Initial Support Agent

Sunil Goel & Associates, CAs; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A national charity organization in Cardiff is looking for an Initial Support Agent to provide emotional support to victims of crime. The ideal candidate will excel in customer service, demonstrate empathy in challenging situations, and effectively communicate both verbally and in writing. This role offers ongoing training and development opportunities as part of a 24/7 rota team.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Employee assistance programme

Ongoing training and support

Qualifications

• Experience in challenging environments with a focus on service delivery.
• Ability to handle sensitive and emotional situations with empathy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide emotional support and referrals to victims of crime.
• Respond to emergencies and manage safeguarding concerns.
• Work across multiple services with competing priorities.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Emotional support

Adaptability

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Initial Support Agent to join the growing National Contact Centre team in Cardiff, working 37.5 hours a week over a 24/7 rota.

Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who need it?

Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care? If yes, then we'd love to hear from you

What We Offer

• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
• Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About The Role

This role is based at our National Contact Centre in Cardiff. There will be an initial induction period that will run Monday to Friday 9am-5pm for a 4 week period. After successfully completing your induction, you will move to your fixed rota hours.

As a Helpline Adviser You Will

• Able to respond to victims of and those affected by crime by providing emotional support, information and referrals on to Victim Support services and other agencies
• Providing immediate support, advice and trauma first aid referrals to victims of and those affected by major incidents and terrorism.
• Seamlessly working across multiple services with different processes, procedures and recording mechanisms.
• Managing and responding appropriately to competing priorities, services and needs.
• Responsible for taking disclosures and responding appropriately by either escalating the safeguarding concern to the 'Designated Safeguarding Officer' or to respond immediately to life threatening situations.

You Will Need

• Experience of working in challenging and changing environments with the emphasis on excellence in service delivery.
• Experience of organising and prioritising a complex workload.
• The ability to deal sensitively with challenging and emotionally charged situations, demonstrate empathy and control own emotions.
• The ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in written form, including telephone skills
• Knowledge and understanding of:
  • Relevant agencies and resources
  • Importance of confidentiality and safe working practice
  • Diversity issues and principles
  • The impact of crime

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.

How To Apply

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.

If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.