Women’s Support Worker – Relief
Job Title: Women’s Support Worker – Relief
Responsible To: Service Manager
Responsible For:
- Delivery of direct support services to women in Sonas services, including Refuge, Supported Housing, Community Based Services (Outreach, Visiting Support and Safe Home).
- Ensuring best practice in the delivery of services to women in Sonas.
- Ensuring the needs of clients and their children are central to the work of the service.
Location: Various locations across Dublin region and Wicklow town
Main Duties
- To ensure that the needs of clients are central to the work of the organisation.
- To work to all Sonas Domestic Violence Charity services practices (quality standards), policies and procedures to ensure the delivery of quality, effective and safe services to clients.
- To carry out needs assessments, risk assessments and develop safety plans/ support plans to address these needs through the use of relevant Sonas tools.
- Ensure progression of clients’ support plan through case management approach.
- To make referrals or support clients in making self-referrals as necessary.
- To advocate for clients when appropriate and by agreement.
- To provide support to clients around safety issues, legal matters in relation to domestic abuse, court accompaniment and housing issues, as appropriate.
- To team-work with the Children’s Support team and other team members to ensure that women and children are provided with an integrated domestic violence service.
- To maintain all records and files according to the agreed standard and prepare reports as required.
- To adhere to Sonas and Tusla policies on child protection.
- To keep informed of developments in the area of domestic violence including new methods of work, changes in policy, legalisation, additional supports etc.
- To liaise effectively with other statutory and voluntary bodies.
Requirements
- Relevant degree, preferably Social Care or equivalent
- Minimum of 2 years relevant experience to include a minimum of 1 year post qualification experience
- Minimum of 1 year post qualification experience of keyworking vulnerable clients essential
- A clear understanding of domestic abuse, child protection and welfare issues, risk and safety issues.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong IT skills, comfortable using databases
- Knowledgeable on legal, housing and social welfare issues (particularly in relation to family law and domestic violence orders)
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team and on own initiative
- Have a flexible approach to the work in response to organisational change, development and review of best practice
- Committed to effective, professional practice
- Full driving licence and access to a car
Desirable
- Experience of working with women and children affected by domestic abuse.
- Experience of working with Salesforce database
The above Job Description is a guide to the general range of duties and is neither definitive nor restrictive and will be subject to periodic review.
Click here to download Application form
Children’s Support Worker – Relief
Job Title: Children’s Support Worker – Relief
Responsible To: Service Manager
Responsible For:
- Providing services to children in all Sonas services, on a one-to-one basis, in families and in a group setting.
- Ensuring best practice in the delivery of services to children in the service.
- Ensuring the needs of clients and their children are central to the work of the children’s service.
Location: Various locations across Dublin region and Wicklow town
Main Duties
- To ensure that the needs of clients are central to the work of the organisation.
- To work to all Sonas Domestic Violence Charity services practices (quality standards), policies and procedures to ensure the delivery of quality, effective and safe services to clients.
- To work as part of a mobile Children & Young People’s Support service, providing support services to children; one-to-one support, work with mother and child, work with families and structured activities with the children.
- To carry out needs assessments, risk assessments and develop safety plans/ support plans to address these needs through the use of relevant Sonas tools.
- To refer children to other services and accompany them, with their mothers, to such services as required.
- To advocate for clients when appropriate and by agreement.
- To team-work with the Women’s Support team and other team members to ensure that women and children are provided with an integrated domestic violence service.
- To ensure best practice in the delivery of children’s services.
- To work in consultation with mothers and provide them with support, including referral to other services, as required.
- To provide a flexible childcare service to mothers to allow them to meet with support workers and other services.
- To participate in the review and evaluation of the services for children in Sonas services.
- To involve children in decision-making as appropriate to their age and understanding.
- To assist in the management of the outdoor and indoor play facilities and ensure they are maintained to a high standard and adhere to health and safety policy.
- To adhere to Sonas and Tusla policies on child protection.
- To liaise with the Designated Liaison person in the implementation of Sonas and Tusla policies on child protection.
- To keep informed of developments in the area of support work with children and child protection including new methods of work, changes in policy, legalisation, additional supports etc.
- To keep informed of developments in the area of domestic violence including new methods of work, changes in policy, legalisation, additional supports etc.
- To liaise effectively with statutory and voluntary agencies as part of the delivery of the Sonas service.
- To ensure that the IT system is used for the accurate collection of service data.
- To maintain all records and files according to the agreed standard.
Person Specification
Essential Requirements
- Third level Childcare qualification, to degree level.
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience working directly with children in a social care setting to include a minimum of 1 year post qualification experience.
- Ability to assess the support needs of children.
- Ability to develop individual child support plans.
- Clear understanding and analysis of social justice, domestic abuse and other gender-based forms of violence against women and the impacts it has on women and children’s lives.
- Clear understanding of child welfare and protection issues and structures.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, to include IT.
- Demonstrated ability to use own initiative.
- Effective in working as part of team.
- Knowledgeable on children’s rights issues.
- Good understanding of the issues in relation to domestic or gender based violence and the impact on children and young people.
- Maintains appropriate boundaries with service users.
- Full driving licence and access to car.
Desirable
- Experience of working with women and children affected by domestic abuse.
- Experience of working with Salesforce database
The above Job Description is a guide to the general range of duties and is neither definitive nor restrictive and will be subject to periodic review.