Imece Women’s Centre is a woman-only centre aiming to improve the quality of lives of women from Black and Minoritized backgrounds by providing a wide range of specialist services.
We are looking for a dedicated BME Specialist IDVA to deliver trauma-informed, culturally competent advocacy and support to Black and Minoritised women (16+) affected by Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and harmful practices.
Key Responsibilities:
- Service User Centred Support: Conduct needs and risk assessments, and develop robust safety and support plans to reduce risk and aid recovery.
- Expertise in Action: Apply a strong understanding of domestic abuse, the criminal justice system, MARAC, and safeguarding procedures.
- Training Delivery: Design and deliver specialist training on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) affecting Black and Minoritised communities, including FGM, Forced Marriage, and ‘so-called’ honour-based violence.
* This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
*Furthermore, this post is restricted to women from Black and Minoritised backgrounds due to the nature of the role. The Genuine Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Provide one-to-one crisis intervention, information, guidance, advocacy and support to women referred to Imece who have experienced domestic abuse and harmful practices.
2. Deliver weekly casework to women who have been assessed at ‘high risk’ due to domestic abuse. This will include risk management and safety planning, criminal and civil remedies, exploration of housing options and support to access housing, support with mental health and wellbeing, immigration and welfare rights, and support to keep her children safe.
3. Risk management and Safety Planning will include MARAC and Safeguarding referrals, effective multi-agency working with a range of partners including Police, Social Services, and Health Providers etc.
4. Ensure women are made aware of their rights and options in all areas needed to reduce risk of domestic abuse, increase their safety, and support them to live lives free of domestic abuse.
5. Support women who are survivors of domestic abuse to understand power and control, the effects of domestic abuse and to increase their awareness of the signs of domestic abuse and how to access support for their future safety.
6. Identify and respond to any needs and/or safety concerns for children of the women the Specialist BAME IDVA is supporting; ensuring that any risks/needs identified are addressed directly with the woman and where necessary referrals are made to relevant agencies.
7. Work collaboratively with multiagency partners inclusive of participating in conferences in respect of children and adults at risk as required, providing reports and undertaking actions as necessary.
8. Ensure compliance with all of Imece’s legal and contractual reporting requirements.
9. Adhere to all Imece’s policies including (but not limited to) case recording and monitoring protocols, confidentiality, safeguarding and data protection.
10. Deliver BME Specialist VAWG training, as and when agreed with Service Manager, to other professionals and Black and Minoritised Communities.
11.. To maintain detailed knowledge of relevant areas of family law, immigration law (Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession), social welfare law; including benefits, housing, debt and employment.
12. To promote and ensure compliance with Imece Women’s Centre’s Diversity Policy and strategies; to value diversity and equality of opportunities and find innovative and creative ways of engaging with all sections of the local community.
13. Participate in supervision, training and meetings as required and work as a member of the team to ensure effective delivery of service and individual workplans.
14. Work across teams and undertake such other duties, appropriate to the grade and character of the work, as may reasonably be expected.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
- Proven experience of working with Black women of African and Caribbean heritage.
- Proven experience of providing specialist advocacy and support to Black and Minoritised women experiencing domestic abuse and harmful practices.
- Experience of undertaking risk assessments, safety planning and managing high-risk cases.
- Experience of working in partnership with statutory and voluntary sector agencies.
- Knowledge of the issues facing women, children and young people from Black and Minoritised communities affected by violence against women and girls along with the ability to identify women’s individual and collective need.
- A strong understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on women and children.
- Knowledge of MARAC, safeguarding procedures and multi-agency working.
- A good understanding of the criminal justice system and the legal and practical options available to survivors.
- The ability to design and deliver specialist VAWG training to professionals and community groups.
- Excellent communication, advocacy, organisational and case management skills.
- Good IT skills, with confidence using online case management/record-keeping systems, Microsoft 365, and regular use of Excel.
- A strong commitment to working within a survivor-centred, trauma-informed, rights-based and culturally responsive framework.
Pay: £28,000.00-£31,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- IMECE is committed to ensuring that it provides equal opportunity in all aspects of employment and service provision that no one will be discriminated on the grounds of race, colour, religious or political beliefs, ethnic or national origins, class martial and parental status, sexual orientation, age, disability, immigration statues, trade union activities, or any other grounds which cannot be justified.
In order to ensure the effectiveness of Equal Opportunities Policy, all applicants are asked to answer these questions.
Any information given will be treated in strict confidence and the monitoring form will be separated from the rest of the application in receipt
This role is restricted to female applicants from Black and Minoritised backgrounds under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010. Do you meet these criteria?
- Do you have a disability (For example: mobility problem, hearing loss, etc.)?
If yes, please specify:
- How would you describe your ethnic background?
Black British / African / Caribbean
Asian (Indian / Pakistani / Bangladeshi / Other)
Latin American
Eastern European
Middle Eastern
Turkish / Kurdish / Cypriot Turkish
Other / Prefer not to say
- How did you hear about this vacancy?
o Social Media Posts
o Job Search sites
o Community Groups
o Friends
o Other
Work Location: In person
