Portsmouth Homes is committed to ensuring that it's tenants and leaseholders can access the right support at the right time. Domestic abuse is the third most common cause of people losing their homes. Tenants and leaseholders at risk of or experiencing domestic abuse are supported by our Housing Officers who provide advice and assistance regarding the options available to them, for example helping make the person's current home safe for them to remain where that is what they want, exploring legal remedies available through the courts, or seeking alternative, safe accommodation. The Domestic Abuse Housing Specialist will work alongside the Housing Team to: • Support Housing Officers to develop their skills and knowledge to recognise and manage domestic abuse cases. • Offer support and advice to Housing Officers on the management of complex tenancy matters related to domestic abuse cases • Develop and deliver training to Housing Teams ensuring they are kept up to date with good practice and current legislation. • Develop an effective toolkit for Housing Teams to support their management of domestic abuse cases. • Develop learning and reflective practise across the service to ensure continuous learning. • To advise on policy and processes • Make appropriate links to partner agencies to support Portsmouth Homes inclusion in relevant multi agency meetings and forums. • To collate and use data to improve service delivery • Create and present reports to provide oversight as part of the governance structure. The role: Working within the Anti-Social Behaviour team and reporting to the Anti-Social Behaviour Manager, the role of the Domestic Abuse Housing Specialist will: • be co-located as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing specialist advice to Housing Officers on best practice to support survivors of domestic abuse • contribute to statutory activities undertaken by the council including safeguarding in the home and advice to access safe accommodation. • Provide support and advice to Housing Officers to help residents who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic abuse regarding the options available to them, and provide the help they need to follow the right option for them • Provide support and advice to Housing Officers to help residents (male and female) who are experiencing domestic abuse or are using unhealthy behaviours in their relationships, which is impacting upon their welfare and that of any dependants. • work within the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) framework to engage wider local partnerships to identify and assess survivors of domestic abuse and to provide a proactive crisis intervention to reduce risk and meet the needs of all family members • provide support and practical information to Housing Officers on options available to empower and enable survivors and household members to improve the impact of unhealthy behaviours and develop healthy behaviours. This will include assistance with immediate safety planning and/or advice on how to access emergency accommodation as well as supporting access to other services to help meet their and their dependants needs. • Provide support to enable housing teams to hold those who use abusing or unhealthy behaviours to account and signpost to support to change behaviours • provide a restorative, strengths-based approach to meet complex households needs and manage information in a calm and professional manner • work alongside colleagues to provide face-to-face and telephone support, including safety planning, advocacy and crisis intervention • uphold confidentiality whilst adhering to a multi-agency model of safeguarding vulnerable adults, children and young people • be responsible for continual self-learning and development and be able to deliver advice, guidance and training to both internal and external colleagues and partners • understand the complexity of needs and circumstances of adults and young people who are experiencing abusive and unhealthy behaviours as 'victims', 'perpetrators' or 'survivors' and be able to support and empower all household members to recognise the impact and dynamics of this behaviour • work collaboratively with relevant statutory and non-statutory partners to strengthen and maximise the impact of multi-agency plans which support the wider household and family network. Ensuring that individuals needs have been identified and addressed, including safeguarding needs and risk of harm • Attend court when required to provide support to victims Skills: As a Domestic Abuse Housing Specialist, you will need to: 1. hold an IDVA accreditation, a relevant vocational qualification, or have experience of working within a domestic abuse service and be willing to undertake relevant training and accreditation as necessary and appropriate 2. have experience of working with domestic abuse in a professional or voluntary capacity 3. have an understanding and appreciation of the relationship features and dynamics of domestic abuse and unhealthy behaviours, and how to achieve and maintain a healthy relationship whilst exercising professional curiosity 4. have the confidence and competence to communicate clearly and accurately, both verbally and in writing 5. can build and maintain empowering, strengths-based relationships with adults 6. have a good working knowledge and experience of promoting anti-discriminatory practice and addressing equality opportunity issues 7. offer a restorative approach to engage with colleagues and families 8. have experience of providing evidence-based interventions to both individuals and groups 9. have a working knowledge of the MARAC process, the threshold of assessing needs and risk, and the DASH Risk Identification and Assessment and Management Model 10. have an ability to manage crisis and have professional resilience to respond effectively in stressful circumstances 11. be confident in making safe decisions independently as well as being receptive to seeking and receiving additional professional advice and guidance from others 12. experience of complex assessments, analysing information and developing strengths based, outcome focused plans with survivors that engage their household 13. have good computer skills (as required to navigate electronic databases and case management systems and use Microsoft Office) and be able to keep and maintaining up-to-date, accurate and comprehensive records 14. have a good knowledge of the Data Protection Act and an understanding of client confidentiality 15. understand and have experience of children and adult safeguarding, both in terms of practice approaches, policy and legal processes 16. maintain a keen interest in relevant local and national developments You will need to be a car owner with a full driving license and be willing to work across several office bases in Portsmouth and Havant.