Safeguarding Families Together

**Senior Family Safeguarding Domestic Abuse Worker (Maternity Cover Contract)**

**Location: Paragon Dorset (Safeguarding Families Team)**

**Salary: £28,850 pa**

**Contract Type: Permanent and Full-Time**

**YOU **is a registered charity that has been providing care, support and advice for over 30 years to vulnerable people, working across Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight to give them the tools and resources they need to live independent, secure and valued lives.

Paragon is the Hidden Violence and Abuse Service covering Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This innovative and exciting service works with victims of domestic abuse, stalking, sexual crime and children and young people. Our services aim to support the whole family where we are able.

**Essential Requirements**:

- Relevant qualification or equivalent to Diploma/Degree/NVQ 5 **or** equivalent work level experience
- Nationally recognised DVA qualification and the willingness to complete all YOU DVA training to IDVA level
- Experience of leading a team or supervising in a work place setting
- Ability to work flexibility and deliver a 24/7 on call service with others
- Ability to work across the contract area and travel outside of this area for training and meeting purposes
- Car driver with use of car for work purposes
- Ability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends

**The Role**:
Paragon are delighted to be working in partnership with Dorset County Council to provide domestic abuse specialists for this new and exciting approach to working with families through The Safeguarding Families Together Team. These teams will work together to support families to keep together where it is safe to do so. This role will be based within a multi-disciplinary team based in Childrens Social Care.

The approach is to support families using a technique of motivational interviewing which is designed to empower and engage parents to make the positive changes needed to achieve improved outcomes for their children and their own wellbeing. By meeting the complex needs of the adults, we can reduce the risk to children.

This ground-breaking approach has proved highly successful in 19 other authorities around the country.

You will be part of a team of professionals from different disciplines to join the Safeguarding Families Together teams, to work side by side with social workers. By bringing experts together we will achieve better outcomes for children and families in Dorset.

The Safeguarding Families Together Teams will include a range of specialists who will work alongside our Social Workers and Child and Family Workers:

- Domestic Abuse Officer
- Probation Officer
- Probation Service Officer
- Domestic Abuse Practitioner
- Drug & Alcohol Worker
- Psychologist
- Mental Health Practitioner

Some of the main responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to, the following:

- I will work with the Team Manager to support the SFT DVA Workers with any learning and development needs, providing coaching of best practice.
- I lead on the delivery of the DVA element of the SFT, including allocating cases and attending management meetings
- I carry out 14-day audit checks for all new DVA clients
- I carry out case file reviews and audits ensuring that all staff are working within the FST’s processes and guidance
- I am the lead for data and outcome measurements
- I attend Early Help consultations and meet social workers on a weekly basis
- I work with the social care manager on allocations and case discussions
- I train and support the domestic abuse workers to deliver quality interventions

**About You**:
The successful Senior Family Safeguarding DVA Worker will have:

- Experience of working with perpetrators of domestic abuse
- The ability to build rapport quickly with women, children and men participating in the service
- An understanding of and an empathy with the needs and experiences of women, children and men who have experienced domestic abuse.
- The ability to work constructively with the non abusive parent/guardian and their children in order to foster their relationships
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding adults and children
- Experience of supporting, reviewing and enabling positive client outcomes
- Experience of completing risk assessments and safety planning
- Experience of responding calmly and effectively to people in crisis or emergency
- Knowledge of Honour Based Violence, Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation
- Knowledge of criminal and civil proceedings relating to Domestic Abuse
- Knowledge of Homelessness legislation and prevention and Housing Law
- Knowledge of diversity and inclusion
- Knowledge of housing and welfare benefits including no recourse to public funds
- Ability to work collaboratively with other professionals in promoting a coordinated community response to violence
- Ability to maintain safe working practices and understand impact of self on others

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