Reporting to: Team Leader /CEO
Hours: 37 hours/week with flexible working times to be decided with CEO
Location: Workbase is Boston, covering South Lincolnshire.
Salary: £25,500.00 with a progression scale up to £30,900.00.
Pension: Employer’s contribution of 6% gross salary into workplace pension after probation period.
Health Cash Plan: After probation period.
Annual leave: 20 days plus Bank Holidays increasing up to 25 days over 5 years.
Closing Date: 10/7/2026
Safeguarding and Pre-Employment Checks – Haven Domestic Abuse Service is committed to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Any offer is subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including identity verification, DBS clearance and satisfactory references.
Haven Domestic Abuse Service (HDAS) is an established domestic abuse charity with ambitions to support more people than ever before, we are committed to helping the most marginalised in society. Our passionate team provide refuge and support for victims of domestic abuse and their children from the crisis of fleeing the perpetrator right through to successfully resettling in their own new home.
HDAS operates across the southern part of Lincolnshire, an area of some 750 square miles with low population density.
HDAS offers a great opportunity for a Domestic Abuse Worker to take a progressive step, team working in our refuge in Boston and our dispersed units, whilst delivering particular project work and supporting the Team Leader and CEO.
Job Description
The main duties of the Domestic Abuse Refuge Work include:
· To provide a professional, effective and supportive service to victims and their children who have suffered emotional, physical or mental abuse. To ensure victims and children are provided with secure accommodation of a high quality and standard.
· To provide practical and emotional support, including advice on housing and legal rights, information on welfare benefits, etc and to provide care and support appropriate to each individual’s needs.
· To share responsibility with other workers for providing a high standard of outreach and resettlement support relevant to individual needs.
· To work within and implement all HDAS operational policies and procedures especially Health & Safety, Equal Opportunities, Child Protection, Confidentiality and Security, and to communicate immediately with management any problems relating to possible breaches of these policies, especially where there is concern about safety of residents.
· To deal with emergency admissions, welcoming new arrivals, settling into accommodation, explaining house rules, signing of documentation (e.g. residents’ licence agreement) and being available to answer any queries.
· To provide residents with access to appropriate welfare rights advice, and assist them in claiming and receiving the benefits to which they are entitled.
· To encourage residents to participate in the day to day running of the refuge and encourage the development of mutual support.
· To develop good working relationships and links with outside agencies and refer to specialist agencies where necessary.
· To develop and maintain a current awareness with regard to domestic abuse as well as the effects of domestic abuse e.g. through reading and training events, keeping up to date with current legislation affecting abused victims.
· To assist in the referral and move-on process, and negotiate with social landlords, local landlords and other housing providers to secure move on accommodation.
· To be aware of local facilities, in such areas as training, employment, childcare, health and financial matters and to make this information available to victims.
· To attend any meetings (including MARAC or other multi-agency meetings, Management Committee, Staff and House meetings) and undergo training either internal or external as requested by the CEO.
· To work within the confines of confidentiality and ensure that professional boundaries are always maintained when working with residents, staff and external bodies etc and to work within HDAS Code of Conduct. To ensure that security of sensitive information is maintained.
· To report any problems / difficulties / complaints to the Team Leader or CEO and participate in follow up investigations as required.
· Some out of hours refuge work may be required. You will be required to carry a mobile phone and be ‘on-call’ as part of a rota.
· To carry out any other duties that may be required by the CEO. HDAS can require staff to work at any of the HDAS project sites.
HDAS is funded to deliver a range of projects, each one a separately funded piece of work but the whole combines to create a holistic domestic abuse service ranging from raising awareness and preventing future abuse to the crisis support of families fleeing abuse, through to supporting families to successfully gain and run their own homes.
Staff are expected to take responsibility for projects they are responsible for. Your role may include being part of the delivery of one or more of the projects below.
· As directed by the Team Leader & CEO, take responsibility for delivery of specific projects, maintaining records, monitoring project delivery and budgets against the objectives and outcomes expected of each project; Each project is specific in its requirements so it is not possible to list them here. Current projects include:
- Awareness-raising and healthy relationships work in schools;
- Freedom Programme;
- Awareness-raising amongst other agencies and employers
- Complex Needs of victims in refuge;
- Resettlement of victims in refuge;
- Empowerment Groups
- Complex needs of children in refuge;
- Rural Community Hubs;
This list is not exhaustive. New projects come on stream and others end as the funding finishes.
Regularly update the project progress, and immediately report any concerns over delivery, capacity, effectiveness of the project and/or any safeguarding any concerns;
Actively explore future project ideas that will build upon existing work and enhance delivery and support to victims of domestic abuse and their families, or enhance delivery of raising awareness in the larger community, and discuss with Team Leader & CEO;
Support other Project Workers and provide cover in times of illness and holiday;
Other duties as from time to time may be necessary, as directed by the Team Leader & CEO.
PLEASE NOTE:
- This role requires a certain level of physical ability;
- A full UK driving licence and vehicle available for work is required, along with vehicle insurance which covers the vehicle for business use. Business mileage is paid at 45p/mile.
· An enhanced DBS check is required (this will be arranged and paid for by HDAS)
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. It will be necessary for an Enhanced Disclosure to be made to Disclosure and Barring Service for details of any previous criminal convictions.
HOW TO APPLY
Firstly, please email [email protected] and ask for an application pack if you don’t already have one.
**** If you wish to apply for this role, please read through the information carefully and tell us how you would deliver each aspect of the post.
- In your application, we’d like you to tell us why you feel you are suited to achieving the role's objectives and what competencies / experiences you would bring to three vital areas of the post:
- 1. Working within refuges and helping to deliver projects is a challenge that requires careful time management. Could you tell us how you feel you can achieve a balance in your role.
- 2. One of the requirements of this role is the ability to deliver specific projects, often working on one’s own though supported by other members of staff. Can you tell us of any experience you have and how you will use this within the role.
- 3. Please can you tell us how you feel your experience would enhance the work of Haven Domestic Abuse Service, and in particular any specialisms you can bring to this role (for example, languages, working with drug/alcohol users, etc) to this, and also where you feel you would like further training and support to allow you to develop your professional skills.
THE CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED APPLICATIONS IS 10/7/2026
SHORTLISTING AND SELECTION PROCESS
Applications which reach the qualifying criteria will be reviewed by the CEO, Team Leader and one Trustee.
Shortlisting will take place and those selected for interview will be informed of the date, time and place of interview and any presentations they should prepare.
Interviews will be conducted by a Panel comprising the CEO, Team Leader and one Trustee.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £25,500.00-£30,900.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
Work Location: In person
