Diversion Keyworker

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Diversion Keyworker to join our team in Finsbury Park on a Fixed term contract until March 2027 with the potential to extend

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.

Job Summary

Advance’s Minerva service works with women involved in the Criminal Justice System offering safe, targeted support and advocacy to women to help them address their complex needs in relation to the 9 pathways to offending, such as substance misuse and financial difficulties, aiming to reduce re-offending, encourage desistance amongst repeat offenders, and empower women to live safe, crime free lives.

The Minerva Diversion programme began as a two-year pilot programme launched in July 2019 and funded by MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime). The aim was to drive multi-agency working between the police, Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) service providers and other statutory partners and was part of a wider programme of work to develop a whole system approach to identifying and addressing the needs of women involved in the criminal justice system in London. The Diversion programme integrates a short-term, holistic package of support for women with an out of court disposal, to improve outcomes for the woman and offer officers and the Crown Prosecution Service a robust alternative pathway other than prosecution through the courts.

The Keyworker will aim to divert women from the traditional criminal justice process, motivating them to engage in positive community activity to allow them to leave safer lives, free of crime through a range on in-reach and community-based options. You will advocate in the custody suite for police to caution women instead of charging them and coordinate appropriate community interventions to enable the woman to meet the objectives set out in their tailored Support Plan.

Key responsibilities

• Provide an in-reach service to women in the custody suite, advocating for the police to caution women instead of charging them.
• Conduct an initial rapid assessment of women’s needs and develop an Individual Support Plan for clients given an out of court disposal, that seeks to address their mental, physical, and sexual health, housing, substance misuse, relationship, education/training/employment, parenting, financial and cultural needs, and provide signposting and referrals in line with this plan.
• Meet women as required face-to-face, providing emotional and practical support, aiming to reduce re-offending and encourage desistance for the women.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with all partner agencies including the Metropolitan Police Service, Health, Housing and Local Authority, and work appropriately within MARAC and Safeguarding Adults and Children frameworks to identify and manage risk.

About You:

To be successful as Diversion Keyworker you will have an in-depth knowledge of issues facing women offenders and those at risk of offending; both in and out of the criminal justice system and the ability to see how violence against women and girls interlinks to women in the criminal justice system.

In short, you will have: -

You will bring proven practice of working with women experiencing issues related to offending (e.g. homelessness, substance misuse, domestic abuse, mental health or other relevant work area) preferably within criminal justice setting. You will be able to demonstrate your experience of conducting needs and risk assessments and of risk management crisis management skills and an ability to cope in stressful situations. You will show forth your ability to manage a caseload and a top-quality skill set with prioritising and organising your own workload.

You will be a self-starter uniquely able to undertake working independently and at times be managed remotely. That said, you will have a proven record of collaborative and working partnership with relevant statutory and voluntary groups, demonstrating the ability to develop and maintain strong constructive working relationships.

Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and we will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe. We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.