Job Description

About Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services.

DRCSAS exists to relieve the trauma and distress and help rebuild the lives of survivors living in Devon and Torbay who have experienced any form of sexual violence, at any point in their lives.

DRCSAS also campaigns and raises awareness about rape and sexual violence to change the narrative around sexual violence and to enable survivors' voices to be heard.

DRCSAS works to feminist principles, which underpin our service, and we maintain a woman only workforce and women only support spaces four days a week. Our work is guided by a trauma-informed approach which understands how traumatic experiences can impact on survivors and keeps an awareness of the effects of trauma at the forefront of our approach.

Are you an experienced Support Worker who has supported survivors of Sexual Violence in the community, through both 1:1 and group work?

Do you a passion for working in an organisation, offering high quality support to victims of Sexual Violence?

Are you organised and creative? Can you work well in a team but also a woman who can work on their own initiative?

This is an exciting opportunity to join Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services, at a time where we are continuing to develop the way we work with survivors, and you will be able to influence this.

This post is restricted to female applicants only under Schedule 9, part 1, Equalities Act 2010.

We aim to meet all of our obligations under the Equality 2010 Act and welcome applications from women from all sections of society.

We will make reasonable adjustments to the working environment as required.

Applicants will undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before

appointment and a mandatory right to work check.

Salary: 26,160 FTE (Spinal point 1 on a 5-year annual incremental scale; details of which will be provided on appointment)

This role is a dual role due to start on the 1st February 26 inline with our new contract.

Hours 0.9 FTE made up as follows, to cover Torbay:

3 days per week Specialist Support work

1.5 days per week Helping to Heal working with Men

The helping to heal specialist support worker role delivers specialist support work that is trauma-informed and focused on the delivery of activities identified through the implementation of individual survivor support plans, specifically for male service users with complex emotional needs, who have difficulty accessing support from services. These activities could include advocacy, trauma stabilisation, workshops, programmes or other creative community development activities. The helping to heal specialist support worker has a key role in advocacy, community engagement (outreach) and works collaboratively with each survivor and partners to develop a bespoke support offer. The helping to heal specialist support worker will hold a smaller case load of service users but will be expected to work with service users over a longer period, to build trusting relationships, establishing teams around service users with complex trauma.

This is an outreach role, where you will be expected to reach out into spaces to engage male survivors and meet them in places that are conducive to the unique needs of each individual. You will not be expected to home visit, but to be available in community spaces where men may feel more comfortable, making partnership and community work vital to the success of this role.

Responsible to: Specialist Support Team Leader

Office Base: Main Office Base is Torquay, and you will also work in our other offices, out in the community and occasionally at home

Contract: Permanent

Pension: 6% contribution by employer

Annual Leave: 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata)

For an informal conversation please contact Bethan Ridge - bethan@devonrapecrisis.org.uk

Please send your C.V and a covering letter (no more than 2 pages) detailing and evidencing how you meet the person specification provided alongside the job description.

This should be sent to our Specialist Support Team Leader Bethan Ridge (bethan@devonrapecrisis.org.uk) by 1200 on Friday 2025.

Interview date to be confirmed if shortlisted.

Role Overview

The specialist support worker role delivers specialist support work that is trauma-informed and focused on the delivery of activities identified through the implementation of individual survivor support plans. These activities could include advocacy, trauma stabilisation, workshops, programmes or other creative community development activities. The specialist support worker has a key role in advocacy, community engagement (outreach) and works collaboratively with each survivor and partners to develop a bespoke support offer.

Key Responsibilities

To deliver a needs-led, recovery focused service to people affected by sexual violence to include trauma interventions, trauma stabilisation, advocacy and practical support.

Service Delivery

To deliver specialist trauma support to people who have experienced sexual violence To provide telephone and email support to people, their family, friends and partners To be part of an on-call system for out of hours work by volunteers and to undertake telephone helpline work as required by the service. To ensure the smooth coordination of the specialist support team service To ensure the service provided is focused on the ability of people to cope with and recover from the effects of sexual violence Undertake safeguarding training at level three to support the on-call system for out of hours work by volunteers and to use agreed processes to make safeguarding decisions during those times Complete safeguarding tasks where safeguarding issues are identified working in line with DRCSAS policies on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. This will include sharing information with relevant agencies, recording decision making and where safe to do so, keeping service users updated on our safeguarding decisions. Co-produce support plans with individual survivors that include initial assessments of need and identified risks. Identify with survivors what access requirements they have and what adjustments are needed to enable full participation and access. Work with partners to collaborative in order to meet survivor's needs Enable equality and inclusion, promoting approaches which prevent discrimination and encourage accessibility Demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in all elements of the role Work with communities who experience social exclusion, adapting approaches to reach survivors from different communities Deliver support work for all ages 13+

Service Development

To attend relevant local forums as required to ensure effective partnership work To build effective and positive relationships with workers from partner agencies To assist in the development and delivery of training events Work alongside volunteer specialist support workers to enable effective engagement

Quality Assurance

To ensure that the services provided are within agreed organisational policy and process and values To proactively maintain professional knowledge and practice To attend and contribute to team meetings and assist in the development of policy and procedure To ensure compliance and responsiveness to child and adult safeguarding policies and procedures To gather the views of service users at agreed intervals

Monitoring and Evaluation

To work alongside the DRCSAS team to ensure that all service activity is recorded, inputted and evaluated To work to all agreed monitoring and evaluation procedures and to contribute to their continual improvement To provide specific data as required and to write reports and case studies as necessary

Communication

To ensure effective communication of information within DRCSAS resulting in an accessible, reliable and smooth running service for all service users To promote a positive view of DRCSAS when interacting with external partners and stakeholder

Other

Engage with line management, supervision, training, personal development and wellbeing, using opportunities provided by DRCSAS to do so Work in partnership with Rape Crisis England and Wales and other rape crisis centres as necessary Any other reasonable task commensurate with this post

Person Specification

Qualifications, Training and Experience:

Essential:

Experience of supporting people who have experienced trauma and who might be in distress Experience of working with people who have experienced sexual violence Experience of delivering outcome-focused support Experience of co-designing individual support plans with people Experience of managing a diverse case load with varying individual needs Experience of enabling access to support and meeting people's inclusion needs Experience of building positive relationships which are warm and empathetic Experience of assessing need and using partner referral pathways Experience of multi-disciplinary working, in particular, working alongside colleagues in mental health, social care and the police Experience of working with safeguarding issues

Desirable:

Experience of delivering training Experience of working with volunteers Experience in developing programmes and workshops Experience in delivering safe and effective group work spaces Able to deliver training sessions Able to hold safe and effective group spaces

Skills and Abilities:

Essential:

A sensitive, empathic and mature approach to working with victims of sexual violence Skills in advocacy Skills in practice adaption for all ages (+13) and diverse needs (willingness to develop more fully if not extensive) Confidence to work in diverse venues and in community spaces An ability to adapt and ensure a fluid service offer which meets individual need An ability to work confidently and sensitively with people from a range of diverse backgrounds Ability to work in a team and with a whole service ethos Confidence in working with distressed people and the ability to inspire confidence Ability to manage a case load of service users with a variety of complex needs Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills Skilled in maintaining boundaries and able to support volunteer support workers with boundaries Ability to maintain accurate and up to date records and input onto central database Competence in using Microsoft Office applications

Desirable:

Able to deliver training sessions Able to hold safe and effective group spaces

Knowledge:

Essential:

Comprehensive understanding of the impacts of sexual violence Comprehensive knowledge of the diverse impacts of trauma and effective interventions to address these Knowledge of approaches to effective advocacy Knowledge of anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice Understanding of and commitment to the feminist perspective of sexual violence held by DRCSAS Robust knowledge of safeguarding principles and ability to apply them

Personal Traits:

Essential:

Creative, flexible and curious Collaborative and supportive Ability to work as part of a small team and across a whole service Passionate about supporting people who have experienced sexual violence Commitment to own wellbeing and able to source support or ask for assistance Commitment to continuing own professional development
Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Pay: Up to 26,160.00 per year

Expected hours: 33.75 per week

Benefits:

Company pension Flexitime Sick pay
Work Location: In person