Domestic Abuse Assessment and Referral Service Volunteers - Female only (Aldgate)

Do you have the passion and commitment to support women experiencing Domestic Abuse to reach a place of safety? We are recruiting volunteers to support our Refuge Referral Line team, which supports women and children experiencing domestic abuse to find a safe, secure, and suitable refuge space across London.

You will join a team of trained staff and volunteers to support women to make a referral, and ensure they have the knowledge and are informed of the best options to reach safety. You will be supporting women and children to rebuild their lives free from fear!

What you will be doing

• Taking calls to assess the risks and needs of the women fleeing from domestic abuse whilst under supervision/guidance of the Referral Line Worker and the Service Manager
• To use a range of skills and tools to make phone conversations with women effective and empowering
• To provide women with knowledge of how to access refuge space and other types of support with the aid of a trained staff team
• General admin support: typing, taking notes, filing, scanning documents, keeping accurate records on our digitalised client management syste
• To develop positive relationships with staff members and women whilst promoting self-care
• Engage, support, and interact with women from a diverse range of needs and backgrounds

The skills you need

• A desire to provide support to women who are in crisis due to domestic abuse
• Always maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries
• Calm, patient approach with empathy and a willingness to listen without judgement
• To have a willingness to learn about supporting women impacted by domestic abuse with a diverse range of needs/ backgrounds
• Effective verbal and written communication
• Good time-management
• Experience of using email, internet, and other digital IT skills

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.