Domestic Abuse Outreach Support Worker

Women's Aid; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Women’s Aid in Birmingham seeks a dedicated Support Worker to deliver tailored, trauma‑informed assistance to women and children affected by domestic violence. You will assess needs, provide practical and emotional support, and help navigate housing, legal and welfare services while coordinating with safeguarding partners.

The role emphasizes risk assessment, safety planning, and advocacy within an agreed framework.

Qualifications

• Carry out safe working practices in domestic violence services.
• Build good relationships with other staff and volunteers.
• Prioritise and manage a varied workload.
• Good administrative skills and the ability to work with Microsoft Office.
• Willingness to work flexibly to ensure the needs of the service are met.
• Current driving licence and access to a car for work.
• The ability to speak one or more of the community languages of Birmingham.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical and emotional support to women and children affected by domestic violence.
• Carry out risk assessments and safety planning with service users.
• Advocate, advise and signpost to housing, legal and welfare services.
• Deliver information and support through multi‑agency safeguarding processes.
• Maintain records and contribute to monitoring and reporting.

Skills

Risk assessment

Teamwork

Time management

Administrative skills

Flexibility

Microsoft Office

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

To deliver tailored, holistic support to women affected by violence and abuse and living in the community, including practical and emotional support to increase women's and children's safety and meet identified needs.

To hold an agreed number of cases, working with women to identify their, and their children's, support needs and incorporate these into women's individual support plans.

To raise women's understanding of DA through delivery of our in-house DA awareness programme.

To raise women's understanding of DA through delivery of our in-house DA Group work.

To provide emotional support to women within a trauma informed framework.

To assess risk and to safety plan with women, reviewing assessments and risks regularly.

To provide advice, support and delivery to manage and maintain women's and their children's safety through measures such as DIY injunctions and homelessness prevention measures.

To provide one to one practical support on a range of issues including housing, benefits, legal matters, and emotional support to enable women's recovery from their experiences of abuse.

To provide support through the criminal and family courts systems.

To provide support to marginalised groups including women with NRPF.

To assess and provide advocacy and support to manage risk through relevant safeguarding processes such as MARAC and Children's safeguarding.

To carry out income maximisation assessments.

To provide expert advice and information about the dynamics of DA to partners and stakeholders.

To devise and implement appropriate methods of communication with women and children, in agreement with your line manager.

To work alongside colleagues at BSWA's Early Intervention Hub to provide advice and support to women around a range of issues.

To support women through their resettlement process where relevant including access to employment and training.

To facilitate access to BSWA and its services and to refer and signpost into specialist statutory and community services where necessary to help meet needs.

To encourage the development of safe and appropriate support networks within the community.

To work within the monitoring and evaluation procedures for the project including encouraging feedback from service users and producing statistical information.

To work within BSWA's framework for equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.

Specific community language posts are also available for this role. Please indicate in the supporting evidence if you would be interested in the language post RESPONSIBLE TO: Service Manager, SUPPORT WORK:

DEVELOPMENT

• To identify and develop support strategies to meet the needs of women and children seeking support.
• To keep up to date with current legislative changes for dissemination within staff team, and for use when working with women and children around their rights.
• To identify and make links with existing projects and community services and to develop joint services where appropriate.
• To keep abreast of issues regarding domestic violence on a national and local level with particular reference to those that may affect the work of the Project.
• To participate in multi‑agency work as agreed with your line manager.
• To promote awareness of the impact of domestic violence on women and children and BSWA services.

ADMINISTRATION

• To work within BSWA's administrative and financial systems.
• To ensure that adequate records are kept for all service users and relevant monitoring data collected and recorded.
• To ensure that Health and Safety records are kept up to date.
• To produce monthly reports for your line manager.

COMMUNICATION

• To ensure that all staff team members are aware of any matters that are relevant to the welfare and security of the refuges, staff, volunteers and service users by:
• Maintaining BSWA communication records.
• Following safety procedures.
• Attending team meetings.
• Carrying out risk assessments in conjunction with your line manager.
• To attend in‑house training.
• To attend support and supervision sessions with your line manager.
• To develop a professional working relationship with external agencies.
• Feedback relevant issues from external meetings/ training to the staff and management teams as appropriate.
• To be involved in the Annual Review process.

GENERAL

• To maintain the confidentiality of the women and children using the service and, in all matters, relating to the organisation.
• To offer an equal service to all women and children regardless of age, class, culture, language, race, religion and sexual orientation.
• To work within BSWA policies and procedures and demonstrate a commitment to the values and ethos of BSWA.
• To work within BSWA and local multi‑agency child and adult safeguarding procedures.
• To work within BSWA's framework for equal opportunities and anti‑discriminatory practice.
• To undertake any other duties required by BSWA, which may arise and commensurate with the post.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• The ability to carry out safe working practices essential within domestic violence services, including risk assessment, safety planning and the implementation of confidentiality procedures
• The ability to build good relationships with other staff and volunteers and to work as part of a team
• The ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload
• Good administrative skills and the ability to work with Microsoft Office
• A willingness to work flexibly to ensure the needs of the service are met

DESIRABLE: FORM INTERVIEW TEST

• Commitment to services for women and children affected by domestic violence
• Commitment to work within BSWA ethos, policies and procedures
• An understanding of women's issues and feminist principles, in particular around the issues of domestic violence and its implications for women and children
• Commitment to providing services within an anti‑discriminatory/equal opportunities framework to meet individual needs

EXPERIENCE: FORM INTERVIEW TEST

• Of providing practical and emotional support to women and children affected by domestic violence
• Of offering advice and information and advocating for service users on a range of issues including homelessness, benefits, legal, social welfare issues etc
• Of developing and maintaining effective working relationships with external agencies
• Of working within safeguarding guidelines to protect and promote the well‑being of children and vulnerable adults
• Current driving licence and access to a car for work
• The ability to speak one or more of the community languages of Birmingham

APPLICATION DEADLINE

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is at 12 noon on Friday 2nd October. Interviews will take place weeks commencing 19th October.