Freedom Caseworker

Dogs Trust; London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Dogs Trust is seeking a passionate Freedom Caseworker to support individuals fleeing domestic abuse through their pet fostering service in the South East of England. The successful candidate will assess dogs, ensure their welfare during placements, and provide support to foster caregivers. This role is essential for helping both pets and their owners find security and stability. The position involves home visits and knowledge of domestic abuse challenges, requiring strong communication skills and a compassionate approach.

Qualifications

• Significant experience assessing and handling dogs in rescue.
• Understanding of domestic abuse and challenges for pet owners.
• Experience of home visiting and public-facing roles.

Responsibilities

• Support pets and owners through referral and placement.
• Monitor welfare of fostered dogs and support foster carers.
• Maintain contact with clients and facilitate reunions.

Skills

Dog handling

Communication

Sensitivity

Job description

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Freedom Caseworker, south east of england

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Client:

Dogs Trust

Location:

south east of england, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

59300b5322c6

Job Views:

4

Posted:

02.06.2025

Expiry Date:

17.07.2025

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Job Description:

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of people fleeing domestic abuse? Are you an experienced dog handler?
We are looking for a passionate Freedom Caseworker to deliver Freedom, a pet fostering service for individuals fleeing domestic abuse, in the South East of England.

About this role:
As Freedom Caseworker, you’ll:

• support pets and their owners through the referral and placement process, assessing the dogs and matching them with fosterers where appropriate.
• ensure that, while on placement, the welfare and behaviour of fostered dogs is monitored, and that volunteer foster carers feel supported,
• maintain regular contact with clients, providing updates on their dogs foster placement, receiving updates on their housing status from their support agency, and ultimately, arrange for owners and dogs to be reunited.

About you:
To be successful in this role, you’ll need significant experience of assessing and handling a variety of dogs in a rescue or rehoming centre environment, while also having a good understanding of domestic abuse and the problems faced by individuals fleeing domestic abuse with pets. You’ll also need to be a personable, confident communicator, who is comfortable handling sensitive and challenging situations appropriately and professionally. You’ll also need some experience of home visiting and working in a public facing role. Finally, we’re looking for a candidate with some experience of driving as part of a previous role, as driving will be a big part of the Freedom Caseworker position.

About Dogs Trust:
We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.

About the team:
The Outreach team runs several projects supporting pet owners who are homeless or in housing crisis in the UK, including Freedom, a pet fostering service for people fleeing domestic abuse. Most referrals come from women fleeing domestic abuse via women-only services. The service places dogs into volunteer foster homes on a temporary basis until their owners are able to be reunited with them. The Freedom Project runs in Greater London and the Home Counties, Yorkshire, the North East, the North West, East Anglia, Scotland, Wales, and Hampshire.

This role is homebased but will involve significant travel across South East England and to other Freedom areas when required. Due to the nature of this role, this post is for women only and is exempt under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010. A basic Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) will be required for this role.

Please note, this role is being offered as a fixed term contract for six months.