Transforming Lives – Domestic Abuse Service Manager

Location: Work base in Tunbridge Wells
Hours: minimum 35 hours per week (full time) over 5 days
Salary: £30k – 35k per annum
Contract: 5 years contract with 6 months’ probationary period
Closing date: 9am Friday 23rd July 2021
Interviews: 28th July and 30th July

About DAVSS: We are a small independent domestic abuse charity providing vital support services to victims of domestic abuse in West Kent. We have a team of 50 professionally trained volunteer domestic abuse/helpline advisers and a small team of dedicated staff. We are looking for a dynamic individual with a passion for ensuring victims of domestic abuse receive trauma informed, client support services at all times to join our senior leadership team and set up our newly funded Transforming lives project.

You will have previous experience of managing support services for victims of domestic abuse and have excellent understanding of trauma informed practices. You will have the ability to support, guide and mentor your team, motivate others and provide leadership within your service in a fast paced setting. If this sounds like you, please send us your CV and a cover letter addressing how you meet the Person Specification section of the job description.

Main Duties

Service development

1. Planning for, supporting and training DAVSS managers, staff, and volunteers to provide Transforming Lives services to victims of domestic abuse, building on collaborative partnership working with other agencies.
2. Overseeing the process for support services for clients needing longer term support, including triage, allocations, monitoring and quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
3. Assisting DAVSS Chief Executive with case supervision and quality assurance work
4. In conjunction with the Operations Manager managing the monitoring processes and procedures, and assist the Chief Executive to prepare monitoring reports for the Transforming Lives Project.
5. In conjunction with the Chief Executive, liaise with the independent evaluator, and ensure they have all the information they need to carry out the evaluation.
6. Along with the Chief Executive, attend regular Steering Group meetings and if necessary, with The National Lottery Fund.
7. Providing Duty Manager cover on at least one day per week, to provide support to volunteers who require advice and guidance connected to their casework and assistance for the Helpline.
8. Ensuring that risk assessment, safety planning, and all client support is in accordance with DAVSS policies, procedures and within guidelines to meet The National Lottery funding requirements.
9. Developing and/or maintaining links with other agencies, individually and as a service.
10. Supporting and encouraging volunteer Domestic Abuse Advisors as valued members of the DAVSS Team.
11. Where required - mentoring newly trained volunteer Domestic Abuse Advisors to provide Transforming Lives services.
12. Ensuring the quality of client interactions to ensure both policy and best practice are being adhered to.
13. Working closely with the Chief Executive, Operations Manager, and fellow Managers, as part of the DAVSS management team, to ensure the smooth operation, management and effective leadership of the organisation.
14. Undertaking or overseeing any other management or administrative duties as directed by the Chief Executive from time to time.

Multi-agency operational and strategic partnership working

1. Deputise for the CEO at multi-agency operational and relevant-level strategic meetings, feeding back initiatives and outcomes internally as appropriate.
2. Influence and develop strategic and operational responses to improve services to victims of domestic abuse ensuring that the experiences of service users are central.
3. Ensure the involvement of the service in the MARAC, information sharing and risk management framework for high-risk victims.
4. Develop and maintain links with other agencies, individually and as a service, developing protocols and referral procedures with external partners as appropriate.



Person Specification

Education and Qualifications
Essential
1. Good standard of general education
2. Hold relevant degree or qualification or recent relevant experience
3. Hold accredited IDVA or equivalent qualification

Experience
Essential:
1. Significant experience of providing practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse, management of a similar service or project
2. Experience of managing the security and well-being of survivors of domestic abuse.
3. Experience of advocating for clients.
4. Be or have recently managed a team dealing with domestic abuse clients.
5. Experience of managing and developing teams and individuals
6. Experience of managing complex casework
7. Experience of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
8. Experience of managing change.

Abilities/Skills/Knowledge
Essential:
1. Have an excellent understanding of domestic abuse including the impact on victims and their children and the legal and practical remedies available to these clients gained in a paid or voluntary role
2. Have an excellent understanding of the context of trauma informed IDVA services and best practice when working with victims of domestic abuse who are in all levels of risk.
3. Evidence of the ability to manage casework effectively with evidence of a methodical
and well organised approach.
4. An understanding of the needs of people who face additional barriers including BAMER,
disabled and LGBTQ+ people experiencing domestic abuse and how discrimination affects them.
5. Demonstrable strong written and verbal communication skills; to be able to write reports,
deliver presentations, supervise others in their writing skills, and to communicate with
stakeholders in a clear and effective way.
6. Have theoretical and procedural knowledge of other voluntary and statutory services
involved in the response to domestic abuse.
7. Have excellent understanding of how multi-agency partnerships operate in practice
and the legalities of information sharing in domestic abuse cases.
8. Have a good working knowledge of office IT and software packages including
Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, and to collect and analyse statistics.

Personal qualities
You will need to be able to:
1. Motivate others and provide leadership within your service particularly in difficult situations.
2. Support and guide your team of staff and volunteers and have excellent advisory and persuasive skills.
3. Have a commitment to follow the policies, procedures and philosophical principles of DAVSS and be committed to empowerment, support and equality, which underpin all of the work undertaken by DAVSS.
4. Act with integrity and respect when interacting with clients, employees, volunteers, agencies and individuals
5. Work with minimal supervision and to use one’s initiative.
6. Possess good time management skills, delivering outcomes within defined timescales.