JOB DESCRIPTION
GENERAL INFORMATION
Title: Women’s Centre Project Coordinator
Project: Beth Centre
Location: Lambeth, London
Hours of Work: 35 hours per week
Reports To: Service Manager
Responsible For: 3 to 5 project workers
OVERALL PURPOSE
The overall aim of this role is help reduce the number of women offenders and re-offenders by effectively delivering a project in accordance with specific funding requirements. The post holder will have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the project.
JOB SUMMARY
The Project Coordinator will co-ordinate and oversee the services provided by the project. This will include:
Providing line-management and support to staff delivering services;
Co-ordinating the activities provided to the service users by the Project Workers and other internal and external services;
Developing and maintaining effective relationships with external criminal justice, other statutory agencies, and relevant community organisations;
1 Holding a small caseload of more complex clients providing advocacy, support and advice services at any point in their involvement in, or diversion from, the criminal justice system.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. SERVICE DELIVERY AND STAFF MANAGEMENT
1.1 To co-ordinate and be responsible for the operational management of the project.
1.2 To provide regular, structured line management support to project staff, including the delivery and recording of induction programmes, monthly supervision sessions (to develop key work plans and monitor the quality of work), and annual appraisals, in line with WiP’s policies and procedures.
1.3 To assist in the development of support mechanisms for all project staff including Clinical Supervision and Away Days.
1.4 To develop and co-ordinate a range of support interventions for the service users (e.g. group-based workshops, 1-1 casework, drop-in service) to help them achieve their individual support plans.
1.5 To oversee the day-to-day operational management of the project, including the co-ordination of all administrative, recording and monitoring systems, in line with WiP’s internal policies and procedures.
1.6 To oversee the assessment procedures for new and existing service users, carry out assessments and undertake crisis intervention.
1.7 To chair weekly referral allocation meetings with the Project Workers to ensure that service users are allocated to appropriate Project Workers based on their specific needs and to ensure that Project Worker caseloads remain manageable.
1.8 To develop expertise in and act as a source of specialist advice to both statutory and voluntary sector organisations working with women offenders regarding the specific needs of women with experience of the criminal justice system.
1.9 To provide specialist advice and guidance to the Project Workers on case management issues (e.g. establishing effective boundaries and risk assessment) and legislation affecting this specific client group.
1.10 To ensure that the project staff adhere to the safeguarding policy at all times and report any incidents immediately in order to maintain the safety of themselves and their clients.
1.11 To identify relevant fund-raising opportunities and provide support to WiP’s senior management team in the submission of funding applications in support of existing and new services.
1.9 To undertake activities every month that externally campaign for change for women affected by the criminal justice system, both in prisons and in the community.
2 2. CLIENT CARE
2.1 To provide advocacy, practical support, and options service to women in the criminal justice system.
2.2 To undertake an initial assessment of women, and develop and record individual support plans with service users that seek to address their mental/physical health, immigration, legal, housing, substance misuse, domestic violence, parenting, financial and cultural needs.
2.3 To undertake visits to courts, prisons, probation offices and other community settings in order to carry out casework with service users.
2.4 To implement, evaluate and record group-based interventions with women accessing the services of the project in order to promote their self-esteem and increase awareness of their legal rights.
2.5 To advise on referral options and arrange for the referral of the women to appropriate local agencies based upon their identified needs and in consultation with the client.
2.6 To monitor the effectiveness of support plans and recommend solutions or alternative strategies where appropriate.
2.7 To promote a climate of understanding so that the women feel able to voice anxieties, needs and concerns on the telephone or face to face.
2.8 To utilise counselling skills and proficiency in client advocacy in issues relating to service feedback given by clients.
3. COMMUNICATION
3.1 To develop and utilise a variety of strategies to communicate effectively with service users, prison and probation staff, external organisations and the general public.
3.2 To network widely with relevant external agencies and participate in criminal justice and other multi-agency networks, in order to drive improvements in WiP’s service provision to meet the needs of current and future users of the centre.
3.3 To represent WiP on a strategic level with external policy-makers and provider agencies where required, providing specific knowledge and expertise relating to the particular needs of women in the Criminal Justice System or who are socially excluded within the region.
3.4 To ensure that relevant staff within external organisations are aware of the range of services offered by the project, and to raise the profile of the service amongst potential service users.
3.5 To be responsible for establishing and maintaining contacts with front-line workers and senior managers within local probation offices, local authorities and other relevant statutory and voluntary sector agencies, in order to develop a range of external support, signposting and partnership opportunities.
3 3.6 To organise/attend forums at a local community level with the aim of encouraging dialogue and promoting inter-generational, inter-cultural understanding of issues related to women’s offending and social exclusion.
3.7 To plan, develop and deliver training for front-line professionals from a range of community groups, in order to improve their organisation’s practice responses to women in the criminal justice system and those at risk of offending.
3.8 To design and deliver presentations, briefings and training to other projects/services within WiP.
3.9 To liaise with and provide advice to staff within prisons, probation services, mental health services, substance misuse services, domestic violence services and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies with respect to the needs of women in the criminal justice system.
3.10 To attend and assist in the planning of regular team meetings.
3.10To attend monthly caseload allocation meetings at WiP Head Office with other Project Co- Ordinators and Service Managers.
3.11 To establish and maintain good working relationships with other members of WiP’s staff team.
3.12 To organise and attend meetings as appropriate actively participating and disseminating information to colleagues.
4. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
4.1 To ensure that the project has appropriate monitoring and recording systems in place that can adequately track and measure project progress in achieving agreed outputs and outcomes.
4.2 To contribute to regular evaluation of these monitoring processes to ensure that the data evidences the impact being made by the work of WiP.
4.3 To ensure that all staff working on the project keep an accurate account of the number of clients seen, telephone calls taken and the nature of such interactions; contributing to the maintenance of WiP’s service user databases.
4.4 To ensure that all staff working at the project maintain accurate, confidential service user records of interventions and contact details as per WiP protocols and procedures.
4.5 To gather and analyse all data and statistics relating to the work of the project and produce draft reports for Funding Bodies and Commissioners.
4.6 To participate in maintaining information on relevant referral agencies and contact telephone numbers.
4.7 To ensure all client files and documentation are kept in accordance with agreed administrative systems, by all staff working at the project.
4 5. PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING
5.1 To attend and prepare for regular line management meetings.
5.2 To participate in annual appraisals in accordance with WiP policy.
5.3 To attend regular clinical supervision for service user work.
5.4 To continue to develop skills, expertise and knowledge in the management of staff and services.
5.5 To continue to develop information and communication technology (ICT) skills.
5.6 To maintain an up to date knowledge and awareness of developments in public policy and legislation regarding women offenders and related subjects by attending relevant training courses, regional and national meetings and conferences.
5.7 To remain abreast of developments regarding statutory, non-statutory and privatised provision for this client group.
6. FURTHER INFORMATION
6.1 The post holder must at all times carry out duties and responsibilities with due regard to WiP’s equal opportunities policies and procedures.
6.2 The post holder must ensure that personal information for service users, members of staff and all other individuals is accurate, up-to-date, kept secure and confidential at all times in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the common law duty of confidentiality.
6.3 The post holder is expected to take responsibility for self-development on a continuous basis, undertaking on-the-job and other training as required.
6.4 The post holder is required to familiarise herself with and comply with WiP’s policies and procedures including responsibilities associated with vulnerable adults and child protection procedures and policies.
6.5 The post holder must be aware of individual responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act and identify and report as necessary any untoward accident, incident potentially hazardous environment.
6.6 The post holder will be subject to checks by the Criminal Records Bureau and security clearance by individual women’s prisons.
6.7 To participate in the ‘Out of Hours’ rota to ensure that managerial support is always available.
7. PROJECT SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES
Women’s Support Centre – Beth Centre, Lambeth
5 7.1 To manage a small caseload of complex clients
7.2 To oversee the delivery of the outreach services contract and ensure that any issues are resolved or escalated to the Service Manager when appropriate.
7.3 To be responsible for distribution of service user weekly allowances when required. To manage a petty cash float. To authorise purchase orders and cheque requests for interpreters, mobile phones etc.
This job description is intended as a guide to the main responsibilities of the post and not as an exhaustive list of duties and tasks. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties appropriate to her grade, that are not listed above, at the direction of her manager.
The organisation reserves the right to amend this job description from time to time in order to meet business needs following consultation with the post holder.
6 PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential = E Desirable= D E or Applic Interview D form NVQ 3 or equivalent professional qualification in social E A I EDUCATION/ care, IAG or other related field QUALIFICATIONS
Excellent, written and verbal communication skills, including E A I the ability to liaise effectively with senior managers in external organisations Ability to provide effective leadership to a small team of E A I staff. Ability to undertake complex needs assessments and E A I prioritise support needs Ability to work effectively on own initiative, with minimal E A I SKILLS/ direct supervision ABILITIES Excellent & demonstrable organisational and administrative E A I skills Ability to assess complex needs and identify priorities E A I Ability to develop and maintain effective working E A I relationships with external agencies Ability to prepare/deliver verbal/ written reports E A I Ability to work to deadlines IT skills E A I 3 years’ experience of supporting vulnerable women with a E A range of complex needs Experience of providing casework support and advocacy to E A I service-users EXPERIENCE Experience of managing or supervising D A I staff/volunteers/mentors. Experience of producing reports or evaluations for funders D I or key stakeholders Experience of working collaboratively with external agencies E A I or partner organisations at a strategic level Experience of working within the criminal justice sector E A
Knowledge of the impact of imprisonment upon women E A I Thorough understanding of confidentiality issues. E A I Understanding of issues of diversity and the principles of E A I equal opportunities, as they relate to both staff KNOWLEDGE management and service provision. Sound knowledge of the assessment process E A I Extensive knowledge of monitoring and evaluation within a E A I service delivery context
DRAWN UP BY (NAME) Lisa Ruff (The HR Lounge)
TITLE HR Consultant DATE 20.05.2016
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