Relief Support Worker

Role Overview

To provide short notice and planned cover for permanent employees on leave, as the need arises. The Relief Support Worker is a key member of the SDVS Team reporting directly to the Refuge Coordinator. The Relief Support Worker will provide support services to clients of Saoirse through actively supporting their Care Planning in conjunction with their Keyworkers in a non-judgemental, compassionate way and promoting empowerment and confidence building, through a philosophy of ‘self-help and mutual aid’.

What we offer you

• Salary: €18.05 per hour.
• Probation: 6 months
• Location: Dublin
• This role is part of the Refuge Team.
• Benefits: All employee benefits outlined below.
• Commitment to work–life balance and staff wellbeing.
• Hours of work: Variation of shift patterns, which will fall normally but not exclusively, from Monday – Sunday on a 12.5h per shift.

As the relief role is to provide cover for both planned and short notice leave, a high level of availability and flexibility is required.

Employee Benefits

• Pension: My Future Fund Pension Scheme.
• Annual leave: As an employee of SDVS, you will receive 8% annual leave entitlement pro rata.
• Digital Doctor: Free access to a digital doctor for employees and their families.
• Education Support: At SVDS we offer an Education Assistance policy for employees to apply for funding towards further education.
• Training & Development: Access to excellent training opportunities and continuous professional development.
• Well-being App: All employees have access to the Wisdom app to support employees in all 4 pillars of their well-being.
• EAP: We offer a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme for employees and their families to avail of counselling support confidentially.
• Wellbeing Days: We host several employee wellbeing activities across the year for employees to take time out to focus on team building and their own wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

• Welcome women and children into emergency refuge accommodation and support them in settling into the service.
• Provide compassionate, trauma-informed emotional and practical support to individuals experiencing domestic abuse.
• Operate the 24-hour helpline and respond professionally to people seeking support, information or crisis assistance.
• Work collaboratively with the Refuge team and keyworkers to support clients’ care plans, referrals and advocacy needs.
• Maintain a safe, secure, respectful and welcoming environment, following safeguarding, child protection, health and safety, confidentiality and GDPR requirements.
• Keep accurate and timely client records, including updating the client database and completing relevant documentation.
• Support the day-to-day operation of the Refuge, including maintaining cleanliness, preparing rooms and reporting maintenance issues.
• Participate in team meetings, training and supervision, and undertake other duties appropriate to the role.

Additional tasks are performed as needed to support the organization’s goals. Please see full job description on our Recruitment Pack (check our website sdvs. ie - Work with us page)

About you

We are looking for someone who is compassionate, reliable, flexible and able to respond calmly and professionally in a busy residential service.

Essential Criteria

Candidates must:

• Hold a minimum NFQ Level 7 degree in Social Care, Social Studies or another relevant discipline.
• Have at least one year of experience working in a social care setting.
• Have experience using client databases, along with strong general IT and report-writing skills.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Have a good understanding of the issues affecting women and children subjected to domestic abuse, including the potential impact on their physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing and development.
• Understand risk and needs assessments and the principles of effective risk management.
• Have a thorough knowledge of safeguarding procedures and practices relating to children and young people.
• Be able to work effectively and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Demonstrate a high level of availability and flexibility, including the ability to provide cover at short notice.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working in a supported residential service.
• Experience supporting individuals with complex needs.
• Previous experience working within a domestic abuse or crisis-support service.

Apply for the job (Please, apply on our website - sdvs. ie - Work with us page)

Do you want to join our team as our new Relief Support Worker? Then we'd love to hear about you! To apply all candidates must submit a detailed CV and cover letter outlining how they meet the above criteria for the role.

Pay: €18.05 per hour

Expected hours: 12.5 – 37.5 per week

Benefits:

• Company events
• Employee assistance program
• Wellness program

Application question(s):

• This is a relief role requiring flexibility and collaboration across refuge and community settings. Can you describe in detail your availability?
• Do you hold a minimum NFQ Level 7 degree in Social Care, Social Studies, or another relevant discipline?
• You main e-mail address:

Work authorisation:

• Ireland (required)

Work Location: In person