Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Alliance Complex Lives Navigator |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Adults and Customer Services |
Service |
Community and Customer Services |
Business unit |
Housing Options |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Hostel Manager |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Hostel Manager |
Salary grade |
G |
JE ref |
ADC039 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To improve outcomes, including general wellbeing, for women living complex lives and who experience multiple disadvantages including homelessness, sexual exploitation, domestic and /or sexual violence in adulthood or childhood, using drugs and/or alcohol, experiencing poor mental health including complex trauma; and may be at risk of offending.
- To ensure that support services for women with complex lives are informed by the voices of their lived experience.
- To provide a strengths-based service that supports women to identify and meet their own priorities and aspirations.
- To communicate effectively across relevant teams and agencies to facilitate coordinated delivery of supportive or other interventions that meet the needs of the individual in ways that suit them.
- To work alongside the individual, acting as an advocate for them and providing a safe and trusted link to wider support networks including statutory and voluntary sector organisations, Victim Support, and mental health services including the Community Mental Health Framework and Primary Care networks.
- To identify and reflect on gaps in support for women with complex lives and create innovative solutions to meet them.
- To promote the safeguarding of adults who use the service.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- Women with complex lives are heard and listened to.
- Women with complex lives receive holistic and trauma informed support without the need to access a number of different services and experience less trauma symptoms over time.
- Women are empowered to make choices about their lives and futures.
- Women experience improved safety and wellbeing, are engaged with services, are less vulnerable and are at reduced risk of harm.
- Women with complex lives report improved quality of life and are less socially isolated.
- Services are informed by the voices of women with complex lives and their experiences.
- Stronger partnership working through effective working arrangements and information sharing across relevant teams and agencies.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- To provide a strengths based and shame sensitive approach to working with women with complex lives and experiencing multiple disadvantages, adopting the principles of trauma informed practice at all times.
- To build and maintain trusted relationships with women, supporting them to understand and manage the impact of trauma upon their behaviour; and helping services to respond to the individual in ways that suit them.
- To identify barriers to individuals accessing support and work creatively to find solutions.
- To create and promote an environment where women feel confident and empowered to make choices and plans for their future wellbeing.
- Work to reduce “hand offs” within the Multiple Complex Needs Alliance and to ensure consistent support is provided to the individual.
- Attend and contribute to various multi-disciplinary and agency meetings as required.
- To contribute to developing appropriate assessments of individuals’ needs that avoid undermining the trusted relationship, are flexible to respond to individuals’ unique requirements, and that manage risk and safety without being risk averse.
- To ensure that women can access services provided by Victim Support following harms caused by crime if they choose to.
- Promote harm reduction in relation to substance use and engagement with treatment services, including contributing to the development of a female only gateway to treatment services;
- Pro-actively develop working arrangements, knowledge, and links with Devon Sexual Health services (including STI testing, contraception, abortion and psychosexual care) as well as to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and Eddystone Trust.
- To support and facilitate pathways into mental health services and support women to access trauma processing interventions if they want to as part of the Peninsula NHSE Sexual Violence Trauma Pathfinder programme. To deliver trauma stabilisation support to those experiencing complex trauma as a result of sexual violence (training will be given).
- Maintain accurate and timely records and assist with the monitoring of outcomes, including reflective learning on the impacts of the role to inform service development.
- Work in such a way that considers and promotes the safety and wellbeing of the wider community.
- To be flexible and carry out such other appropriate duties as may be required commensurate with the grade of this post.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- The postholder will work predominantly in the community, taking support to women at places and venues of their choice which may include on the street. An office base will be provided at Leonard Stocks Hostel, Factory Row, Torquay.
- The postholder will be working with women who might be homeless or living in insecure accommodation, may be at risk of sexual exploitation, and have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence in adulthood or childhood. They may be using drugs and/or alcohol and experience poor mental health including complex trauma; and may be at risk of offending.
- The postholder will hold a valid UK driving licence and be able to drive on a daily basis. (A pool car may be available if needed).
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
- Normal office and agile working equipment.
- Use of pool car as needed on a daily basis.
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External
- Sexual violence services including the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC),
- Victim Support services, temporary accommodation providers,
- NHS Devon,
- Integrated Care Board,
- GP’s, sexual health services including Eddystone Trust and Devon Sexual Health Service,
- Mental health services,
- Probation,
- Police, and any other voluntary and statutory agencies.
- Internal
- Torbay Domestic Abuse Service,
- TRI drug and alcohol treatment services (as part of the Multiple Complex Needs Alliance) and the homeless hostel,
- Housing Options,
- Resettlement and Tenancy Sustainment Team,
- Community Safety,
- Adults and Children’s social care,
- Torbay Council elected members and senior managers.
10. Other duties
- To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.
Other Information
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- This post is office based at Leonards Stocks Hostel but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures.
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2017 (part 7) the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Alliance Complex Lives Navigator |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Adults and Customer Services |
Service |
Community and Customer Services |
Business unit |
Housing Options |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Ability to effectively use a range of modes of communication including verbal, digital, telephone, written formal and informal reports and presentations.
- A flexible approach to work and able to support women when required.
- Ability to communicate with women in ways that build trust and confidence, so that women feel listened to, valued and respected.
- Ability to communicate confidently and effectively with a range of stakeholders, promoting, influencing, and advocating for women’s individual and collective needs.
- Able to deliver training to a range of stakeholders to promote the work offered by the service.
- Excellent self-management and self-efficacy, adaptive and flexible to meet competing deadlines and priorities.
- Passionate, resilient, and persistent in the face of challenges and rejections to support the stability and progression of women to achieve personalised outcomes.
- Ability to maintain clear professional boundaries, understanding of adult (and child where appropriate) safeguarding issues and how to respond appropriately to any concerns.
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
- Able to use own initiative to build the role and support the alliance to source funding for future posts.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Pro-active in seeking opportunities to develop own skills and knowledge.
- Experience in supporting women with complex lives.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the needs of women with complex lives, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, exploitation, substance misuse and homelessness, poor mental health, and offending behaviours.
- Working knowledge of risk assessments and multi-agency risk management and safeguarding procedures.
- Knowledge and understanding of the roles and responsibilities of statutory and voluntary agencies.
- Knowledge of PC based computer systems, including regular use of Outlook and Microsoft Teams, Word and Excel.
- Knowledge and understanding of case management and data protection principles to ensure appropriate information-sharing with external agencies.
Desirable knowledge
- Understanding of homelessness legislation.
- Understanding of the Victims’ Code.
- Awareness of welfare rights and benefits and the potential impacts of changes/proposed changes.
- Working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and subsequent legislation as it affects the client group.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Previous experience of working with women with complex lives.
- Experience undertaking needs and risk assessments that are responsive and considerate of the individual’s unique circumstances, experiences, strengths and vulnerabilities; and adopting relational approaches to person centred support/safety planning.
- Experience of integrating trauma informed principles and shame sensitive approaches within practice.
- Experience of outreach/community based working.
- Demonstrated experience of successful partnership working with other professionals and agencies including the voluntary sector, leading to measurable improvements in outcomes for individuals.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Experience of working in a domestic or sexual violence, homelessness, substance misuse or other social care/health or criminal justice setting.
- Undertaken training in trauma informed reflective practice.
- Experience of attending and or chairing complex meetings.
- Conflict management and creative problem solving.
- Hold a valid UK driving licence.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Educated to GCSE O Level standard or equivalent.
- ECDL or equivalent.
- IDVA qualification or other recognised Domestic Abuse qualification.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
N/A
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
- Ability to carry out the physical requirements of the role (i.e. manual handling).