Information Pack
22.5 hours per week
Specific hours to be agreed, but will include some flexible working and evening working
£22,000 per year (based on full time hours)
£13,200 pro rata for 22.5 hours
BOP’s vision is that we work together to support positive behavioural changes and growth in women affected by substance misuse. Our aim is to create opportunity, instill hope, nurture courage and restore self-belief in what is possible and achievable for women, children and families.
Thank you for your interest in the Brighton Oasis Project and the role of Sex worker outreach worker.
This is your application pack. It will tell you about our activities and how you can apply for this role. After reading the pack we hope you will still be interested in applying and ask that you complete the application form and return it to us:
· By email to
· Send by post to Globe House, 3 Morley Street, Brighton, BN2 9RA
Closing date is 5pm on 23rd November 2017
Interviews will be held at Brighton Oasis Project, Globe House, Brighton on 4th December 2017.
We hope the successful candidate will be able to start as soon as possible.
1. Introduction to Brighton Oasis Project
2. Working at Brighton Oasis Project:
BOP’s vision and values underpin the services provided and how they are delivered to clients, as well as to how its employees and volunteers are treated.
We are a small organisation. We have approximately 45 employees working a range of flexible hours across a range of sites within East Sussex. We aim to ensure that there are opportunities for collaborative working, learning from each other, and encourage employees to be empowered, feel able to make decisions quickly and enjoy working in a dynamic and exciting environment. We welcome the views of everyone within the team regardless of length of service and will value your views, perspectives and opinion.
Whilst we enjoy working together as a wider organisation, there are some key areas of work.
· Young Oasis team (made up of the crèche, therapy services for young people, and young women’s alcohol services)
· Adult services team
· Sex Workers Outreach Project
· Fulfilling Lives Project
· East Sussex Innovation Project
· Administrative and evaluation functions.
· Fundraising
As a paid employee at BOP you will be expected to:
1. Meet the skills and requirements as outlined in the job description and person specification for this role;
2. Make sure that you can commit to the specific hours and days of work that the role requires;
3. Make sure that you are able to travel to and from the Brighton Oasis project offices based at 11 Richmond Place, Brighton and at Globe House, 3 Morley Street, Brighton (or other work venue as required).
4. Discuss and agree any support needed with your line manager or the Director of the project and/or the Human Resources Adviser.
5. Observe the relevant requirements of all Brighton Oasis Project policies including:
a. Data protection and confidentiality
b. Code of conduct
c. Health and safety
d. Equality and Diversity
e. Safeguarding adults at risk policy: We have a duty to ensure that all the people who benefit from our services are not harmed in any way and we expect all our staff to share in our commitment to safeguarding the welfare of all adults and children who use our services.
In return you can expect………
Challenge and experience
This role offers the chance to improve the safety and wellbeing of women involved in sex work; improve outcomes for women involved in sex work with a focus on recovery from sexual violence and abuse; and to improve outcomes for women with complex needs who are involved in the sex industry. The role has its own challenges and pressures but you will receive reward and satisfaction through knowing that your hard work and passion for the role has helped to deliver sustainable income for the ongoing work with our clients and their families.
Training and support
Brighton Oasis Project provides you with regular one to one sessions with your line manager, individual and group supervision sessions, and an annual appraisal to review progress and identify areas for development.
We like to develop talent and provide opportunities such as secondments to ensure our employees continue to grow and learn, and can remain motivated and passionate about their work.
We ensure that our staff have the necessary skills to fulfill the requirements of their role.
Benefits
In return for your time and skills at work you will receive
· a fair salary, comparable with similar roles in the area.
· 28 days annual leave plus bank/public holidays pro rata if not full time (the organisation does open between Christmas and New Year)
· Training and learning opportunities
· Study leave for approved courses/training
· An employer contribution of 3% into our stakeholder pension scheme via Bluesky (on condition that you remain enrolled in the pension scheme and contribute a minimum of 3% of your salary).
· Free tea and coffee
· Childcare vouchers – savings made by buying childcare vouchers through a salary sacrifice scheme, which means less tax and NI is paid.
· Occupational health – eye tests reimbursed; other health support provided as necessary.
Career and other benefits
Brighton Oasis Project aims to be an employer of choice. We are a professional, well-respected organisation and showing that you have been employed here is great experience to put on your CV. We hold the Investors in People external accreditation.
THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
At Brighton Oasis Project we are committed to providing the best possible recruitment service including working to remove barriers to equal opportunity at each stage of the recruitment process. Our commitment to you is that:
· We will treat you in a polite, helpful and friendly manner at all times.
· Information that you provide will be treated as confidential and will be seen only by those involved in the recruitment process.
· We will remove all personal information from your application to ensure that the short listing panel are not aware of whose application they are assessing.
· We will ask you to complete an equal opportunities questionnaire – this information is only used for monitoring purposes.
· We will endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments to the selection process (application form, interview or training) to enable individuals to participate equally
· If you are selected to progress to the next stage you will be advised as soon as possible.
· We will aim to give you at least one week’s notice prior to interview, or we will make it clear in the job advertisement when the interviews will be held.
· We will not contact your referees unless you give your permission. We will however need to obtain 2 satisfactory references as a condition of any employment offer.
· A decision will be made as soon as possible after interviews and you will be informed, normally within 1 week.
· Unsuccessful interviewees will be offered feedback.
Selection
Step 1: The first step is to fill in an application form before the closing date. Once you’ve submitted your application form, we will assess whether or not you have demonstrated that you meet the criteria detailed on the person specification for the role.
Step 2: Please complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring form and return this with your application form. (This information does not form any part of the shortlisting process).
Step 2: If you are shortlisted at the application stage, the second step will be that you are invited to attend an interview where we will assess whether you’re suitable for the role. You will be sent an interview invitation via email or letter. At the interview you will need to demonstrate that you can meet the criteria in the person specification.
ROLE PROFILEROLE TITLE: Sex Workers Outreach Worker (*Female) / REPORTS TO: Senior Lead Engagement Worker and Outreach Services Co-Ordinator
TEAM: Sex Workers Outreach Services / SALARY: £22,000 FTE (Pro Rata)
RESPONSIBLE FOR: Delivery of a 3 year project to women in Sussex involved in the sex industry. / HOURS: 22.5 per week
ROLE SUMMARY: The Brighton Oasis Project’s Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP) has received funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Tampon Tax Fund to build upon over 16 years of experience delivering a sex worker support service to develop and deliver a wider-reaching specialist service to women in Sussex involved in the sex industry. The project’s aim will be to increase the safety and wellbeing of women involved in sex work; improve outcomes for women involved in sex work with a focus on recovery from sexual violence and abuse; and to improve outcomes for women with complex needs who are involved in the sex industry.
The post holder will be based within Brighton Oasis Project’s premises and will be required to undertake substantial outreach with clients in Brighton and Hove, and across Sussex as necessary. The post holder will work holistically with women involved in the sex industry to address their physical, spiritual, psychological and emotional needs. Using a case work approach the worker will support the client to identify and achieve goals to maximise their health and wellbeing and maximise their safety.
The post includes supporting the development and initiation of a new service to include a dedicated helpline in partnership with Survivor’s Network for sex workers; identifying and engaging with women across Sussex involved in sex work using a harm reduction/prevention model; developing informational resources; promoting the project; and supporting delivering training to other agencies.
The post holder will need to work in the outreach team when required visiting women in their work venues and accompanying them to appointments etc.
The successful applicant will be required to collect data and report to The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (the funders) using a range of monitoring and evaluation measures (qualitative and quantitative) to measure the impact of the work.
The post requires someone who is able to work with individuals and groups in informal and innovative ways to improve their sexual and generic health, and provide a range of support options for sex working women. The post holder must be able to use health and wellbeing promotion, substance misuse and knowledge of issues for women involved in the sex industry to develop both spontaneous and structured initiatives to enhance the clients’ awareness and understanding.
The successful applicant will also have interpersonal skills suitable for providing one to one sessions to support women in crisis and make an assessment for referrals where appropriate. An in-depth awareness of the structure of the sex industry and the current issues within this framework will also be integral to the post.
As this is a new post the post holder will need to be comfortable with a level of ambiguity around referral routes and processes as these are developed according to emerging data.
Competency Area / Service delivery for clients
Key activities / decision areas
Client Focus / To proactively find methods to engage female sex workers as part of the project by:
· Promoting the benefits of the project to clients;
· Supporting individuals to access and use the new service;
· Working as an effective member of the team;
· Ensuring a collaborative approach is used, ensuring effective communication within a multi-disciplinary team, with both internal and external partner agencies.
Service Delivery / To help female sex workers access substance misuse services:
· Recognise indications of substance misuse and refer female sex workers to specialist services accordingly
· Relate to, and interact with, female sex workers
· Support female sex workers to access and use services and facilities
· Promote the equality, diversity, rights and responsibilities of female sex workers
· Promote choice, wellbeing and the protection of all female sex workers
To support female sex workers in difficult situations:
· Support female sex workers when they are distressed and identify aspects of their lives that may cause distress
· Support female sex workers who are substance users
· Contribute to the prevention and management of abusive and aggressive behaviour
· Contribute to the protection of female sex workers from harm and abuse
· Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to female sex workers
To develop practice in the delivery of services:
· Reflect on and develop your practice
· Make use of supervision
· Contribute to the development of the knowledge and practice of others
Educate female sex workers about substance use, health and social wellbeing:
· Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects
· Facilitate learning through presentations and activities
· Develop and disseminate information and advice about substance use, health and social wellbeing
Assess substance misuser’s needs for care:
· Carry out screening and referral assessment
Management of services / Provide a healthy, safe, secure and suitable environment for the delivery of services
· Support the health and safety of yourself and female sex workers
Prepare periodic reports and returns
· Support the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework
· Ensure good quality data is collected and recorded appropriately
Manage relationships
· Develop productive working relationships
· Support the development of joint working agreements and practices and review their effectiveness
· Facilitate meetings
Sexual Health Focus / To be aware of the changing nature of the sex industry with an increase in online activity, the increasingly transient nature of sex workers, and the high number of transgender and migrant workers and to explore solutions to engaging these groups:
· To communicate in an open and effective manner with people about sexual health needs
· To liaise with service providers
· To undertake monitoring
· To provide access to sexual health screening utilising a variety of means
Solution Focus / · To take an empathic , flexible and solution-focussed approach to motivate and enable sex workers to engage with the project