Referral Line Worker

Hestia; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

We are Hestia. We make a difference. At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. We provide a range of services, including Domestic Abuse support, Modern Slavery assistance, Mental Health & Complex Needs care, and Criminal Justice. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence.

The service you will work in…. To be the first point of contact for all Hestia refuge referrals. Providing a timely and efficient response to women looking for refuge space in our services, taking referrals and matching them to available spaces or signposting to other relevant services. Promote Hestia refuges to stakeholders so that professionals looking for refuge space know what is available and can easily refer to our services.

A day in this role looks like….

As a Referral Line worker at Hestia, you will play a crucial role in our Referral Line service. Your contributions will directly influence the lives of our service users, guiding them towards a path of empowerment and independence. A day will never look the same and some of the things you can expect to do/be responsible for are:

1. To take initial enquiries from women and professionals looking for spaces and respond effectively in an empathic and empowering way providing information about the service as required so that women can make meaningful decisions about coming into refuge.
2. To do additional information gathering and research on referrals so that the decision maker (usually refuge service manager) is able to take a final decision on whether a referral will be accepted or not.
3. Ability to provide a basic risk assessment, safety planning and signposting where it is not possible for us to accept a referral or a woman decides not to come into refuge.
4. Effective partnership working with professionals to notify them of referral outcomes.
5. Effective teamwork with all Refuge Workers, Service Managers and Volunteers in order to carry out referrals smoothly and timely.
6. To co-ordinate an up to date daily void sheets, RTS entries for all Hestia refuge vacancies.
7. To maintain a central list of key stakeholders to advertise refuge vacancies and use this to produce emails advertising vacancies.
8. To support refuge services in facilitating internal refuge moves when required.
9. At times where there are no refuge vacancies to assist women and other services with finding alternative space for women seeking refuge through Routes To Support.
10. To ensure the smooth running of administrative systems including monitoring and recording of information necessary for organisational and funding returns by using the Hestia case management database.
11. To ensure the service is responsive to and meets the needs of all women, taking into account a variety of needs including language, culture, disability, sexuality, literacy and mental health.
12. To prepare and monitor monthly Volunteer's and Refuge Worker's rota.

Why Hestia?

Joining Hestia means more than just a job; it's an opportunity to be part of something bigger. We offer a supportive, inclusive and resolution driven work environment where your contributions are recognised and valued. As a member of our team, you will have the chance to grow both personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of passion, expertise, and dedication to the table. To excel in this role, you should possess:

1. Excellent knowledge of the impact of domestic abuse and other gender-based violence on survivors and children.
2. Experience of providing emotional and practical support to survivors of domestic and other gender-based violence.
3. Experience of working within a multi-agency setting.
4. Awareness of risks associated with domestic violence in a working environment.
5. Working knowledge of the relevant housing law and welfare benefits that apply to women and children using the service.
6. Knowledge of legal remedies available to survivors of experiencing domestic abuse.
7. Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and ability to address them appropriately.
8. Excellent time management skills, multitasking and ability to delegate tasks.
9. Evidence of ability to develop and sustain multi-agency work partnerships.
10. Previous experience of using computer-based systems to accurately record work and client details.
11. Ability to work effectively under pressure.
12. Highly developed interpersonal, written and oral communication skills and ability to manage complex tasks in clearly defined time frames (including accurate records, reports, case notes and interpersonal communication).

Schedule 9 (1a) of the Equality Act 2010 applies to this position. There is a genuine occupational requirement for the post holder to be female.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our service users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer. Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed. We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.