Here at Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, we have a wide variety of staff who work across our teams in various job roles. Each woman who works with us contributes invaluably to the organisation, enabling us to provide support and guidance to women, children and young people when they need us most.
With our ‘Day in the Life’ blog series, we aim to shine a light on the many different roles within our organisation in order to celebrate the excellence of our team and give you, the reader, a little insight into our everyday work.
So without further ado, here’s a day in the life of one of our Outreach Workers…
Firstly, tell us how long you’ve been in your role as an Outreach Worker?
I’ve been in my role for almost 16 years now!
And what did you do before you came to work in Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid?
I worked in community care.
So what made you want to come and work for Women’s Aid?
The ethos and desire to work with women in a supportive capacity.
And what might a typical day at work look like for you?
Depending on the day I could do one or most of the following:
- Travel to meet women to offer one to one support as per individual needs
- Create support plans unique to each women’s need/refer children to relevant teams if required
- Refer women on to internal/external counselling and/or group-work as needed
- Attend court to support women in their legal journey
- Manage and facilitate group work sessions like Journey to Freedom or New Beginnings
- Liaise with external agencies on behalf of women in regard to their support needs
- Attend social services meetings in supportive capacity as required
- Attend internal or external training relevant to my work for continued professional development
- Support the Referral Desk or Refuge to cover illness or annual leave needs
- Attend outreach team or staff meetings
- Manage my case load online
- Offer support at awareness raising events as needed
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy group facilitation and one-to-one support with women, watching them progress and move on with their lives from abuse.
What would you say to someone who is interested in working in a similar role to yours?
That it is so rewarding and if they have a passion for supporting people to go for it.
Stay tuned for more in our ‘Day in the Life’ blog series in the coming months!
Here at Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid, we’re often looking for enthusiastic and passionate women to join our team. For more information and current vacancies click here.
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