Application Pack – Victim Care Officer – North Wales
Application Pack
Victim Care Officer
North Wales Victim Help Centre
Closing date: 27th March 2015
Background
Victim Support – Who are we?
Our services for victims are free and confidential. We give information, practical help and emotional support to anyone who has experienced crime, and to their families and friends.
We provide this service to well over a million people every year, whether or not the crime has been reported, working in partnership with criminal justice and other voluntary agencies.
We have a network of local offices across England and Wales that run and co-ordinate our local services. Both employees and trained volunteers are involved in giving support – with volunteers outnumbering staff by over four to one, operating within 4 ‘localities’.
Our national telephone service, the Victim Supportline, gives support and information, as well as referring callers to our local teams and to other agencies. It deals with around 12,000 calls a year.
Our purpose is to help people find the strength to move on after crime. We give emotional and practical support that is a source of strength and comfort. We make people feel better and use the local understanding of our volunteers and staff to help victim and witnesses take control, so we can all live in a safer more caring society.
Everything Victim Support does will always be based on empathy and an understanding of victim’s and witnesses’ needs, so people are mentally and physically better off after we have helped them. We want to be a force for good in society.
Our vision is to be the world’s best charity for victims and witnesses, with volunteering at the heart of what we do.
It’s a big task; millions of people are affected by crime each year and we need to make sure we meet their needs, whilst supporting positive changes in the criminal justice system. It’s not something we can do alone, so we will work with others where this helps victims and witnesses.
As well as providing services, we are a national voice for victims and witnesses. We campaign for greater awareness of the effects of crime and to increase their rights.
We have also pioneered services for victims and witnesses across the country, for example enhanced and more responsive front-line services, new specifications for helping young victims of crime, and enhanced guidelines for domestic violence. In 2010 we set up the world’s first dedicated support service for people bereaved through homicide.
Our Chief Executive is Mark Castle, who joined the organisation in 2014. He reports to a 12-strong, independent Board of Trustees. Our President is HRH the Princess Royal.
Find out more about us and our work on our website at www.victimsupport.org.uk.
Working with the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner
The provision of services for victims in North Wales spans across a variety of agencies and contracts, including police provision of some, nationally provided services and a variety of organisations in the voluntary and community sector locally.
The move from the national grant arrangement with Victim Support to local funding through Police and Crime Commissioners has enabled the implementation of the new Victim Service to begin in July 2015. The proposed model ensures robust service delivery, through a single point of contact, enabling assessment of risk incorporating a co-ordinated referral mechanism with pathways to partner agencies and evaluation to inform continuous improvement and a multiagency platform to champion the needs of victims.
This new model for support services to victims is the first of its kind in the North Wales area, and will challenge all policing and justice agencies to change their approach towards providing a better service to victims.
SUPPORT WORKER VACANCIES
POST: Victim Care Officer
HOURS: Various Shifts 22.5 hours and 37.5 hours per week – covering Monday to Saturday. Current opening times will be set at 8am to 8pm
TENURE: Permanent
BASE: North Wales Police Divisional Headquarters – St. Asaph Business Park
SALARY: FTE £18,258.79 per annum + 3 % pay award on successful completion of 6 month probationary period
Victim Support, in partnership with the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales is seeking a number of staff to work in the newly created Victims Help Centre based at North Wales Police Divisional headquarters, St. Asaph.
You will be required to undertake comprehensive assessments of the needs of victims and ensure the needs are met using a number of different resources available to you. This new model for support services to victims is the first of its kind in the North Wales area and challenges all policing and justice agencies to change their approaches and pushes concepts of evidence-based police and service delivery to new levels in the field of victim/witness services.
The newly formed service is fully funded by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and may be extended beyond March 2016.
In this position you will contact Victims by telephone to undertake a comprehensive needs assessment and commission a range of services to support identified needs if appropriate. You will refer victims to partner agencies and contact approved suppliers to deliver services to victims. You will also direct referrals to appropriate colleagues to allocate Victim Support workers for further support. You will be required to make follow up contact with Victims to check that the service has been appropriately and satisfactorily delivered. Experience of working in a telephone based work environment would be desirable.
The successful applicant will provide care and specialist advice to victims, and act as the single point of contact throughout the progress of the support package.
The successful applicant must evidence the following essential experience, specialist skills and knowledge as per the role profile:
· Knowledge and/or experience of multi-functional, multi-agency work.
· Experience of dealing with a wide range of people from a cross section of the community, in varying circumstances.
· Proven ability to plan and prioritise your own workload.
· Excellent communication skills & demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance, particularly over the telephone.
· Level 4 Welsh Language skills are essential for this post. The ability to communicate fluently through the medium of welsh would be desirable. Please refer to the NWP Welsh Language Skills Policy for details of your eligibility criteria and learning commitments throughout probation.
The successful applicant must have a proven ability to work diligently, with limited supervision, and to deliver to tight time-scales with the ability to prioritise effectively against conflicting requirements of customers. Skills in MS Office, especially in Word and Excel with the ability to interrogate databases to an advanced level to identify trends, key points and principal issues is essential for this role.
The successful post-holder will be confirmed in post following successful police vetting (NPPV Level 3) approval.
The successful applicant will be required to undertake role specific training starting in May 2015.
To apply for an application form, please contact Ayshea Watkins, Victim Support, Winton House, Stoke Road, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2RW or via j or telephone 01782 843908 .
The closing date for applications is: 27th March 2015
Interviews for this post will be held on: Week commencing 13th April 2015
Diversity Matters And We Value It
Job description
Job title: Victim Care Officer
Department: North Wales Victim Help Centre
Reporting to: Team Leader
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Purpose of the job
Victim Support (VS) will transform services to Victim of Crime in the North Wales Police force area to become a visionary one-stop-shop for practical and emotional support helping victims cope and recover from the impact of crime and receive the information, explanation and guidance they need throughout the justice process. It will provide consistency of service to victims and relieve some of the pressure on front-line policing.
This new way of working will provide victims with a single point of contact which will be capable of arranging a wide range of short and long-term support, either through VS’s own services or through accredited third sector providers, local statutory and community services.
The provision of information from first contact through to the end of the court process will mean that victims are always kept informed and engaged.
Main Duties
1. Undertake initial victim contact by telephone to improve and maintain rates of successful direct contact made and provide up-to-date and relevant information to victims
2. Prioritise and organise workloads to ensure victims are updated with requirements within the Victims Code of Practice.
3. Carry out a service needs assessment following agreed processes and timescales.
4. Identify service needs, record the results of the assessment and provide a tailored response to every victim and witnesses needs
5. Facilitate the delivery of identified needs by referral in to another appropriate service on behalf of the victim using agreed processes, or by directing referrals to an appropriate colleague
6. Manage victims immediate service needs, where necessary
7. Contribute towards risk assessment processes and use safe contact methods with all victims respecting confidentiality, follow agreed processes for contacting victims of sexual violence, domestic violence, people bereaved by homicide and young people and children
8. Maintain contact using agreed processes to check that the service has been delivered appropriately or if there are any new service needs.
9. Record all contacts with victims and witnesses securely and accurately, in accordance with procedures for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
10. Develop productive working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. Be flexible, assisting with colleague’s work in absence, take ownership of queries and issues and manage successful resolutions
11. Liaise with appropriate Victim Support, Police, CPS and HMCTS colleagues to contribute to the effective running of the service
12. Ensure that Victim Support’s national standards and procedures are observed, particularly those relating to safe practice, confidentiality and information sharing.
13. Commission services on behalf of the police and crime commissioner from locally sourced agencies
Generic responsibilities
1. Develop a culture and systems that promote equality and value diversity
2. Promote a health and safety culture within the workplace
3. Manage personal resources and own professional development
4. All information must be maintained in accordance with the Data Protection Act
5. Undertake other activities as required
Travel
1. Travel may occasionally be required
Unsocial Hours
1. Able to work flexibly including evenings and weekends.
This job description serves to illustrate the type and scope of the duties currently required for the above post and to provide an indication of the required level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exclusive list and duties may be varied from time to time, they will not however change the general character of the job or the level of responsibility entailed.
Person specification
Job Title: Victim Care Officer
Department: North Wales Victim Help Centre
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Knowledge and Experience
Essential
1. Previous experience of working within a statutory, voluntary, community, private social care or customer service environment dealing with members of the public, successfully managing conflict, difficult and sensitive situations. Demonstrable ability to influence people, whilst remaining professional and impartial. (s)
2. Experience of working in a fast paced environment, adhering to deadlines and delivering results through effective planning and organisation of own workload, demonstrating the ability to prioritise and manage demands, even under pressure. (s)
3. Demonstrate the ability to respond to change in the working environment by showing a willingness to adapt and be flexible in changing circumstances, seeking advice from others when change occurs and maintaining work standards as circumstances change. (s)
4. Appreciation of the importance of confidentiality and safe working practice. (s)
5. Ability to demonstrate level of awareness of equality and diversity issues appropriate to this role. (s)
Desirable
1. Understanding of the impact of crime, with knowledge of the Criminal Justice System and relevant local agencies and resources.
Skills and abilities
Essential
1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills demonstrating an ability to confidently relate to a broad spectrum of people in a tactful and sensitive manner. To demonstrate empathy and control own emotions. (s)
2. Good knowledge and experience with Windows based computer applications within a working environment. (s)
3. Able to work flexibly, including some evenings and weekends (s)
4. Experience of diverse team working, demonstrated by an understanding how own objectives fit into team objectives. Builds effective working relationships with a flexible attitude to team roles. (s)
5. Level 4 Welsh Language skills are essential for this post. The ability to communicate fluently through the medium of welsh would be desirable. Please refer to the NWP Welsh Language Skills Policy for details of your eligibility criteria and learning commitments throughout probation. (s)
Desirable
1. Promote Victim Support’s interests and values
2. Demonstrates sound problem solving skills and ability to make appropriate judgments and decisions, offering practical ideas and innovative solutions but, knowing when to refer upwards for a decision
3. Knowledge of Force and Partner Agency IT systems
(s) = Shortlisting Criteria (10)
Why work for Victim Support? Benefits and Rewards
Victim Support recognises that our people are our greatest assess and we are committed to recognising employees for the work that they do. In return you will receive:
· 25 days annual leave (plus one additional days leave for each completed year of service up to a maximum of 30 days) plus bank holidays
· Enhanced Sick pay scheme
· Enhanced Maternity/ paternity/ adoption pay scheme
· Death in service benefit
· Pension scheme – Victim Support will contribute 5% into the Aegon pension scheme providing you meet the criteria and make the necessary employee contributions
· Child Care Voucher Scheme
· Cycle to work scheme
· Employee Assistance Programme
· Travel Season Ticket Loan Scheme
· Access to Bupa Healthline
· Discounted gym and health club membership scheme
· Study Assistance for professional development