Caseworker- Domestic Abuse

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• Flexible working options including hybrid working
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

This role is based in Portsmouth, operating as a hybrid working model with three days in the office, and two working from home. All travel costs to and from appointments from your office base will be reimbursed.

As a Domestic Abuse Caseworker, you will be:

• Focusing on victims of Domestic Abuse, providing a pro-active, short to medium term crisis intervention service through individual safety planning, advocacy, emotional & practical support
• Supporting victims face to face or over the telephone to assist them in accessing services to keep them & their family safe
• Developing individual safety plans to meet client’s needs as identified in the needs & risk assessment
• Providing advocacy, emotional and practical support and information to victims including exploration of legal & civil options, housing, health and finance and support clients through the criminal justice system
• Participating in multi-agency meetings by being the voice of the client & follow up actions agreed in meetings keeping the client’s safety at the forefront of proceedings

You will need:

• A good understanding of Domestic Abuse & it's impact
• Knowledge of risk assessment, safety planning & risk management
• An understanding of Safeguarding issues, and the legal responsibilities surrounding these issues
• Theoretical, practical & procedural knowledge of civil & criminal justice remedies for victims of Domestic Abuse
• Experience of working within a multi-agency and legislative framework
• Experience of managing a complex caseload, prioritising work effectively
• Strong crisis management skills & the ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations
• Good communication, negotiation and advisory skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals
• To be able to use various IT applications including, Microsoft Word, Excel etc. and Case Management systems
• This role involves regular travel and due to the location, a driving license and access to a vehicle is considered an essential requirement

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision

Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.

As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we’ll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.