About us
Changing Lives is a nationwide charity helping people facing the most challenging of circumstances to make positive change - for good. We believe that everyone deserves a safe home, a rewarding job and a life free from addiction or abuse. We know that given the right support, anyone can change their life for the better.
Our services across the country help thousands of people each year who are experiencing a wide range of complicated challenges, including homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, unemployment, involvement with the criminal justice system, sexual exploitation and domestic abuse. By focusing on their strengths, potential and opportunities, we support the people we work with to overcome their problems and live safe, successful, independent lives.
Our charity is powered by over 600 passionate colleagues who bring a diverse and inclusive environment for our colleagues to grow. We are proud to say that many have actual lived experience of the challenges faced by those we support. We are looking for committed and compassionate professionals to join our team, who share our enthusiasm for changing lives.
About the Service - Women and Children's Services
We run services and dedicated women’s centres for those who are at risk or struggling with challenging circumstances, including women in the criminal justice system and those with experience of trauma, selling sex or sexual exploitation.
We understand that women and girls have experiences which are different to men and can experience vulnerabilities that are specific to their gender. Childhood abuse and domestic abuse are common features in the lives of the women we support which impact on their health and wellbeing. Underpinning all our services is an in-depth understanding of trauma and a focus on recovery, resilience and community integration.
About the Job
North Tyneside Domestic Abuse Integrated Service is delivered by Changing Lives, providing a coordinated, trauma-informed, and recovery-focused response to all those affected by domestic abuse in North Tyneside. This includes adult victims and survivors, their children and young people, and individuals who use harmful behaviours.
As part of our integrated domestic abuse model, we provide safe and secure refuge accommodation for women and children. Our service includes 14 self-contained units with 24/7 support available. We work collaboratively with each woman - whether she is single or living with her children - to develop person-centred safety and support plans, alongside comprehensive risk assessments. This approach ensures that each individual remains central to every stage of the process.
For women with children, our dedicated Family Support Worker provides additional support, offering direct work with both parent and child to identify and address their needs, promote their wellbeing, and help them recover from the impact of domestic abuse.
Our aim is to empower women to rebuild their lives and move on to more permanent, safe and settled housing. We have a dedicated Housing Support Worker and the offer of dedicated resettlement support, including practical assistance and advocacy to support the transition from crisis to independence.
Alongside the refuge, the integrated service model also provides dispersed accommodation for individuals and families who may not be able to access traditional mainstream refuge. Dispersed Support Workers will deliver support equivalent to refuge services, including access to community-based support and groups.
We operate a 24-hour helpline that is available to anyone affected by domestic abuse in North Tyneside, as well as to professionals seeking guidance or wishing to make a referral. The helpline acts as a single, co-ordinated entry point for all referrals, ensuring timely triage, needs-led assessments, and appropriate allocation across our integrated service. This includes access to dispersed accommodation, short term and assertive outreach, Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) support, structured group programmes, and behaviour change interventions. Through this coordinated approach, we ensure individuals receive the right support, at the right time.
The role of the Night Support Worker ensures the refuge remains safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for women and children during night hours. This includes overseeing new admissions, responding to resident’s need and operating the 24-hour helpline for anyone affected by domestic abuse in North Tyneside. The helpline is available to people accessing all elements of the Integrated model including those people supported within dispersed accommodation and those supported by IDVA and Outreach Services.
The successful candidate will use a holistic and strength-based approach to support all individuals; supporting individuals who may have experienced multiple disadvantages and have unmet needs, who require specialist trauma informed and non-judgmental support. The refuge is run in accordance with the women’s co-produced Protect and Support Plan and follows Changing Lives Theory of Change; Being, Becoming, Belonging and Beyond:
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Being - Meeting immediate needs e.g. working closely with the IDVA service, accessing clothing, food bank vouchers, bank accounts, emergency packs, Universal Credit, building relationships.
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Becoming - Helping to manage challenging emotions and overcoming trauma using a range interventions, supporting individuals to access recovery and addiction programmes, building resilience and life-skills e.g. parenting, budgeting.
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Belonging - Planning for safe, sustainable move-on accommodation, ensuring longer-term/informal support networks in place and supporting transition into independent living.
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Beyond - Advocating for individual and community needs with agencies, adapting to change and needs of those we support, empowering futures through collaborative and integrated support.
Please note due to the nature of this role we can only accept female applicants.
