Refuge Support Worker

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as a Refuge Support Worker at Solace Women's Aid.

The Enfield Refuge Service provides emergency accommodation to women and children fleeing domestic abuse and sexual violence. Refuge Support Workers give emotional and practical support, which can include housing support, legal options, reporting to the police, help around child contact, benefits, financial advice and accessing therapeutic support services.

As a Refuge Support Worker you will create a safe, welcoming environment for women and families escaping abuse. You’ll handle phone enquiries, prepare rooms for new arrivals, support deliveries, and keep communal areas clean and safe. You’ll introduce new residents to Solace services, explain key policies and ensure they know internal and external support options. Working alongside each resident, you will develop support plans, assist with benefits and housing applications, accompany them to appointments when needed, and help them work toward a safe, independent move‑on accommodation.

The ideal candidate is compassionate, practical, and resilient, with a genuine commitment to supporting survivors of domestic abuse. You’re confident working in a busy, varied environment and can balance hands‑on tasks with administrative responsibilities. You communicate clearly, build trusting relationships, and work well with residents, colleagues, and external agencies. You are organised, reliable, and able to maintain accurate records and follow safeguarding, health and safety, and organisational procedures.

You’re also comfortable supporting service users with practical needs such as benefits, housing and appointments, and you approach challenges with patience, empathy and a problem‑solving mindset. You can manage occasional physical tasks such as helping prepare rooms or assisting with deliveries, and you are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and empowering environment where every resident feels heard, respected and supported.

The postholder will be based at our Enfield refuge, working full-time, providing on‑site support to survivors. Given the nature of this role and our refuge services, we are unable to offer hybrid working for this position.

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family‑friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect. We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part
1. Section 7(2)(e) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.