Group Worker

**Vacancy Type**

Fixed Term Contract/ Part Time

**Application Deadline**

Monday, December 16, 2024

**Interview Date**

20th December 2024

**Job Summary**

Location: Bexley

Salary Band: £15,446.34 (unqualified) to £17,822.70** (qualified) (Based on pro-rata)**

**Hours**: 21

**Contract**:FTC 31st March 2025

**Closing Date**:16th December 2024

**Virtual Interview Date**:20th December 2024

This job description may change to reflect changing requirements of the role.

**Role**
- The group worker will co-ordinate and facilitate group work programmes for women who have experienced domestic and sexual violence in Bexley.
- In addition, you will work alongside the wider Bexley team, supporting with risk assessments, safety planning and support work where required and appropriate.

**Accountabilities**
- Ensure women who are experiencing Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) are provided with high quality advocacy and support.
- Build and maintain effective relationships across statutory and voluntary sector partners
- Ensure creative and effective relationships are established with other organisations, so that women receive coordinated and joined-up services
- Ensure the service is compliant with contract requirements and internal service standards
- Work within organisational financial procedures
- Attend all meetings and training relevant to your role
- Act as an ambassador for Solace
- Organise and facilitate trauma informed programmes for women who have experienced domestic and sexual violence including the healthy relationship course
- Manage referrals and carry out DASH Risk assessments with the service user to ascertain eligibility for group work alongside changes in risk.
- Complete safety planning and advise of support options where necessary.
- Collect and collage feedback from group work sessions and input these onto Solace’s database.
- Ensure you have a good knowledge of needs of the service user and sign post them where appropriate to services that best suit these needs.
- Ensure safeguarding referrals are completed within a timely manner
- Ensure MARAC referrals are completed where appropriate.
- To support service users to have an understanding of the services that Solace provide including the One Stop Shop.
- Arrange the groups timetable.
- Encourage maximum service user participation in the provision of the service and its development.
- To keep and maintain accurate and confidential records of all work undertaken.
- Evaluate groups and support the Service Manager in making changes when necessary.
- Establish and maintain good working relationships with referral agencies.
- Oversee and participate in the collection of data and support the Service Manager in ensuring the accurate and timely reporting on service delivery targets
- Ensure effective implementation of Solace’s Equality and Diversity policies and awareness and integration of an equalities and human rights agenda in all your work

**Values, Behaviours and Competencies**
- **Committed **to the purpose of Solace Women’s Aid, ensuring that the service user is at the heart of service delivery and development
- **Feminist **in understanding ‘Violence against Women and Girls’
- Committed to fostering **innovation **and **continuous improvement** in working practice
- **Flexible** and open to new challenges, ideas and experiences, and able to be self-reflective
- Committed to understanding **diversity **and ensuring **anti-discriminatory** practice is applied in all forms of our work
- **Non-judgemental** with a commitment to self-care within the team
- **Collaborative**, building relationships with internal and external partners.

**Knowledge Experience and Skills**
- Demonstrate experience of working with women affected by domestic abuse and sexual abuse.
- A sound understanding of the practical, emotional, social and economic issues facing women and children affected by domestic abuse.
- Experience of risk assessment
- Experience of developing and delivering group activities and programmes
- Ability evaluate and adapt group activities
- Sound knowledge of safeguarding for adults and children
- Ability to work in partnership and with other agencies and professionals
- Strong crisis management skills and the ability to deal with challenging situations
- Excellent written and verbal skills

**Qualifications**

A registered VAWG qualification, e.g. CAADA/Safe Lives/Women’s Aid IDVA, ISVA or DAPPA is desirable for this role but not essential