximising income, budgeting and housing.
• To provide intensive casework, support, and monitoring of general, and support needs, facilitated by key-sessions, community meetings, and general day-to-day contact.
• To provide advice, information, and support to the women on safety – including around domestic abuse and independent living, as required.
• To work with women in co-producing a ‘Support and Safety Plan', with a focus on the individuals' strengths to meet their chosen goals.
• To help facilitate, promote and evaluate social activities and workshops for residents which may focus on, and encourage empowerment, for example self-esteem and confidence building and assertiveness training
• To work in line with “The Hestia Approach” this approach has the principles of co-production and recovery at its centre. This will require you to work in partnership with service users in delivering the service as they would like to see it.
• To develop links with and then work with a range of other agencies (including drug and alcohol services, foodbanks, mental health teams etc) in order to both safeguard and promote the welfare and/or opportunities of our service users
• To provide accommodation in a safe location, ensuring confidentiality is maintained and that all health and safety requirements are followed
• To ensure that money paid by service users towards their rent is collected, recorded and banked in line with policy and procedure. To ensure that any monies spent through petty cash is recorded in line with policy and procedure.

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:

• We are looking for an empathetic, dedicated and resilient person who is passionate in ending violence towards women and girls.
• Eager to support vulnerable, marginalised women and children to re-build their lives and reach their full potential.
• 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.
• Willingness to actively engage in undertaking relevant personal development and training.
• Ability to travel throughout the Borough of operation.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and ability to address them appropriately Schedule 9 (1a) of the Equality Act 2010 applies to this position – (Only Female applicants please).

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

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 a disability confident employer, committed to the employment and career development of individual with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We will also accommodate reasonable adjustment during the selection and interview process and throughout your employment with us.