Domestic Abuse - Refuge Support Worker

About COPE Galway

COPE Galway has been providing essential social services in Galway for 60 yearsWe respond to the needs of people experiencing homelessness, women and children subjected to domestic abuse, and we support older people towards healthy, independent ageing. Our vision is for a community where every person is valued, cared for, and supported at every stage of life.

COPE Galway is deeply embedded in the Galway community. We are founded on the belief that together we can make a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve and our community.

Our People

Our People, COPE Galway staff and volunteers, are the driving force behind everything we do. Their passion, commitment, and professionalism enable us to deliver a wide range of services, support more people, and make a real impact in the community.

We have a diverse range of roles, from frontline support workers and social care professionals to catering, community engagement and other professional roles. Each role is crucial in ensuring we deliver our services effectively and make a positive impact in the community.

Working with COPE Galway

Joining our team means you will make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of the families and individuals we support and contribute to driving meaningful social change in the community. Whether you are a frontline worker directly supporting clients or in an administrative role, you are vital to our efforts to address critical issues like homelessness and domestic abuse and to ensure that older people are valued and supported.

At COPE Galway, we prioritise the development and wellbeing of our people. We offer a supportive work environment, with opportunities for ongoing training, personal and professional growth, and leadership development.

Our Culture

We foster an inclusive, supportive and respectful workplace, where diversity is valued. Our team is united by a shared mission and a genuine passion for empowering people and creating meaningful change. We take a trauma-informed approach to the way we work and foster this culture in every aspect of the organisation, including a focus on the health and wellbeing of our staff.

Domestic Abuse Service

COPE Galway Domestic Abuse Service supports and empowers women, children and young people who are subjected to domestic abuse. Based in Modh Eile House, we offer a range of services including a 24/7 confidential helpline, safe refuge accommodation, outreach services throughout Galway, and court accompaniment. We also provide domestic abuse training and awareness programmes.

Our dedicated children and young people's service, Solas Óg, provides one-to-one and group therapeutic supports for children and young people up to 25 years, and delivers healthy relationship workshops in schools and youth groups in Galway.

We listen, believe and support women, children and young people on their journey toward a life free from domestic abuse.

The Role

Modh Eile House offers short-term, trauma-sensitive accommodation for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. This role is part of a team that provides holistic, empowerment-based care, with a focus on collaborative goal-setting and survivor-defined outcomes with overnight support to ensure safety and continuity of care.

The overall aim of Modh Eile House is to prioritise the safety and welfare of the client group.

Duties and responsibilities

• Support Work Planning and Implementation
• Provide warm, non-judgmental initial support to new clients, prioritising emotional safety and informed consent during needs/risk assessments.
• Co-create individualised care plans with women, centering their priorities and using a strengths-based, survivor-led approach.
• Respond to 24/7 helpline calls with a calm, non-judgmental presence, prioritising the caller's immediate emotional and physical safety.
• Maintain confidential, trauma-sensitive records, ensuring women have access to their own information.
• Provide a comprehensive service to each client of the Service, in accordance with her needs, which may include support in budgeting, seeking accommodation, engaging with other services / agencies
• Accompany women to court/agencies only with explicit consent and after safety planning.
• Adapt communication and interventions to avoid triggering trauma responses (e.g., offer choices, explain processes clearly).
• Devise an after-care plan for women moving on from refuge

General

• Participate in the operation of the Service
• Work a variety of rostered shifts which include late evenings, nights and weekend work, and is subject to change periodically
• Record and maintain records of any incidents and other day to day issues in the appropriate systems of record
• Remain familiar with safety features of the Service including the fire alarm system and other fire safety equipment
• Comply with Staff Code of Conduct
• Comply with all health and safety checks as required, including fire drills when scheduled
• Be pro-active with regard to keeping updated about changes in all areas relating to work such as social welfare, housing, legal, immigration, legislation etc
• Undertake any other duties as assigned by management

Welfare of Women and Children

• Foster a calm, predictable environment in the refuge (e.g., minimise loud noises, provide clear routines).
• Normalise reactions to trauma: Validate emotions and avoid pathologising behaviours.
• Collaborate with Solas Óg team to ensure child-centered, trauma-aware support for children.
• Ensure that any discussions and information pertaining to women and children is kept strictly confidential in accordance with the COPE Galway Code of Practice
• Work in accordance with the Safeguarding and related policies

You and your team

• Participate in trauma-informed supervision and reflective practice sessions.
• Model self-care and boundaries to promote sustainable practices for staff and clients.
• Engage in community education that challenges victim-blaming, and centers survivor voices.
• Participate in regular trauma-informed supervision that prioritises emotional processing, not just case management.
• Engage in reflective practice sessions to examine power dynamics, implicit biases, and systemic barriers in service delivery.
• Normalise vulnerability: Model sustainable self-care practices (e.g., boundary-setting, breaks) to reduce burnout culture.
• Proactively identify trauma-specific training needs (e.g., neurobiology of trauma, cultural safety).
• Participate in debriefing sessions after critical incidents, led by a facilitator trained in vicarious trauma.
• Confidentiality with care: Balance privacy with ethical transparency (e.g., "What's shared here stays here, unless safety is at risk").
• Emotional regulation: Use team agreements Boundary accountability: Flag boundary crossings promptly in supervision (e.g., over-identification with clients).
• Clarify roles with explicit attention to power differentials (e.g., how decision-making is shared across positions).
• Distribute leadership: Rotate facilitation of meetings to empower all staff voices.

Health and Safety

• Take reasonable care for personal safety, health and welfare, and that of others who may be affected by actions or omissions
• Co-operate with the employer in relation to compliance with statutory requirements under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 & 2005
• Use protective equipment, clothing or other means for securing the safety, health and welfare of employees
• Report to management, without delay, any defects in the workplace, equipment or systems of work, which may lead to danger
• Ensure that Health and Safety policy and procedures as per the COPE Galway Health and Safety Ensure that you are familiar with the fire safety procedures in place at Modh Eile House including the fire warden duties and responsibilities in the event of a fire occurring and evacuation of the premises in such an event and when fire drills are being conducted.

Essential Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a proven interest and experience in the area of Domestic Violence and will have worked in a similar type Service.

Essential Requirements:

• A relevant third level qualification in social care or similar
• Knowledge of Domestic Violence and its impact on women and children

Desirable Requirements:

• Lived experience of marginalisation or allyship with marginalised communities.
• Previous experience of working in a domestic violence service
• An interest in the area of violence against women and related gender equality issues and a commitment to its eradication
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma's impacts on the brain, body, and behaviour.

Skills and Abilities:

• A demonstrable attitude of warmth, patience and acceptance for every woman and child who reaches out to this Service
• Being kind
• Active listening without judgment; ability to sit with discomfort and avoid "fixing."
• Advocacy rooted in intersectionality (awareness of racism, disability, issues, etc.).
• Flexibility: Adapt support to each woman's cultural, linguistic, and emotional needs.
• Self-awareness: Recognise personal triggers and biases; commit to ongoing learning.
• An ability to work pro-actively and reflectively to ensure best practice in all areas of service delivery
• Strong ICT skills
• A commitment to providing the highest level of quality service
• A high-level of initiative and openness to challenges
• A high level of integrity, trust and respect

Key Terms and conditions:

• Hours: 37 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent
• Pay Scale: Social Care Scale, Point 1
• Salary: €39,100.88
• Method of Pay: Monthly by credit transfer

Equal Opportunity Employer

COPE Galway is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process and working environments for all our employees.

Data Privacy and Applicant Declaration

The information you provide in this application form will be processed in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your personal data will be used solely for the purpose of assessing your suitability for the role and, where applicable, to prepare an employment agreement. Your data will be stored securely and accessed only by authorized personnel involved in the recruitment process. We will retain your information only for as long as necessary to fulfill these purposes or as required by law. You have the right to access, rectify, or request the deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting Data Protection Officer, [email protected] / 091 778 750.

Please note that we will never ask for payment or personal financial information during the hiring process. If anyone contacts you requesting such information, it is a scam and should be reported immediately.

By submitting this application, I confirm that all information provided by me in this application and any accompanying documents is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I further confirm that I have disclosed any previous employment with COPE Galway, where applicable. I understand that if any information provided is found to be false, misleading, or incomplete, my application may be rejected, any offer of employment withdrawn, or my employment with COPE Galway terminated.

By submitting this application, I consent to the processing of my personal data in accordance with COPE Galway's Privacy Policy. https://www.copegalway.ie/privacy-policy/