DVNCE Team Leader JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Team Leader - Minerva Responsible to: Project Manager Responsible for: Keyworkers and volunteers Contract: Permanent Grade: Scale point: 32-34 Salary: 30,351 31,935 Inc. London Weighting (+1% increase pending) Pension: 7 % Employers Contribution on completion of 6 months probationary period Working Hours: 35 hours per week plus occasional on call out of hours. The job may involve working out of hours and time off in lieu will be taken by arrangement with the Manager. Work Location: West London. On call duties based at home using a mobile phone. This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality ct 2010. Job Summary DVNCE provides support to women who have committed crime, or those who are vulnerable to becoming involved in the Criminal Justice System, through the DVNCE Minerva Project. We also provide domestic violence crisis intervention, risk assessment, advocacy and support for women who are experiencing domestic violence in Brent, Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. The DVNCE Minerva Project works with women involved in the Criminal Justice System at all stages, from those diverted via triage at Police custody suites to those serving short custodial sentences and those subject to Supervision by the London Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC). The Project offers safe, targeted support and advocacy to women to help them address their complex needs in relation to the 9 pathways to offending. The aims of the Project are to reduce re-offending, encourage desistance amongst repeat offenders, divert women from Criminal Justice involvement as early as possible and reduce the number of custodial sentences imposed by Courts. The Team Leader will: support and line-manage keyworkers to provide a high quality front-line service to women involved with the Criminal Justice Service, ensuring that dvance s values, policies and procedures are embedded into service delivery; receive referrals from relevant agencies and allocate cases to keyworkers appropriately; oversee rota systems and ensure all aspects of the service are adequately covered; attend partnership meetings and deputise for Project Managers as required; assist the Project Manager to develop new services in line with women s needs; ensure that service targets are met, and that internal and funder monitoring requirements are achieved.
The Team Leader main duties will be to: 1. ssist the Manager in the effective and safe running of the service and in ensuring that all client services provided are of a high standard in accordance with national standards and best practice. 2. Provide supervision for project-based staff, seeking assistance where required and liaising regularly with the Manager, other Managers or CEO as required. The Team Leader is responsible for supervising Keyworkers, volunteers and students on placement as required. 3. ssess the training and development needs of line managed staff, volunteers and students, and work to ensure that they are met. 4. ssist in ensuring that the staff team meets regularly, deputising for the Manager as required. 5. Review delivery of operational systems and procedures, ensuring that staff are effectively deployed and ensure the delivery of efficient and effective case management practice that maximises joint work across teams and minimises duplication. 6. Support the manager in attending multi-agency partnerships, working groups and forums to ensure that practice is consistent and compliant with protocols and contracts, promoting women s voices at every stage. 7. ssist the manager in providing support in cases where there are adults at risk or child protection concerns, liaising regularly with the Manager or other relevant managers, consulting with and informing them or the CEO as required. 8. ssist the Manager with the planning and implementation of new service developments and contacts. 9. Take a lead role in the induction of staff, volunteers and students. 10. Ensure the service is adequately staffed and provide cover where necessary, and deputise for the Manager in their absence as required. Service delivery and review: 11. ct as first point of contact for referrals, including responding to queries from referring agencies, and allocate all cases appropriately according to contract when required. 12. Undertake direct work with individual women where necessary and as designated by the Manager. 13. Lead on the provision of institutional advocacy with, criminal justice services, including police, probation, prisons as well as housing, adult and children s services and other partner agencies to support efficient case-progression, ensuring women s voices in this process are heard and listened to. 14. Provide day to day guidance and advice to staff on practice matters and case management to ensure staff members are aware of their responsibilities in relation to agreed codes of practice and safe methods of work and that clients receive a service that is appropriate to needs, risk and safety. 15. Oversee the development and delivery of group-work for women, working alongside other DVNCE services to maximise capacity to deliver group-work.
16. Oversee preparation of reports for case conferences, MRC and court, and attend as necessary. 17. Carry out inter-agency work, liaising and meeting with partner and other agencies and forums as required, and assist in ensuring good communication with and close co-operation between DVNCE services and other agencies. 18. ssist the manager in the production of funders reports on service delivery evaluation, using MODUS to inform monitoring and review of casework and its impact. 19. ssist the Monitoring & Evaluation Officer to improve monitoring processes and systems for data collection. 20. ssist and deliver training programmes and presentations to partner agencies. 21. ssist in the provision of an on-call management cover of the out of hours staff rota system, in collaboration with Project Managers as part of a rota system. 22. ssist the manager to identify gaps in service provision, and work creatively to address them. General duties: 23. Liaise with staff at all levels, and collaborate with colleagues to ensure delivery of organisational services and priorities, as directed. 24. t all times protect the safety and security of DVNCE, service users, staff, volunteers and buildings, and the confidentiality of records and other information. 25. Proactively assess the needs and safety of children and women to ensure that any risks/needs identified are addressed, having full regard to DVNCE s Safeguarding Children s policy and Safeguarding dults at Risk policy and complying with the Local Safeguarding Children and dults requirements. 26. Be responsible for personal learning development and keep up to date on research, relevant legislation, policy and practice, and other literature relevant to the project. 27. Participate in supervision, training and internal meetings as required. 28. Ensure the effective implementation of DVNCE s Safeguarding, Data Protection, Health & Safety, Equal Opportunities and other policies and procedures and uphold the core values of DVNCE. 29. Uphold the right of women, children and young people who have experienced domestic violence, advocating vigorously for them while offering protective strategies, and appropriate safe services. 30. Work across teams and undertake such other duties, appropriate to the grade and character of the work, as may reasonable be expected. This is a developing post and the Team Leader will be required to have an open and flexible approach to the change process. The job description sets out the duties of the post at the time when it was drawn up and will be
reviewed as necessary. Duties may vary without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.
PERSON SPECIFICTION: Team Leader = pplication Form I = Interview KNOWLEDGE ND QULIFICTIONS: 1. relevant qualification, for example in law, social work, housing, or other relevant area such as education, health, youth work. 2. Thorough understanding of violence against women and girls with a particular focus on domestic violence (physical, emotional and sexual violence, so-called honour- based violence, forced marriage and FGM) 3. n in depth knowledge of issues facing women offenders and those at risk of offending; both in and out of the criminal justice system 4. Thorough knowledge of safeguarding practice, procedures and legislation 5. Good understanding of the operation of the criminal justice system and the multi-agency environment in which services operate. EXPERIENCE: 6. Experience of working with women presenting with issues related to offending (e.g. substance misuse, homelessness, poor mental health) 7. Strong experience of supervision of staff or volunteers, including managing performance and achieving targets through review of individual and team practice 8. Experience of building and maintaining a strong and motivated team. 9. Experience of delivering training and workshops in a multi-agency setting. 10. Experience of risk management, needs assessment, safety and support planning, particularly with clients with complex/multiple needs. 11. Proven track record of building and maintaining networks and working with partner agencies and other stakeholders to develop and deliver services. SKILLS: 12. Excellent listening and communication skills with a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds 13. Proven skills in risk and needs assessment and management, in safety and support planning and the ability to advocate successfully using evidence and professional experience. 14. bility to network, influence, problem solve, overcome barriers and apply solution focused approaches 15. The ability to work well within a team and responsibly on own initiative and of maintaining professional boundaries with staff, clients and partner agencies. 16. flexible, proactive approach and the ability to remain calm and objective in stressful situations.
17. Good project and time management skills and the ability to work effectively under pressure. 18. bility to manage conflicting priorities whilst maintaining service delivery and adhering to deadlines 19. Good data collection, monitoring and IT skills, including word processing and using databases and spreadsheets. GENERL: 20. Work co-operatively with colleagues, statutory and non-statutory agencies. 21. Clear boundaries with staff and a willingness to seek support from managers where necessary and make effective use of supervision. 22. good understanding of the importance of confidentiality, safe practice and health and safety procedures. 23. good understanding of cultural issues, anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities. 24. firm commitment to women, children s and young people s rights and to work within DVNCE s framework and its core values. 25. Willingness to carry out the policies and procedures of DVNCE, and to work to agreed guidelines and codes of conduct.