Job Title: Live Night Refuge Support Worker

Purpose:

To work as a Live Night Refuge Support Worker (NSW) for the delivery of support services to women and children in the Refuge (both onsite and in the community residences), in one-to-one and group settings. They provide support from a trauma informed and empathetic perspective while empowering the residents to achieve their goals. The LNSW is responsible for managing the Helpline and carrying out tasks that allow for the effective running of the refuge, in collaboration with other staff on duty. As part of their duty, they are responsible for contributing to service improvement projects within the Refuge.

Key duties

• Day-to-day running of refuge support services in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
• Manage the helpline in collaboration with your colleagues, providing information, taking referrals for refuge, and referring to internal services and external agencies where appropriate.
• Ensure electronic and paper records and reports relating to your work is of a high standard, and compliant with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
• Record accurate statistics relating to your work where necessary.
• Attend and participate in team meetings, reviews, and organisational planning events.
• Ensure the environment of the refuge is maintained to a high standard at all times in line with health and safety policies and carrying out housekeeping duties in relation to same e.g., in the area of hygiene, accommodation standards, fire hazards in line with the organisation’s procedures and policies etc.
• Carry out and report security checks, including property checks, occupancy checks, welfare checks, and room checks.
• Mentor or supervise new, or temporary staff as required
• Maintain an ongoing level of Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
• Take on Quality Improvement initiatives within MWRSS to ensure we are providing the best service possible.
• Responsible for managing your own schedule, in collaboration with your colleagues, while ensuring that you have planned allotted time to manage the helpline, complete related administration work, and provide scheduled appointments/support for residents.
• Any other duties relevant to your role that may be assigned to you. This may include designated responsibilities within the refuge support or housekeeping team relevant to the running of the refuge and resident's support plans.

Live Night Specific

• Provide support to the Key Workers & Residents by taking on tasks relating to the Residents Support Plan as requested.
• Carry out light cooking/baking activities as needed.
• Complete Esafe administrative quality control tasks as requested.
• Check CCTV nightly.
• Complete GDPR quality control tasks as requested.
• Liaise with the Night Support Worker (sleeping) for support as situation requires.
• Provide support to new, or temporary staff as required.
• Work a variety of overnight shifts to include weekdays and weekends.

Personal Specification

• Relevant Level 7 NQF relevant qualification and minimum of 1 year of relevant work experience or has a minimum of 2 years' work experience in a domestic violence organisation.
• Displays evidence of relevant training and/or professional or voluntary experience e.g., domestic violence theory, practice and legislation, child protection training, GDPR, Trauma Informed Care, Quality Improvement, Motivational Interviewing, Counselling Skills and/or First Aid Training.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. This includes MS Office and experience of using Client Record Management (CRM) program for record keeping and data collection.
• Has experience of working both in a team setting and on own initiative, strong self- motivation, and is reliable, a strong decision maker, and flexible in work practices as well as being a strong team player.
• Has the ability to work in a calm manner during crisis situations seeking support of relevant colleagues' external agencies as and when required in line with organisational policies and procedures
• Holds the ability to assess the needs and risks to women experiencing domestic abuse in crisis situations and act appropriately and professionally, using problem solving processes, that meet the needs of women.
• Has a willingness to participate in continuous professional development, in line with CORU recommendations and a willingness, when applicable, to register and comply with their Code of Ethics.
• Works from the perspective that the woman is the expert in her own life and has a commitment to the equality and human rights of women, children and young people.
• Has the capacity to hold strong boundaries, ability to identify quickly if they have been compromised and ability to complete reparative work.
• Understands the importance of health and safety within a residential work environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working with people experiencing crisis situations.
• Experience of lone working.
• Knowledge of the importance of strong boundaries, experience of implementing them, and reparation work when they have been breached.
• Experience of managing and prioritising your workload
• Experience of interagency work and joint service provision.
• Experience of facilitating programmes e.g., residents' group.

Terms and Conditions

• The Live Night Support Worker role is a full-time position.
• The hours will be from 11.30pm - 8.30am (9 hour waking shifts = 27 hours per week). Week 1: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. Week 2: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. The normal hour rate is €18.91 per hour. Saturday and Sundays are time and a half.
• NSW will be paid at the normal hourly rate for meetings they attend outside of their core hours.
• Meath Women’s Refuge and Support Services staff handbook contains further details on the employment practices of the organisation.
• The Live Night Support Worker Employee Contract will reflect the key duties and terms and conditions relevant to the role.

Application

If interested in the position, please email your CV and Cover letter to niamh.cusack@dvservicesmeath.ie. Please include the position in the subject line ‘Live Night Support Worker Role’. This deadline for this role is Friday, 24th of January at 2pm with interviews expected to commence the week of the 27th of January.