About the role
As part of our commitment to expanding and diversifying our support work services, we are excited to offer a rewarding opportunity to join our thriving and dynamic SARSAS team as a Specialist Support Worker and work with people who are autistic and/or have learning disabilities that have experienced rape or sexual violence. Our specialist support service provides one-to-one and group work support. As a Specialist Support Worker you will hold a caseload of clients providing emotional, practical and advocacy support for autistic survivors and survivors with learning disabilities. Support may include issues around housing, debt, relationships, managing trauma responses and daily coping tools and techniques. You will also carry out assessments for support and facilitate workshops and group work.
About You
You will have experience of working with people who have experienced trauma. You will have an understanding of the complexities of working with clients with multiple support needs and the knowledge and skills needed to build positive and empathic relationships with autistic clients and clients with learning disabilities.
You will be passionate about working with survivors of sexual violence, have a working knowledge of the impacts of trauma and an understanding of the barriers autistic clients and clients with learning disabilities may face in accessing support.
You will have the personal skills to support and empower clients through liaison, advocacy and psychoeducational tools, enabling clients to achieve positive outcomes in areas such as health and wellbeing, safety, interpersonal relationships, confidence, employment and community integration. You will have a knowledge of partner agencies and external pathways to support.
You will be skilled in carrying out needs and risk assessments to ensure SARSAS clients are offered the most appropriate pathways of support. In addition to one-to-one support, you will be excited to be involved in facilitating group work and peer support for survivors of sexual violence.
About SARSAS
SARSAS exists to relieve the trauma and distress, and help rebuild the lives, of survivors who live in Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and BANES, who have experienced any form of sexual violence, at any point in their lives.
SARSAS also campaigns and raises awareness about rape and sexual violence to change the narrative about sexual violence and enable survivor’s voices to be heard. Partnership work with a range of agencies locally and nationally is a priority to enable social change.
SARSAS works to feminist principles: this underpins both what our service is and how it is run. Our work is guided by a trauma-informed approach which understands how traumatic experiences can impact on survivors and keeps an awareness of the effects of trauma at the forefront of our approach to support.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
At SARSAS we strive to create a workplace that reflect the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work. We want to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates diverse voices. We actively encourage applicants with protected characteristics to apply.
We are committed to taking an inclusive approach to recruitment and selection whilst ensuring there is no discrimination in our processes and that our team and prospective employees are treated fairly, with respect and without bias. Reasonable adjustments to the interview process can be made to accommodate additional requirements. Applicants are encouraged to highlight any specific adjustments needed to enable participation in the recruitment process.
For more information contact recruitment@sarsas.org.uk or call 0117 929 9556.
Contract information
Salary: £28,065 (Full time equivalent)
Hours: 22.5 hours per week (may require occasional flexible working, for example, workshops/events/training)
Based: Bristol with travel across the area as required. Up to 30% of hours per week working from home.
Contract: Permanent
Applicants will undergo an enhanced criminal record check before employment starts.
How to apply
Closing date for applications is Midnight on Wednesday 29th October 2025. Interviews will be held in person in our Bristol office. For more information and to download an application pack, go to our website: https://www.sarsas.org.uk/get-involved/recruitment/.
If you have any questions, please contact recruitment@sarsas.org.uk or ring our Bristol office on 0117 929 9556 and speak to Laura Fitzgerald, HR Administrator.
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