Refuge Manager

CWA is dedicated to providing life-changing support and safe accommodation to women and children experiencing domestic abuse. We are seeking a dynamic and motivated manager to lead our refuge service and help us continue our critical work in the community. We are very passionate about our work and we are immensely proud of the support we have offered in Cambridge since 1977. The successful appointee will work alongside the current manager for a short period to ensure a smooth handover and enhanced induction and training for the job.

We appreciate that few women will have specific experience of working in a refuge.  If you would like an informal chat about your transferrable skills before completing the application, please contact us to arrange this.

The Role:

As the Refuge Manager, you will be at the forefront of our safe accommodation services, ensuring the highest standards of housing management and support for women and children in need. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leadership and Management: Overseeing all CWA safe accommodation services, providing line management and support to refuge staff.
• Complex Casework: Managing complex casework issues and operational emergencies with expertise and sensitivity.
• Quality Assurance: Ensuring that all contractual and funding requirements are met and maintaining CWA’s high quality standards.
• Strategic Input: Being an integral part of the Senior Management Team, contributing to organisational strategy, responding proactively to changes in the wider environment, and leading the development of the refuge service.

Benefits of the Role:

• Generous annual leave: Enjoy a good annual leave allowance of 25 days per year plus bank holidays, with an extra holiday purchase scheme and additional leave days for long service.
• End of year bonus: Receive a bonus at the end of the year as a token of appreciation for your hard work.
• Pension scheme: Benefit from a salary exchange scheme for pension on top of the standard workplace pension.
• Clinical supervision: Regular clinical supervision to support your professional well-being and reflective practice.
• Supportive team: Work in a well-connected and supportive all-women team environment, with experienced and passionate colleagues.
• Job satisfaction: Experience high levels of job satisfaction through making a positive impact in the lives of women and children, and using your creativity to influence service development and innovation.
• Professional development: Access high-level training and continuing professional development opportunities.
• Time off in lieu: We ensure that all extra hours worked are paid or given back through time off in lieu.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience: Proven experience in managing services for vulnerable groups, preferably within the domestic abuse sector.
• Leadership: Strong leadership and line management skills to support and inspire a dedicated team.
• Problem-solving: Excellent problem-solving skills to handle complex casework and operational emergencies effectively.
• Commitment: A deep commitment to upholding CWA’s high standards and feminist values in all aspects of service delivery.
• Strategic vision: Ability to contribute to organisational strategy and drive the development of our refuge service to meet future needs.

Application Process:

If this sounds like you and you are ready to take on this rewarding challenge, we would love to hear from you. The deadline for applications is midnight on 19th August 2024.

Successful applicants will be notified and interviews will be held within three weeks of this date.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.  Posts will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and open to women only (Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR), Schedule 9 (Work; Exceptions), Part 1 (Occupational Requirements), of the Equality Act (2010) applies). The appointment will be made on the understanding that a satisfactory 3-month probationary period will be completed by the applicant and that acceptable references will be received by CWA.

In order to keep costs to a minimum we will only contact you if you have been selected for interview.