Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Diversion Keyworker

Salary: £22,000 - £27,000

Location: Advance Women’s Centre – Portsmouth & a Portsmouth Police Station

Contract: Fixed Term Contract – 12 months from start date (January)

Hours: 1x 35 hours per week and 1x 21 hours

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.

About the role:

The Diversion programme began as a two-year pilot programme launched in July 2019 and funded by MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime). The aim was to drive multi-agency working between the police, Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) service providers and other statutory partners and was part of a wider programme of work to develop a whole system approach to identifying and addressing the needs of women involved in the criminal justice system in London. The Diversion programme integrates a short-term, holistic package of support for women with an out of court disposal, to improve outcomes for the woman and offer Police officers a robust alternative pathway other than prosecution.

We have recently been awarded funding from Portsmouth City Council to deliver a 12-month pilot of the Diversion Programme in Portsmouth, to support those women of the PO1-PO6 area postcodes, who encounter the Police and as a result are then to be referred to the Diversion service rather than be prosecuted.

The successful post holder is required to pass Police Vetting

About You:

To be successful as Diversion Keyworker you will have an in-depth knowledge of issues facing women offenders and those at risk of offending; both in and out of the criminal justice system and the ability to see how violence against women and girls interlinks to women in the criminal justice system.

In short, you will have: -

You will bring proven practice of working with women experiencing issues related to offending (e.g. homelessness, substance misuse, domestic abuse, mental health or other relevant work area) preferably within criminal justice setting. You will be able to demonstrate your experience of conducting needs and risk assessments and of risk management crisis management skills and an ability to cope in stressful situations. You will show forth your ability to manage a caseload and a top-quality skill set with prioritising and organising your own workload.

You will be a self-serving uniquely able to undertake working independently and at times be managed remotely. That said, you will have a proven record of collaborative and working partnership with relevant statutory and voluntary groups, demonstrating the ability to develop and maintain strong constructive working relationships.

How to apply:

Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications that include a cover letter will be considered.

Interviews are taking place week commencing: 12 & 13th December 2024

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits:

A 35-hour full-time working week

An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!)

Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home

Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more

Pension scheme

Enhanced maternity/adoption provision

Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

Employee eye-care scheme

Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles

Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation

Organisation wide away days

Thorough induction and training

Career development pathways

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Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and we will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe. We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.