Jewish Women S Aid

Jewish Women’s Aid

Advocacy and Support Worker

Job Description

Job Title / Advocacy and Support Worker
Objective / To support Jewish women in the London Borough of Barnet experiencing domestic violence but not accessing refuge accommodation
Accountable to / JWA Community Support Coordinator and Executive Director
Responsible for / This post has no line management responsibilities
Working relationships / JWA Community Support staff, other JWA staff and volunteers, Solace Women’s Aid Advocacy and Support Team, Barnet refuge staff, Barnet MARAC and specialist agencies
Key responsibilities / Operational Management

To offer advocacy, information, advice and support to service users
To implement all JWA policies pertaining to service delivery
To accept and assess referrals in accordance with JWA and Solace Women’s Aid Policies and Procedures
To adhere to the Referral Pathways Protocol governing the operation of this service
To refer women to other appropriate service providers should they be unsuitable for a JWA service or need additional support
To work with clients within the framework of the assessment, key work and support planning systems in place for this service
To ensure that all relevant JWA and service policies and procedures are explained to new service users
To maintain client and other records in accordance with JWA and this service systems, policies & procedures

Key Work

To hold regular key work sessions with service users in accordance with JWA policy and

practice and the Service Specification covering this service

To advise, assist and support clients in accessing social services, welfare benefits, legal services, counseling and other resources such as training and educational opportunities
To keep detailed case notes of all work undertaken with users
To provide appropriate emotional support for users
To facilitate service users to access a range of specialist agencies e.g. drug/alcohol services

General

To work in close partnership with the Solace Women’s Aid Advocacy and Support Service in Barnet
To represent clients at MARAC as appropriate
To initiate contact and develop excellent working relationships with relevant service providers in the borough
To participate in external meetings, forums, etc. as appropriate
To gather and record information for monitoring purposes
To provide project Returns as agreed with Solace Women’s Aid and JWA
To facilitate user meetings and activities for users as appropriate
To liaise with external agencies (e.g. DSS, social services, police, housing) in accordance with JWA’s Confidentiality Policy
To attend team and staff meetings, staff training and supervision / appraisals as required
To undertake own administration. e.g. typing, filing
To abide by and implement all JWA policies, including the Equal Opportunities Policy
To carry out other duties appropriate to the post as requested by your Line Manager or the Executive Director

Regularly attended meetings / Team and staff meetings
Core skills / Advice/advocacy skills

March 2012