Support & Recovery Manager

About the job

The Support & Recovery Manager will have overall responsibility for the operational management of specialised domestic violence refuge and associated services, ensuring the highest standards of support for victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse. This Senior Management role requires strong leadership and vision, strategic thinking, operational oversight and a deep understanding of DSGBV, alongside expertise in trauma-informed practice, complex risk assessment, safeguarding, housing, data management, legislative obligations and compliance. The Manager will ensure staff are aligned with SDVS’s mission and vision and promote consistency across sites. The Manager will ensure that all Refuge Services, including staff, facilities and operations, are delivered in line with best practice, statutory requirements and organisational policies, providing safe, high-quality and client-centred services.

 

What we offer you

• Contract: Full-Time, Specific Purpose Contract to cover a period of Maternity Leave.

• Salary: The Salary for this position will be a pro-rated equivalent to €68,055.62 per annum. Salary is paid weekly.

• Location: Dublin.

• Team: This role is part of the Support & Recovery (Refuge) Team and Senior Management Team.

• Benefits: All employee benefits outlined below.

• Commitment to work–life balance and staff wellbeing.

• Hours of work: 39h per week, 09:00 - 17:00 Monday - Thursday, 09:00 - 16:00 Friday.

Employee Benefits

• Pension: The company will contribute into My Future Fund State pension should you be eligible.

• Annual leave: As an employee of SDVS, you will receive 25 days annual leave per annum (pro-rated for duration of Fixed-Term).

• Company Day: At SDVS, Good Friday is offered as an additional day off.

• Doctor visits: Employee well-being is important to us at SDVS. We offer employees €35 contribution towards 2 GP visits per year.

• Digital Doctor: Free access to a digital doctor for employees and their families.

• Education Support: At SVDS we offer an Education Assistance policy for employees to apply for funding towards further education.

• Training & Development: Access to excellent training opportunities and continuous professional development.

• Well-being App: All employees have access to the Wisdom app to support employees in all 4 pillars of their well-being.

• EAP: We offer a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme for employees and their families to avail of counselling support confidentially.

• Wellbeing Days: We host several employee wellbeing activities across the year for employees to take time out to focus on team building and their own wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Support the execution of SDVS strategic and operational plans, with a particular focus on future service development and sustainability.

• Provide leadership, direction and operational management of safe refuge services, ensuring a cohesive and integrated approach across all SDVS pillars and locations.

• Develop, implement and review operational policies, procedures and plans to ensure safe, high-quality, survivor-centred services grounded in trauma informed and recovery-focused practice.

• Lead strategic planning in conjunction with the Executive Leadership Team, ensuring services respond effectively to the evolving needs of survivors.

• Develop and implement effective risk management, safeguarding, crisis response and escalation processes across refuge services.

• Ensure refuge buildings and environments are trauma-informed, safe, welcoming and conducive to recovery for women and children.

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, using data, audits, feedback, incidents, complaints and service-user experience to strengthen service delivery and practice.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Oversee, under the direction of the Director of Services, compliance with AHBRA Approved Housing Body Standards and relevant housing requirements.

• Implement systems and processes that support compliance with Charity Regulator requirements and ensure SDVS achieves its charitable objectives in an effective, efficient, accountable and transparent manner.

• Ensure compliance with GDPR, Health & Safety, Children First, the Domestic Violence Act 2018 and other relevant legislative and regulatory requirements.

• Monitor refuge operations, identifying and addressing areas of risk, non-compliance or service improvement.

• Ensure learning from incidents, complaints, audits, inspections and reviews is translated into appropriate improvements in policy, practice, training and service delivery.

Staff Leadership, Management & Development

• Lead and strengthen the refuge leadership team, fostering cohesive, resilient and high-performing teams across all locations.

• Provide guidance, mentorship and strategic direction, promoting a culture of collaboration, accountability, professional development and continuous improvement.

• Provide direct line management and support to Refuge Coordinators, ensuring consistent leadership and high-quality service delivery across locations.

• Oversee staff recruitment, performance management, professional development and training, in partnership with HR.

• Ensure staff receive appropriate training in domestic violence, trauma informed practice, child protection, safeguarding, risk assessment, case management and related areas.

• Promote a positive, supportive and trauma-informed workplace culture that prioritises staff wellbeing and professional growth.

Service Delivery & Survivor Support

• Ensure refuges provide safe, supportive, confidential and high-quality services for women and children.

• Oversee risk assessment, safety planning, case management and safeguarding processes to ensure best-practice interventions.

• Ensure services are culturally inclusive and accessible, with appropriate support for marginalised groups, including survivors with disabilities, migrant women and LGBTQ+ individuals.

• Maintain oversight of service standards and ensure delivery is consistent with organisational policies, best practice and a recovery-focused model of practice.

• Ensure the safety, dignity, rights, empowerment and individual needs of victims and survivors remain central to service delivery.

Operational Systems, Data & Reporting

• Provide strategic oversight of ESafe, CRM and other internal information systems, ensuring they are fit for purpose and consistently used across refuge services.

• Ensure accurate, timely and appropriate data entry, case recording, incident reporting and service activity recording.

• Develop and maintain effective reporting processes to support operational oversight, performance management, governance, funding requirements and organisational decision-making.

• Monitor data quality, confidentiality and GDPR compliance, identifying trends, gaps and areas requiring improvement.

• Provide regular operational and performance reports to the Director of Services and Executive Leadership Team as required.

• Use data, trends, feedback and performance information to inform service development, risk reduction and workforce planning.

Property, Procurement & Resource Management

• Provide operational oversight of refuge buildings, facilities, equipment, maintenance and housekeeping services, ensuring they are safe, functional, well-maintained and compliant with relevant requirements.

• Oversee maintenance and housekeeping arrangements, including service standards, staffing, performance, preventative maintenance and the timely resolution of urgent or emergency issues.

• Ensure refuge environments maintain high standards of cleanliness, hygiene, safety and dignity and are managed in a trauma-informed manner.

• Oversee the procurement of goods, services, equipment and supplies required for refuge operations, in accordance with SDVS procurement procedures, delegated authority and funder requirements.

• Ensure procurement provides appropriate value for money, quality, transparency and accountability and is aligned with approved budgets and organisational priorities.

• Develop and maintain effective supplier relationships and escalate concerns relating to quality, contractual, safeguarding, health and safety or service delivery standards.

• As directed by the Executive Leadership Team, oversee Refuge service budgets and ensure effective financial planning and compliance with contractual and funding requirements, including CUAN funding agreements.

On-Call, Critical Incidents & Operational Escalation

• Lead and oversee the SDVS On-Call Service, ensuring a robust, consistent and responsive out-of-hours support structure.

• Develop and maintain appropriate On-Call arrangements, escalation pathways, communication protocols and staff rotas.

• Provide senior management oversight and direction in response to complex incidents, safeguarding concerns, serious complaints, significant maintenance issues, staffing matters or other operational risks.

• Ensure appropriate procedures are in place for emergency response, incident management, risk escalation and management notification.

• Lead or coordinate post-incident reviews following significant or critical incidents, ensuring learning is identified and appropriate actions are implemented.

• Ensure appropriate recording, follow-up, debriefing and staff support following critical incidents, in partnership with HR and relevant senior staff.

Partnership & Advocacy

• Build and maintain effective relationships with Tusla, An Garda Síochána, Local Authorities, Housing Bodies, the Courts Service and community organisations to strengthen support for victims and survivors.

• Represent SDVS in multi-agency forums, networks and policy discussions as agreed by the Director of Services.

• Advocate for increased housing, legal protections and appropriate services for victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

• Identify opportunities for partnership working and service development that enhance outcomes for survivors and support the strategic objectives of SDVS.

Funding & Resource Development

• Identify and contribute to funding opportunities that support service development and sustainability, as agreed with the Director of Services.

• Ensure compliance with contractual, financial and funder requirements and maintain accurate records, reports and data to support monitoring, evaluation and accountability.

Requirements

• A minimum Level 8 Honours Degree (or equivalent) in a discipline relevant to the role, such as Social Care, Social Work, Community Development, Psychology, or a related field.

• A minimum of 3 years’ relevant professional experience, preferably within domestic violence, child protection, family support, social care, housing, or a related service setting.

• Demonstrable management and/or team leadership experience, including staff supervision, performance management, practice development and supporting high-quality service delivery.

• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) and its impact on women, children and families, including an understanding of trauma-informed and survivor centred approaches.

• Demonstrable understanding of relevant Irish legislation, statutory requirements, policies and best practice, including safeguarding, child protection, health and safety, GDPR, housing and domestic violence legislation.

• Experience of complex risk assessment, safeguarding and incident management, with the ability to make sound decisions and provide effective leadership in challenging and high-risk situations.

• Experience of developing, implementing and monitoring policies, procedures and service standards, with a commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement.

• Strong communication, interpersonal and partnership-working skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with staff, statutory agencies, community organisations and other stakeholders.

• A full, clean driving license and access to own transport, with the ability to travel between SDVS locations as required.

• Legal permission to work in Ireland.