We are looking for resilient, motivated and adaptable people to join our team of Hate Crime Advocate working from our office in Ashford to cover work across Kent and Medway.
Do you want to make a difference by using your skills and life experience to help people deal with their experience of crime? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who have been a victim of a Hate Crime?
Can you demonstrate that you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on genuine service, empowerment and care?
If yes, then we’d love to hear from you.
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
- Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About the role:
This role is based in our Ashford, Kent office.
You will need to be resilient, confident with speaking to all kinds of people, happy to work as part of a team and willing to constantly learn and adapt to new situations.
You will enjoy being a part of a busy and varied working environment and can demonstrate an ability to communicate with victims of crime in a professional and supportive manner. They will have strong customer service ethics, be competent in the use of IT skills and know how to use a range of software packages on a PC.
The role of a Hate Crime Advocate is one that you can make your own and your prior experience, either from work, university or your personal life will be considered during screening so please do apply even if your skills and background are not an ideal fit.
You will have experience of working in the Criminal Justice System and be aware of the challenges and barriers that victims of crime can face when recovering from their experience of crime however this is not essential as you will receive a comprehensive training package as part of your induction process.
What is essential is that you are solution focused, have resilience to manage the challenges that come with this work and look to learn from and work closely with the rest of your team.
Working as a member of our Specialist Services Team you will be someone who is passionate about supporting victims of Hate Crime, including those who have been impacted by the incident. You will ensure support remains victim focused and is delivered to the highest of standards in line with our policies.
As a Hate Crime Advocate you will be:
- Managing a busy caseload of self-referrals, referred service users, delivering excellent services which support the commissioners and their service goals to victims.
- Ensuring each victim receives an individually appropriate tailored support and information service that fully meets their needs, keeping complex needs central to all processes and decisions.
- Working alongside the Volunteer and Community Manager to raise awareness of the Hate Crime and the service we provide
You will need:
- You will have the skills to conduct risk assessments, safety planning, assessment of needs and individual support planning.
- You should have demonstrable experience of working in a similar setting or position.
- An ability to work independently and prioritise a busy workload is essential.
- Have good interpersonal skills to work alongside the Volunteer and Community Manager to raise the profile of Hate Crime within Victim Support, this will include presentations to external agencies.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we’ll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
