Service Manager
Based in Harlow and Broxbourne (with regular travel across Hertfordshire and Essex)

About Us

Advance is a well-respected, award-winning, and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women experiencing domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. Through the Minerva service, our goal is to divert women from the Criminal Justice System at the earliest opportunity and prevent families breaking down as a result.

We are in the process of expanding our Minerva service to Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire, Hampshire and the Thames Valley, providing one-to-one advocacy and specialist work including workshops and group activities delivered by Advance in partnership with voluntary organisations.

We’re currently looking for a Service Manager to join us and work with our Minerva Team on the rollout and development of a new service across Essex and Hertfordshire.

The Benefits

- Salary of £34,000 - £38,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
- 30 days’ holiday plus public holidays
- Pension scheme
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
- Staff away days

If you are an experienced manager with a proven track record of leadership in providing services to women in the criminal justice system, or similar, this is a great opportunity to join an award-winning charity that empowers and supports vulnerable women.

When you join us, you’ll discover a collaborative and supportive work environment where everyone works together to overcome challenges and deliver innovative services to those who need our help.

So, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for and want to be part of an organisation making a real difference to the lives of women, we want to hear from you.

The Role

As a Service Manager, you will lead and manage the Minerva service across Essex and Hertfordshire.

Working collaboratively with fellow Advance managers, external agencies and key subcontracted partners, you will provide a consistent and holistic service.

You will manage front-line keyworkers who will be delivering a 1:1 advocacy service, as well as a Women’s Intervention programme, through women’s centres and hubs.

Additionally, you will:

- Recruit, train and develop a team of competent and highly skilled keyworkers
- Drive a high performance, quality service culture across a geographically dispersed team
- Provide high-quality, trauma-informed supervision for staff in your team
- Work collaboratively with fellow Service Managers to ensure that the work is coherent and well organised
- Build networks and pathways in order to provide institutional advocacy to criminal justice services
- Ensure women’s voices are heard and listened to

About You

To be considered as a Service Manager, you will need:

- Experience of working in the criminal justice system, for example, within or in partnership with Probation services or similar offender services
- Experience of working directly with women presenting complex needs related to offending (e.g. substance misuse, homelessness, poor mental health)
- Experience of risk management, needs assessment, safety and support planning, particularly with clients with complex/multiple needs
- A proven track record of building and maintaining networks and working with partner agencies and other stakeholders to develop and deliver services
- Experience with report writing, contract management and financial reporting including analysis of outcomes, outputs and gaps
- Experience of implementing quality assurance frameworks, monitoring, evaluating and measuring impact
- Thorough knowledge of safeguarding practice, procedures and legislation
- In-depth knowledge of issues facing women offenders and those at risk of offending; both in and out of the criminal justice system
- A relevant qualification, for example in management, law, social work or Probation Studies, or another relevant area such as education, health or youth work, or significant equivalent relevant experience
- A full, valid driving licence and access to a vehicle to be used for work purposes

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.

Experience of creating, developing and leading teams across a geographically dispersed region and remotely would be desirable.

This is a full-time role working 35 hours per week.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 15th August 2021.

Please note, we will be assessing applications on a rolling basis and inviting shortlisted candidates to interview throughout the process. We reserve the right to close this post early should the recruitment be successful prior to the listed date.

Other organisations may call this role Lead Key Worker, Lead Caseworker, Senior Criminal Justice Support Worker, Support Service Manager, Women’s Advocacy Manager, or Criminal Justice Support Manager.

Please note, any offer of employment will be made subject to references and confirmation of the right to work in the UK, verification of a UK driving licence and an enhanced DBS check.

Advance is committed to equality and diversity and strongly encourages applications from women with disabilities, from BME backgrounds and the LBT community, and with personal experience of the criminal justice system.

So, if you’re seeking your next challenge as a Service Manager, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.