Safe House Advocate

Job Description

We are Hestia. We make a difference.At Hestia, we live by our values and are committed to a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation that provides a variety of services such as Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery, Mental Health & Complex Needs and Criminal Justice. We are committed toempower people to rebuild their lives and regain independence.The service you will work in….Hestia is the largest provider of support to potential victims of trafficking in the UK. It is a dynamic service celebrating innovation and high engagement from service users. Join us for a deeply rewarding role where you can make a real difference in peopleslives. As a member of our team, youll have the flexibility to choose your shift time between 8AM – 4PM, 9AM – 5PM, or 10AM – 6PM, setting the tone for a positive workday. Your responsibilities will include ensuring the safety and security of our residentsthrough daily Health & Safety tasks, as well as providing vital support to survivors of Modern Slavery.Your day will involve conducting Key Work Sessions with survivors, assisting them in accessing crucial services such as legal or medical support, and guiding them through their entitlements and options for education, work, and accommodation. Youll receivecomprehensive training and tools to implement a person-centred and trauma-informed approach, empowering you to make a meaningful impact. With a dedicated budget, youll have the opportunity to get creative in enhancing our facilities or organizing activitiesfor our residents, fostering a supportive and enriching environment. As part of our larger organization, youll have access to exciting opportunities for both personal and professional growth.Rest assured, youll never be alone in your journey. Our supportive team and managers are always just a phone call away, ready to assist you in any situation. We prioritize work-life balance by encouraging you to clock off on time and offering the flexibilityto claim back any overworked hours, providing up to 8 hours per month of extra time off. If youre passionate about empowering individuals and changing lives, we encourage you to apply and join us in this fulfilling and impactful role.This role is on site at a Brent Safe House with training provided at Head Office (Aldgate). Travel to the safe house is reimbursed (not travel to head office).Full training and equipment is provided. You will be part of a larger team with multiple managersupport working with six male survivors of Modern Slavery.A day in this role looks like….As aSafehouse Advocateat Hestia, you will play a crucial role in our Modern Slavery Response Service.Your contributions will directly influence the lives of our service users, guiding them towards a path of empowerment and independence.A day will never look the same and some of the things you can expect to do/be responsible for are:

• Holding a caseload of service users who are recognized as potential victims of trafficking within the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
• Advocate on behalf of service users to ensure access to European Convention for Action against Trafficking (ECAT) rights and help them navigate through the NRM.
• Identify and assess any risks; & put in place appropriate safeguarding measures in response to these risks.
• Report incidents within strict timeframes and liaise with emergency services where appropriate.
• Professionally deal with urgent requests and unpredicted issues.
• Hold regular key work sessions with residents, recording all interactions on case management system.
• Have a good grasp of public and private services available to residents with no recourse to public funds as well as those who do have recourse. Confidently liaising with these services when needed.
• Write official letters on behalf of service users to the Home Office, or other partner agencies.
• Attendance at team meetings, supervisions with your line manager, clinical supervision and mandatory training sessions.

Why HestiaJoining Hestia means more than just a job; its an opportunity to be part of something bigger. We offer a supportive, inclusive and resolution driven work environment where your contributions are recognised and valued. As a member of our team, you will havethe chance to grow both personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of passion, expertise, and dedication to the table. To excel in this role, you should possess:

• Creative and engaging approach to advocacy.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and ability to address them appropriately.
• Experience of supported accommodation and housing management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to cope with stressful situations and professionally deal with emergencies.
• Ability to work independently, managing schedules and deadlines while also able to prioritise urgent matters.
• Proficient in using a computer and working on a database.
• Proficient in using Microsoft Teams, Excel, PPW and Word.
• Capacity to handle emotional and sometimes stressful work.
• Confidence in liaising with other organizations and professionals.
• Knowledge of GDPR principles.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and manage service user expectation.
• Awareness of safeguarding, immigration and accommodation Health & Safety is desirable.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and InclusionOur services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities,talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.We are a disability confident employer…Hestia is a disability confident employer, committed to the employment and career development of individual with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimumcriteria for the role they have applied for. We will also accommodate reasonable adjustment during the selection and interview process and throughout your employment with u