Tyneside Development Worker
Background Information for applicants
1. Introduction to RCTN
Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland was first established in Newcastle upon
Tyne in 1978 in response to a growing awareness of the extent of physical and
sexual violence experienced by women and the impact this can have on individual
women, families, communities, police and health services. At this time, a movement
to reduce the instances and impact of sexual violence against women led to the
establishment of Rape Crisis Centres across the UK. RCTN is now the longest
established Rape Crisis Support Service in the UK.
When it was originally set up, RCTN was called Tyneside Rape Crisis Centre
(TRCC). TRCC was originally registered as a charity in 1978 and incorporated as a
company in January 2011. The governing document (the articles) gives the
organisation the power to operate across Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside,
South Tyneside and Northumberland. The organisation’s name was changed to
RCTN in April 2013 after a review of the governance structure of the organisation
and to reflect its service delivery areas. Both the charity and company registrations
were amended to adopt the new name.
RCTN provides a range of specialist support services for women who have
experienced sexual violence to enable them to address the wide ranging impact of
sexual violence on their lives including impact on physical and mental health and
wellbeing.
The organisation is run by women for women, with a strong feminist ethos and
specialises in providing information, support and counselling for women 13+ who
have experienced rape or sexual abuse at any time in their lives. Campaigning work
is also undertaken against the attitudes and behaviours which collude in allowing
sexual violence to continue.
Mission Statement
The organisation has agreed a mission statement as follows:
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To provide a range of services to support women who have experienced
sexual violence
To raise awareness about sexual violence against women and to actively
challenge the values, beliefs and behaviour which contribute to women’s
oppression
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Values and Principles
The work of RCTN is underpinned by a strong set of values chief amongst these are:
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A feminist organisation run by and for women
Ally with and support other feminist organisations
Women centred ethos
Statement of Feminism
Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland is a feminist organisation. Feminism
informs RCTN’s ethos, activities and the way in which we deliver our services.
The following beliefs inform RCTN:
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Sexual violence is not an individual event but a manifestation of a male
dominated society
Sexual violence is a cause and consequence of gender inequality
The threat of sexual violence is a way of controlling women
As a feminist organisation RCTN:
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Believes women
Provides a women only space
Actively challenges myths and victim blaming throughout our work.
Collectivises the experience/s of individual women to help women understand
their own experiences of sexual violence
Feminism informs RCTN’s practice in challenging and changing the social
acceptance of sexual violence.
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2. Background to Tyneside Development Worker Role
In July 2008, Tyneside Rape Crisis Centre received funding from Northern Rock for
the post of full time Tyneside Development Worker. The purpose of the role was to
support volunteers and members and to undertake outreach and training work. The
milestones for the post were:
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To recruit supporters into a membership scheme
To recruit and maintain volunteers
To hold discussion groups
To network and liaise with external agencies, speak at team meetings etc.
To support the delivery of training to professionals
Produce a regular newsletter and other publicity materials
Over the years the post has broadened and the Tyneside Development Worker has
since contributed to fundraising initiatives, media work and supporting volunteers in
Northumberland.
By the beginning of 2015, the Tyneside Development Worker was managing around
forty volunteers, alongside continuing to undertake outreach and training work.
Rape Crisis and Tyneside and Northumberland made a decision that we needed to
employ a full time Volunteer Coordinator and a part-time Tyneside Development
Worker.
The existing Tyneside Development Worker applied for the Volunteer Coordinator
position and was successful. Hence, we now have a vacancy for a part time
Tyneside Development Worker to continue to develop, promote and raise awareness
of the Tyneside Service.
This post is currently funded for one year. We have plans to secure future funding,
but we cannot guarantee that the terms of the post will extend beyond the initial
year’s funding. The salary for this post is £13,580 (which is FTE pt 37 £29,558).
3. Recruitment Process
Please complete the Application Form and return it to Private and Confidential, CEO,
RCTN, PO Box 1320, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE99 5DX or enquries@rctn.org.uk. If
you submit the application by email, we will ask to see a signed application form if
you invited for interview.
Please note that we compare your application form against both the essential and
desirable criteria on the Person Specification and are more likely to interview
candidates who have addressed each criterion.
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Applications should be returned by 5pm on Friday July 10th 2015.
If you require an acknowledgement of your application, please either send a
stamped, addressed envelope with your application or mention this in the covering
email.
The applications will be assessed against selection criteria based on the job
description and person specification. Those applicants who best meet the criteria
will be invited to a panel interview.
Interviews will be conducted on Monday 20 July 2015.
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