Violence Against Women and Girls Outreach and Prevention Support Worker

LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN’S RIGHTS SERVICE (LAWRS)

Job Description

JOB TITLE / Violence Against Women and Girls Outreach and Prevention
Coordinator (Portuguese-speaking)
REPORTS TO / Violence Against Women and Girls Coordinator
HOURS PER WEEK / 28hours per week
CONTRACT / Fixed term, ending March 2019
SALARY / £27,550 per annum pro rata
PENSION / Government Workplace NEST Pension Scheme
RESPONSIBLE FOR / A small team of volunteers
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB

LAWRS’ Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) programme provides casework support for individual women; carries out prevention work in the community; and advocates for better services for VAWG survivors. This post seeks to: (a) provide support to a growing demand for VAWG services and improve capacity to support Brazilian women both at LAWRS and off-site; (b) deliver LAWRS’ responsibilities as member of the Pan London VAWGConsortium providing one-to-one and prevention work in specific London boroughs which may entail working with women from other communities as well.

This role will be based in our main offices in Islington, but will also run external surgeries delivered in partnership with other agencies.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

To ensure women are aware of the service and feel welcome and confident that their needs will be met, ensuring that hard to reach women can access LAWRS VAWG services.
Offer a comprehensive and holistic service of emotional and practical support for Latin American women experiencing any form of VAWG, helping them and their dependents to live lives free from abuse/violence.
Raise awareness of service providers (both statutory and voluntary) and help them to provide services that are sensitive and responsive to Latin American women’s needs.
Contribute to delivering LAWRS' responsibilities as member of the Pan London VAWGConsortium providing one-to-one services and group work to survivors from specific boroughs.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

One-to-One Support

To offer information, support and an excellent advice service within LAWRS and at relevant external outreach surgeries to assist women who have experienced VAWG.
To carry out risk assessments, make internal and external referrals (including MARAC), safety plans, and liaise with social services and other statutory and voluntary services when required.
To inform service users of their rights and options. To conduct emergency safety plans and explain the effectiveness of criminal and civil sanctions available to them.
To offer support and assistance on practical issues, refer service users to appropriate agencies and services and to act as an advocate for women with these agencies. To liaise with these agencies and others who refer service users to us.
To arrange for volunteer interpreters to accompany and assist women survivors of VAWG when required.
To ensure effective referrals pathways within LAWRS for service users, linking with other organisations and ensuring that users’ needs are comprehensively addressed.
To maintain and update accurate records of all cases in accordance with data protection legislation and LAWRS’ confidentiality policies and record keeping systems.

Awareness raising

To design and deliver workshops to increase awareness of VAWG within the Latin American community and among other communities.
To meet with and promote the service to other agencies and potential service users.
To collaborate in the production and distribution of leaflets, posters and promotional materials in Portuguese.
To network widely and participate in relevant domestic violence multi-agency networks to prompt improved responses to the needs of LA women and other communities.
To participate as an active member in working groups and initiativesof the Pan London VAWG Consortium and its ASCENT project of which LAWRS is a member.

Monitoring, administration and reporting:

To keep case files and digital records up to date in accordance with LAWRS’ policies and standards.
To monitor the impact of the service’s work on users, using appropriate systems and relevant monitoring mechanisms in accordance to LAWRS and / or funders’ requirements; and to write reports for funders and for funding purposes as and when required.

Other responsibilities

To work with volunteers and contribute towards their professional development in accordance to LAWRS’ Volunteers Handbook.
To collaborate in research and media enquiries relevant to LAWRS' work.
To adhere to, and to comply with LAWRS policies and procedures (e.g. Equality and Diversity Policy, Confidentiality Policy, Staff Handbook).
To attend regular supervision meetings with LAWRS’ VAWG Coordinator, service and staff meetings, and to attend and report to LAWRS’ Management Committee Meetings when required.
To attend conferences and take up training on matters relevant to your work.
Undertake any other relevant duties or projects delegated by LAWRS’ Director within your capabilities as may be reasonably required.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS:

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of two years' experience of supporting survivors of VAWG in an advisory capacity
Understanding of the key elements of high quality advice standards and a commitment to foster empowerment and independence of service users.
Excellent command of English and Portuguese both orally and in writing.
Thorough understanding of the needs and issues facing Latin American women in the UK.
Excellent understanding of VAWG, honour based violence and other harmful practices and of trafficking and prostitution from a women’s rights perspective.
Excellent inter-personal and communication skills and an approachable and sensitive nature.
Experience of working in partnership with statutory and voluntary services in the UK.
Experience in designing, running and delivering workshops.
Willingness to integrate equal opportunities principles in all aspects of the work.
Familiarity with outcomes, monitoring and evaluation, and experience using monitoring tools and case management software.
Excellent team working skills.
Ability to set priorities, work on her own initiative and organise the work of volunteers assisting in the project.
Good ICT skills, use of relevant IT packages and ability to maintain an efficient case recording system.

DESIRABLE

Ability to communicate in Spanish.
Experience managing volunteers.