Project Team Leader - Domestic Abuse Service Gateshead (Female*)

Job Purpose: To lead the Oasis Community Housing Domestic Abuse Team in Gateshead; providing accessible, community-based, trauma-informed support for women and girls aged 16 and over experiencing domestic abuse. The service operates from a women’s only space, and provides both one to one and group support interventions, including peer support. The Project Team Leader will hold responsibility for line management of the Service Team, for Safeguarding, Health and Safety, the delivery of holistic support provision to those in receipt of the support service, and monitoring and oversight of the provision. To lead the team in effective and close partnership working with funders and relevant partners and to provide leadership within the service, in line with organisational ethos and values.

Organisation Context:

Oasis Community Housing is a Christian response to homelessness and disadvantage providing housing, support and other specialised services. The support provided aims to develop life skills that will enable people to live successful independent lives.

Oasis Community Housing is part of the Oasis group of charities. The group includes national charities dedicated to education, housing, and campaigning against human trafficking and we work to a common vision of creating communities in which everyone can thrive and reach their God-given potential.

We welcome applicants from all faiths or none, but it is important that all employees understand and sympathise with the Christian vision, ethos and culture of the organisation. However, it will be an occupational requirement that a practising Christian is needed for some specified roles. This will be highlighted in the qualifications section of the job description and will be clearly stated in the job advert.

Oasis Community Housing is an experienced charity, with its Central Office in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, and projects across the North-East and London.

This role is based in Gateshead.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• To oversee the day to day running of the service, ensuring delivery is at all times in line with the organisational ethos, values, policies and procedures, and the service focuses on the key themes of; Safety and Advocacy, Education and Recovery, Community and Connection.

• To supervise and manage the service staff team, being the first port of call for any staffing issues, including performance appraisals.

• To participate in the recruitment and selection of new service staff.

• To monitor day to day expenditure against the service budget as guided by the budget and Head of Young Person’s Accommodation and Domestic Abuse Service.

• To oversee the holistic (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual) support provision to those being supported across the service, ensuring it is in accordance with the ethos and values of Oasis Community Housing, and ensuring that support provision is personalised to individual needs and all participants have regularly reviewed safety and support plans.

• To engage in multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approaches to support women and their families, including representing women and Oasis Community Housing at MARACs; attending meetings, representing and supporting the views of women being supported, and effectively sharing information with other professionals and partner agencies.

• To oversee the referral process from Gateshead DAT and the Northumbria Victims and Witness Service; ensuring contact is made in accordance with service standards, and appropriate DASH RIC assessments are completed.

• To ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to in your practices, and the practices of the team, and that concerns are reported appropriately and expediently, both internally, and externally, as needed.

• To hold responsibility for implementing Safeguarding policies and procedures across the service; making day to day safeguarding referrals, on-going case management, and reporting, in conjunction with the relevant Safeguarding Leads.

• To maintain records needed to ensure excellent and consistent support provision, and support the staff team to meet those same standards; maintaining comprehensive case files, using our Inform data system, completing reports (both internal and external) and assisting in the measurement of outcomes.

• To be accountable to senior management for project performance, providing regular reports including performance reports and management reports.

• To support the active participation of those being supported in project design, delivery and evaluation; encouraging involvement, and assisting in recording access and engagement; ensuring all participants have the opportunity to engage in social activities and peer support.

• To lead on the planning and delivery of the Own My Life group work course, structured around the following core themes: Own My Mind, Own My Body, Own My Choices, Own My Relationships, Own My World and Own My Feelings.

• To ensure confidentiality of personal data held in the care of the organisation and project staff, as specified in the Data Protection Act 1998 (GDPR 2018) and Oasis Community Housing policies and procedures.

• To work in close partnership with colleagues from Gateshead Council and other partner agencies; professionally representing Oasis Community Housing and the individuals we support.

• To receive and respond to complaints in the first instance.

• To support the Head of Young Person’s Accommodation and Domestic Abuse Service in preparing for audits, reviews and inspections as required by partners, funders and stakeholders.

• To attend regular supervision sessions with your line manager.

• To attend relevant training sessions as required by the role / your line manager.

• To undertake any other reasonable duties as required.

• To ensure all working practice and interactions are in line with organisational ethos and values, and the ethos and values are implemented across the service.

To be able to work in any Oasis Community Housing projects as require

Personal Specification/Key Competencies:

Qualifications:

• Relevant Level 3 qualification (Essential) e.g. Domestic Abuse Practitioner Standard (DAPS) Level 3 or OCNLR Level 3 Certificate in Domestic Abuse: Prevention and Early Intervention

Work Experience:

• Experience as Domestic Abuse Support Worker; including needs and risk assessment, delivery of holistic support, health and safety, working closely with partner agencies to provide support (Essential)

• Experience managing staff or volunteers (Essential)

• Experience working in the safeguarding arena (Essential)

• Experience working with women fleeing domestic abuse (Essential)

• Experience in using person centred support plans, and DASF RIC assessments (Essential)

• Experience participating in MDT meetings (Essential)

Skills, Knowledge & Aptitude:

• Excellent organisational skills, including time management and prioritisation (Essential)

• Ability to manage a heavy and varied workload in a demanding and challenging environment (Essential)

• Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to build cooperative working relationships both within a team / organisation and with other agencies (Essential)

• Proven skills in leading, motivating and empowering staff and volunteers (Desirable)

• Ability to effectively use computer software packages i.e. Microsoft Office (Essential)

• Ability to develop and maintain professional staff/client boundaries and support others to do the same (Essential)

• A mature, professional and flexible approach; excellent personal emotional intelligence and self-awareness, with an ability to work calmly under pressure, to reflect on own practice and accept feedback (Essential)

• Emotionally Resilient (Essential) • Ability to challenge inappropriate behaviour (Essential)

Motivation:

• Be passionate and enthusiastic about supporting individuals, having a heart for people and believing that everyone has the potential to change, given the right support and circumstances (Essential)

• To have perseverance and never give up hope in those who use our services, instilling that hope into their daily lives (Essential)

• Be in sympathy with the Christian ethos and values of the organisation (Essential).

There is an Occupational Requirement for the postholder to be female as per exemptions in The Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 9)