Sheffield Area Refuge and Support Ltd (SARAS)
Concierge.
Overview
This role is exempt under the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1. As
such we can only consider applications from women.
Sheffield Area Refuge and Support Ltd (SARAS) houses hundreds of women and children
every year in 36 units of self-contained accommodation. The accommodation is located in
the City of Sheffield. SARAS believes that women and children have a right to live their lives
free from all forms of violence and abuse. SARAS supports women and children to recover
from the effects of domestic abuse which is defined as ‘any incident or pattern of controlling,
coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are
or who have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
This includes so called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation and forced
marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group’.
Our aims are to:
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provide services run by women for women, which are based on listening to survivors and
empowering them to take back control of their lives;
provide safe temporary refuge accommodation to women, children and young people
from all communities;
understand and help to meet the needs of children and young people affected by
domestic abuse;
challenge the disadvantages which can result from domestic abuse;
respect and support diversity and promote equality of opportunity;
participate in a coordinated multi-agency responses to domestic abuse and work in
partnership with other specialist domestic and sexual abuse services and other agencies.
Purpose of the post
The concierge is a lone-working post and an essential part of the SARAS staff team. There will be
a team of concierge’s who will work on a rota basis providing waking cover overnight, over
weekends and bank holidays.
The post holder will provide a high quality security service, maintain a safe and secure
environment and carry out general janitorial, caretaking and reception duties to support the
objectives of the scheme.
The post holder must be friendly patient and approachable. You will also be able to demonstrate
compassion and have the ability to remain calm and deal sensitively and effectively with difficult
situations. You must have an understanding and awareness of clients who may have complex
needs and be distressed, frightened and displaying negative behaviour.
Job Description
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Service to customers.
 Act as a first point of contact for service users and other visitors ensuring a welcoming
environment.
 Liaise and maintain relationships with service users, visitors and staff.
 Respond to service user issues, referring to the member of staff on-call or the emergency
services as needed.
 Assist with the access and monitoring of contractors.
 Respond to any health, safety and security issues.
 Respond positively to complaints, accidents and incidents.
 Ensure that service users adhere to the terms of their licence agreement, including the
House Rules contained in that agreement.
 Monitoring of CCTV cameras to allow appropriate access to the building. Recording and
reporting of all incidents of attempted trespass, harassment and anti-social behaviour.
Local Environment.
 Keep the refuge clean in accordance with the specification.
 Organise and store cleaning materials and other supplies safely in a designated store.
 Ensure that all staff offices, welfare facilities, meeting rooms and other communal areas
are maintained to the required specification including cleaning, furniture, equipment and
supplies.
 Carry out regular checks of the building to ensure that the security of service users and
the security and repair of the refuge is maintained.
 To be fully aware of and adhere to Health and Safety and fire procedures. To ensure on
all occasions you observe safe and hygienic working practices in order to satisfy Health
and Safety at Work and other statutory legislation.
Gardens and open spaces.
 Deliver and/or support the work of external contractors to maintain all communal
landscape areas in accordance with the specification.
 Organise, maintain and secure all equipment and materials needed to maintain the
gardens and open spaces.
 Carry out regular external checks of the building to ensure that the security of service
users and the security and repair of the refuge is maintained.
Communal Areas.
 Maintain communal lighting.
 Undertake and/or report repairs as required.
 Maintain cleanliness and safety of all communal areas.
Administration.
Maintain an accurate record of all work undertaken, reported repairs and any incidents of
harassment, aggression, property damage, etc.
 Requisition supplies.
 Maintain estate inventory.
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Person Specification
Criteria
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Qualifications and experience
NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care.
Experience in supporting vulnerable people in an
accommodation or care based setting.
An awareness of people with complex needs and demonstrable
understanding of people with those needs, together with a nonjudgemental attitude towards those people.
Cleaning experience and skills.
Able to identify and carry out minor repairs.
Basic office administration skills.
Communication skills
Ability to communicate with a wide range of people including the
ability to deal patiently with Service Users whose first language
is not English.
Able to recognise and value the right of each individual to their
own distinctive and diverse identity and to treat everyone equally
regardless of their ethnic background, gender, religion, sexuality,
disability, age or offending history.
Good verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.
Able to use telephones, mobile telephone and computer based
technology.
Maintain confidentiality and observe data protection
requirements in accordance with SARAS policy.
Team working
Team worker with ability to work independently.
Able to work overnight and at weekends and participate in a
shift-rota and able to cover colleagues absence.
Problem solving and decision making
Ability to prioritise.
Able to respond to emergencies appropriately.
Personal effectiveness
Excellent time keeping and attendance.
Be physically fit.
Enthusiastic with a flexible approach to work.
A genuine commitment to providing excellent customer service.
Willing to embrace and participate in change.
Positive attitude with a flexible approach to work.
Essential
Desirable
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Further Information
Please Note – This role requires the physical capability to handle various powered cleaning
equipment and moving of batches of linen etc.
The jobholder will be required to work flexibly to meet the needs of the organisation and will be
required to attend occasional evening or weekend meetings/ events. There will be regular local and
occasional regional or national travel.
This post is open ended.
This post is flexible working minimum 26 hours per week to a maximum of 48 hours per week,
working pattern to be agreed.
Minimum of 30 minute unpaid meal break.
Terms and conditions of employment: Will be those for SARAS.
Salary for this grade: £15207 (£8.35 per hour) Point 12 on the NJC scale
Criminal records check: this post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring
check.
Health assessment:
Please note that due to the duties of this post, the final appointment may be subject to the
completion of a satisfactory health assessment from an Occupational Health Service.
Sheffield Area Refuge and Support is committed to quality, equality and valuing diversity.
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