Outreach Worker - Fixed Term, 12 Months

The Nelson Trust is dedicated to supporting women affected by exploitation and sex working. 

We aim to break the cycle of offending, addiction, sex working, and trauma through holistic support and multi-agency collaboration.

As an Outreach Worker, you will engage and support women in Gloucester who are affected by exploitation and sex working (both on and off the street). 

Your role will involve providing practical and emotional support, coordinating multi-agency approaches, and offering holistic interventions to reduce social harms such as homelessness, substance use, mental and physical health issues, extreme poverty, violence, and abuse.

Due to the nature of the work carried out in our Women’s Centres this role is restricted to female applicants only in accordance with the provisions of the occupational requirement (Equality Act 2010, pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1).

The Nelson Trust is committed to safeguarding, the successful applicant will be required to undergo an enhanced Children & Adults DBS check

Department: Women’s Community Services
Location: Gloucester Women’s Centre
Salary: £25,000 - £27,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
Hours: 35 hours per week (including one evening outreach session per week)
Pension: Auto Enrolment pension (6% employer contribution)

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct asset-based holistic needs assessments and develop individualised support plans and risk assessments.

• Deliver evening outreach services to reach women who street sex work.

• Provide intensive, personalised support with a bespoke, holistic, and integrated wrap-around service.

• Offer information, advice, and advocacy, including signposting and liaising with other services.

• Plan, coordinate, and undertake outreach activities in collaboration with colleagues and partner agencies.

• Attend or convene multi-agency meetings and act as an advocate for women.

• Coordinate care planning, including drug treatment interventions and progress to residential treatment.

• Build close working relationships with partners such as Probation, Police, Integrated Offender Management, Health services, and other voluntary sector partners.

• Support women through the court process, whether they are attending as offenders or victims.

• Ensure adherence to The Nelson Trust Safeguarding principles, practice, and procedures.

Person Specification

• Experience working with women affected by multiple disadvantages, preferably those affected by sex working or at risk of exploitation.

• In-depth understanding of substance use, treatment, recovery, and routes into and out of sex work.

• Knowledge of historic abuse, domestic and sexual violence, and their impact on women.

• Excellent advocacy skills and the ability to promote the needs of vulnerable women.

• Understanding of both mental and physical health issues related to sex working, homelessness, and substance use.

• Commitment to identifying and challenging injustice, discrimination, and prejudice.

• Ability to work under pressure and manage high levels of distress.

• Good interpersonal skills to build relationships with service users, volunteers, and other agencies.

• Computer literate with experience using spreadsheets and word processing programs.

• Car driver with access to a vehicle - essential.

If you are passionate about making a difference and meet the person specification, we would love to hear from you.

We have become known for the quality of our work and ability to provide bespoke care and support services.  While we are proud of our achievements so far, we are ambitious and want to continue to grow and diversify our workforce.

We recognise that employees from different backgrounds bring unique knowledge, perspectives and experiences and we are committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce and welcome applications from individuals across all sectors of society.

This is an opportunity for new, challenging and highly rewarding experiences. Our staff make a real difference to people’s lives and in return for your commitment and enthusiasm, we offer a comprehensive training and development programme a generous pension scheme and a positive working environment.