Refuge Domestic Abuse Practitioner

**Closing Date: 09/06/23**

**Job Title: Refuge Domestic Abuse Practitioner (RDAP)**

**Location**:Essex

**Role **:Part-time (18.75hr/wk)

**Salary**: £23,833 (pro-rata) pa, plus on-call payments

**Report to**: Service Manager

**Responsible for**: May oversee work of volunteers

**About Us**

At Safer Places our team is our most important resource and asset. Having a highly competent survivor focused, experienced and resourceful team is key to delivering a high-quality service. We are committed to supporting out staff and to providing continued professional development and offer an excellent range of training and qualification packages.

**Main Purpose**:
Provide proactive, practical and emotional support for women and their children residing in our accommodation. Ensuring that they are safe and help them to build a better future for themselves.

**Key Responsibilities**:
**Corporate**

1. To maintain and demonstrate a commitment to the Organisation’s vision and values and strategic aims and objectives.
2. To maintain high standards of professionalism and keep abreast of current legislation, standards, best practice and maintain a focus on continuous improvement.
3. To maintain knowledge of the Organisation’s operating environment.

**Main Tasks**

1. To accept referrals allocated by the service manager or senior DAP and commence an initial need and risk assessment with the client to manage and address risks, needs and immediate safety

2. Planning and delivery of support to clients and their children living in our accommodation in line with a structured plan that is driven by the risks posed to the client and the needs and preferences of the individual client. This will be regularly reviewed with the client and line manager to ensure it reflects their current situation and priorities using mandated best practice tools.

3. To ensure clients have in place, and continuously review with them and the line manager, robust risk management plans to support them living safely and ensure that they have 24 hour access to support in the event that a crisis arises and they need to be made safe using additional support.

4. To work closely with external partner agencies, advocating on behalf of the client to meet their individual support needs in particular where those needs are specialist e.g. mental health, substance misuse, legal etc.

5. To work in close partnerships with other professionals and organisations in the locality, effectively integrating with their services to enable us to reach visible and hidden clients.

6. To ensure that all safeguarding measures are delivered in respect of the client and their children and that at all times you adhere strictly to Safer Places policies and procedures in respect of safeguarding vulnerable adults and children

7. Support clients to improve their resilience and prospects by encouraging engagement with the various programmes and opportunities offered within the service such as Triple R, improving numeracy and literacy, ESOL, Employability and other programmes provided in-house or by other community partners.

8. Ensure that all monitoring information is delivered on time and that KPI’s are met.

9. Working as part of a team and take responsibility for the day to day running of the refuge and community services. Ensure that all Health and Safety requirements are managed appropriately and that the refuge and outreach facilities are clean, welcoming and resourced at all times.

10. To maintain and develop effective working relationships within a designated area of responsibility. Ensuring all opportunities are utilised to enable clients to directly access our services through local drop ins co-located within partners facilities or within our own facilities.

11. To maintain confidential records and ensure that consistent and accurate monitoring systems are maintained.

12. To act in a professional manner at all times, communicating effectively with colleagues and partners. Building and sustaining effective and appropriate relationships at all times with clients, colleagues and partners.

**General**

1. The role holder will be expected to perform any other duties that may reasonably be asked of them.

2. To participate fully in “on call” on a rota basis or as required in the delivery of out of hours service.

3. The role holder will be able to work within the Safeguarding arena following organisation policies and procedures, be able to Recognise; Respond to; Report and Record Safeguarding issues and understand and make quality Safeguarding Referrals.

4. Comply with data protection legislation, information sharing policy and procedures and all legislation connected to your work. Act in a manner which preserves the confidentiality of all stakeholders.

5. Respect and value the diversity of the community in which the services works in. Recognise the needs and concerns of a diverse range of survivors ensuring the service is accessible to all.

6. Remain up-to-da