"Survive has been absolutely fantastic in supporting me and I do not feel so isolated and alone in my situation any longer. Survive has been a great strength." - Outreach service user
Mission
To work against domestic violence experienced by women and children.
Objectives:
- To support and enable women who have or are experiencing domestic violence to make positive changes.
- To support and enable children who have or are experiencing domestic violence to work towards and achieve their potential.
- To act as advocates for those who are or have experienced domestic violence.
- To promote awareness about domestic violence and the effects and impacts it has on women, children, communities and wider society
- To work in partnership with other agencies to reduce domestic violence.
- To be an example of excellence amongst organisations involved with domestic violence
Structure
The agency is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by a Board of trustees who are also the Directors of the company. Trustees are recruited from a range of professions including social work, management, business community, law, housing management, and the legal services. This provides a broad range of skills, qualifications and experience in a number of areas ensuring probity and effective governance.
The board employs a Chief Executive to whom responsibility for key areas is delegated on a day to day level including progressing the strategic vision of the agency, ensuring the provision of high quality services to all service users and other stakeholders, managing the staff team and developing and overseeing the agency's finances. In addition to the Chief Executive there are also 2 service managers; one for women's services and one for children and young people's services. These three roles provide support and oversee day to day front line staff and the provision of services.
The agency works alongside other core agencies across sectors to develop and deliver services, initiatives and projects.
Overview of positions and responsibilities:
Trustees - the Board is made up of volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, skills and experience and have overall responsibility for the governance of the agency. This includes establishing and monitoring our guiding objectives and values, service provision, legislative & contractual compliance, employment and finance
Chief Executive - responsibilities include the development and implementation of the strategic vision of the agency, overseeing the provision of high quality services to all service users and other stakeholders, management of the staff team and the development and overview of the agency's finances.
Refuge and Outreach Services Manager - this post works at a strategic and management level as well as directly with women and their children affected by domestic violence managing the day to day provision of services for women and ensuring a high quality service to service users as well as external agencies.
Children and Young People's Services Manager - this post works at a strategic and management level as well as directly with children and young people affected by domestic violence, ensuring a high quality service and effective networking and co-working with partner agencies.
Refuge, outreach and resettlement support workers - These positions provide high quality practical and emotional support for women and their children affected by domestic violence providing a range of support and advocacy whether they are living in a refuge or in the community.
Independent domestic violence advocates - This service provides intensive one to one support for survivors of domestic violence, providing a high quality service through support, advocacy and multi agency working. A key component is supporting women through the criminal justice system in conjunction with other core agencies.
Freedom programme facilitators - responsible for the delivery of a high quality educational support group for women affected by domestic violence in an informal atmosphere.
Play leader - This post alongside the Family Support Workers provides activity sessions for children and young people living in our refuges ensuring a safe, fun, creative and stimulating environment.
Family support workers - responsible for the provision of in-depth support to children and young people as well as their primary carer in our refuges and within the community, achieving the delivery of high quality services in partnership with other workers
Administrator - The Administrator supports the work of Survive through efficient and effective administrative and financial support.
Volunteers -Volunteers have historically and currently play a vital role in the agency across a range of areas including support for women and their children, fundraising, maintaining our refuges, promotion and administration.
Job vacancies
Children & Young People's Services Manager (Female Only*) £25,959-£28,292 37 hours per week
This post offers the opportunity to manage the provision of services to children and young people who aer survivors of domestic violence, ensuring a high quality and managing a small staff team. You will also oversee our volunteers' programme. You will have at least 3 years experience in a relevant field, a relevant level 4 qualification and a sound understanding of domestic violence./p>
Closing date 12pm 4th June. Interviews 24th June
Refuge & Outreach Support Worker (female only*) £19385 - £21951 37 hours per week
This post offers the opportunity to provide practical and emotional support and advocacy for women and their children who are survivors of domestciv violence both in our refuges and withint our resettlemetn and outreach service. You will have at least two years experience in a relevant field, good interpersonal skills and an understanding of domestic violence. Driving licence and access to a vehicle is essentialh
Closing date 12p.m. 4th June. INterviews 18th June
For an application pack for either position send an A4 SAE to
*Section 7 (2) of 1975 Sex Discrimination Act applies.
Charity No 1114005
Volunteer training
The next training programme will be running in October/November 2008. Please contact us for an application form.
In addition we are currently looking to recruit a Volunteer Coordinator. The is an unpaid position for a minimum of 6 hours a week (school holidays flexible) and would suit someone with an enthusiastic positive attitude, exprienced in working with others in an organisational role who enjoys a challenge. We will provide support, training and expenses. For more information please call or email us.
history
"Over the last 30 years domestic violence in the UK has gone from a largely unspoken subject to one which is being tackled and confronted by Government and Statutory Bodies and the voluntary sector" (A national report, March 2005, Home office)
Survive has been part of that journey since it's inception as Kingswood Womens Aid in 1974 and it's registration as a charity in 1976.
Reflecting the climate that existed at the time, our first 'refuge' was a derelict house in Kingswood, which operated at times with concerted opposition and / or indifference from the local authority, community & police, staffed entirely by volunteers. Over time, through lobbying and sheer hard work, things began to change including the development of some funding streams. This led to our first 'formal' refuge opening in 1982 and in the early 80s the advent of paid staff including support workers and a play worker.
Throughout this period, like most agencies in this field, we struggled to secure ongoing funding, hopping from one grant to the next. The voluntary input in the agency remained high and committed. The 90s however began to see the beginnings of some of the dramatic changes this sector has undergone as statutory agencies and funders began to take more notice of and action in relation to domestic violence.
1991 saw a more focused emphasis on outreach work by the agency and through
the mid-90s the development of support and information groups. In 1992 we
became managing agents for Knightstone Housing Association (KHA) leading to the
development of a 2nd refuge in 1994. 1998 saw the addition of an administrator
and 2nd play worker. Volunteers continued however to play an integral role in
the agency. Circa 1995 saw the development of the
Funding developments often lead the way for milestones in the voluntary sector and 2001 and the advent of Supporting People funding set up our next one. With the securing of relatively stable ongoing funding, the agency was able to open our community offices in August 2002 and open our third refuge in December 2002. This also saw the development of additional support work positions in the agency.
Perhaps more significantly these changes combined necessitated reflection on our overall structure. The collective structure adopted in the late 70s was struggling to continue to manage the well-being of the agency and staff. In addition the requirements of funders and developments in the voluntary sector as a whole saw an increasing emphasis on reporting and accountability that placed considerable strain on our structure. In response to this, 2004 - 2006 saw the change from a collective to a trust structure and the move to a company limited by guarantee. Building on this in 2005 we restructured the organisation to include the new position of Chief Executive. This was followed by the re-development of our staffing structure across our Refuge, Resettlement and Outreach services increasing our staff team. We also consolidated our funding base and our working practices including our policy framework and financial systems and laid the foundations for our new volunteer programme. 2006 saw the review and consequential restructure of our children and young people's services.
Over this period Survive also played key roles in multi-agency initiatives
in
Changes and developments to reflect challenges and opportunities internally and externally means Survive remains in a strong position to continue to realise our wider objectives in the coming years and we look back with a sense of satisfaction and pride at what we have been able to achieve. Whilst we initially provided accommodation and support for women fleeing domestic violence, over the years, our services have developed to provide specialised services for children and young people, community based support, support & information groups and specialist support through the criminal justice system. We look forward to continuing to build on our strengths and respond to the needs of women and children in our community.
news
Support us through the 2008 Bristol Half Marathon!
We have a limited number of Gold Bond Places available which give you automatic entry into the half marathon alongside the opportunity to help us raise £££ for our children and young people’s services
If you already have a place and want to make more of your time, you can still support us through raising sponsorship for Survive
To find out more about either option contact us on 0117 961 2999 or info@survivedv.org.uk
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