Domestic Abuse Officer

Position:          Full time, 37 hours per week

Location: Hybrid working – Birmingham, B37 7YN

We are brave, we are ambitious, we are honest, and we are Citizen!

Do you want to work for an organisation that supports work life balance? If so, we have a really exciting opportunity to join our Care and Support Team as a Domestic Abuse Officer. The role of the Domestic Abuse Officer is a new and exciting role in Citizen which will allow you to help shape how the service looks and is delivered.

We are looking for someone with a background in domestic abuse services and with a knowledge of housing and homelessness or related fields.  Who can work proactively to support victims/survivors recognising the dynamics of domestic abuse. A knowledge of safeguarding and how this interrelates with domestic abuse is essential.

You will be working with people who will have difficult and often traumatic relationships, who may present in crisis, so you will need to be empathetic and resilient, but at the same time maintain a professional calm approach.  Working in a trauma-informed way, recognising intersectionality, to provide support to victims/survivors of domestic abuse who face severe and multiple disadvantages.

To succeed in the role, you will need to have understanding of Domestic Abuse support provision in social housing.  You will be expected to have a clean driving licence and use of a personal vehicle. You will have excellent communication skills to tackle difficult and sensitive issues, be able to work effectively as part of a team and have organisational skills with the ability to work without close supervision. 

As Domestic Abuse Officer, the role will involve:

• You will hold a caseload that will be made up of people who have been identified as requiring support due to domestic abuse.
• Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and up to date records.
• Be able to advise on civil and legal remedies as well as housing rights.
• Formulate safety plans and offer support to those who receive target hardening to remain safely in their homes.
• Ensure formal decisions are communicated clearly so that victims/survivors and agencies supporting them understand the pathway and options.
• Champion the use of DASH risk model within housing options to ensure those at high risk of harm are identified and referred to MARAC.
• Represent Citizen and coordinate participation with MARAC meetings and processes, including information gathering and action planning.
• Attend and organise multiagency meetings where necessary. Working closely with commissioned specialist services, and other agencies.
• Acting as a Domestic Abuse Champion, offering specialist domestic abuse advice and guidance to colleagues across the service.
• Assisting with the delivery of domestic abuse training sessions and briefings.

We will need you to have:

• An excellent approach to customer service with the ability to deal with challenging situations and people presenting in crisis.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and how this relates with domestic abuse.
• Be decisive, observant, enthusiastic, diplomatic, adaptable, quick thinking, innovative and customer focussed.
• Excellent I.T Skills
• Ability to develop successful professional relationships with partners to achieve positive outcomes.
• Have good organisational skills and take ownership of situations.
• Have a willingness and ability to work flexibly and to attend meetings and other events outside normal business hours to meet the needs of the service.
• Be highly self-motivated, able to act with integrity and show drive and enthusiasm.
• Have a current clean driving licence and access to a car to cover all geographic areas as and when required.

We would be excited if you have:

• Experience working with a Social Housing Provider or similar customer facing role.
• Previous training experience.
• Ability to be innovative and look for ways to improve customer experience.

Our people are everything and we offer:

• Opportunities for salary progression
• IT equipment to allow some optional home working
• ‘Live work better’ scheme which actively encourages work-life balance
• Annual leave starts at 25 days per year, increasing with length of service
• Enhanced family leave
• Company Pension – Citizen match up to 10% 
• If part of the pension scheme you are entitled to Life cover (three times your annual salary)
• Organisational Sick Pay (benefit increases with length of service)
• EAP – a 24/7 service which gives free, confidential advice and support on a range of issues including telephone counselling
• Medicash scheme -which includes GP Access, digital Physiotherapy app, retail vouchers and discounts, discounted gym memberships and more!
• Recognition through our Employee Excellence Awards
• Representation opportunities on our Staff Consultative Forum
• Access to Citizen’s Wellbeing platform
• Employee Excellence Awards (winners receive extra days annual leave that year)
• Occupational Health
• We believe everyone has something to give and encourage everyone to be the best they can be to reach their full potential with extensive learning and development opportunities and Study Leave

We adopt a proactive approach to safeguarding to ensure everyone accessing our services can do so without fear of harm, abuse or neglect.  As part of our recruitment process, we carry out robust safeguarding checks.

Further information on our selection process and Equality and Diversity commitment can be found at www.citizenhousing.org.uk

This post is subject to an ENHANCED DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service).

Further information on our selection process and Equality and Diversity commitment can be found at www.citizenhousing.org.uk

Closing date: 30th May 2024

Interview date: 19th June 2024

Please note we will be reviewing applications throughout the campaign and may invite candidates to interview at any time.  We reserve the right to close this role earlier than the published closing date should a suitable candidate be identified.