Domestic Abuse Health Advocate

Ncic; Carlisle; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

27-day holiday scheme (33 days after

NHS Discounts

Salary Sacrifice schemes

Vivup counselling service

Job summary

North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) seeks a Domestic Abuse Health Advocate to provide rapid safeguarding support within Emergency Care, mainly at Cumberland Infirmary (Carlisle) and West Cumberland Hospital (Whitehaven). The role focuses on risk assessment, safety planning, and linking victims to specialist services.

Embedded in the safeguarding team, you will work with multidisciplinary colleagues, deliver training, and help refine referral pathways.

Qualifications

• Practitioner in a recognised statutory agency.
• Qualified Independent Domestic Violence / Sexual Violence Advisor (IDVA / IDSVA).
• Evidence of CPD and safeguarding training.

Responsibilities

• Provide targeted, immediate support for high-need cases embedded in Emergency Department and acute wards.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop immediate safety plans for domestic/sexual abuse disclosures.
• Signpost victims to specialist external services and collaborate with multi-agency partners.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Verbal communication

Written communication

Clinical judgment

Risk assessments

Advocacy

Record keeping

Resilience

Education

Degree or professional qualification in safeguarding/healthcare

IDVA/IDSVA level 3 accreditation

CPD commitment

Job description

Would you like to join a centre of excellence in rural and remote healthcare?

Main area Safeguarding Team - 202030 Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract 12 months (fixed term 12 months) Hours Part time - 30 hours per week (Some flexible working will be required to work out of office hours) Job ref 262-A-26-8180106

Site West Cumberland Hospital OR Cumberland Infirmary Town Whitehaven/Carlisle Salary £39,959 - £48,117 pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 17/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

The Domestic Abuse Health Advocate (DAHA) operates as a core member of the North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) Safeguarding Team, primarily based within Emergency Care Departments and acute wards to deliver timely, expert support across the trust footprint. Acting under minimal supervision, the role exercises clinical judgment to respond to disclosures of domestic and sexual abuse by conducting robust risk assessments, formulating immediate safety and support plans, and signposting victims to appropriate external services.

A significant aspect of the post involves acting as a knowledgeable resource for the wider multidisciplinary team, providing guidance, raising awareness, and empowering healthcare staff to recognise indicators of abuse and respond appropriately.

Additionally, the postholder actively collaborates with multi-agency partners, participating in Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) to share pertinent health information and mitigate high-risk harm. Contributing to service improvement, the advocate supports the development and delivery of safeguarding training packages and participates in trust projects to refine referral pathways and policies in line with best practice guidelines, supported by regular safeguarding supervision and ongoing professional development.

Main duties of the job

To provide targeted, immediate support where acute need is highest, the Domestic Abuse Health Advocate (DAHA) is specifically embedded within the trust’s main front-door emergency departments and acute wards—including the 24/7 Emergency Department and Urgent Treatment Centre at Cumberland Infirmary (Carlisle) and the 24/7 A&E at West Cumberland Hospital (Whitehaven). In this frontline capacity, the DAHA exercises clinical judgment to respond to disclosures of domestic and sexual abuse, conduct robust risk assessments, establish immediate safety plans, and signpost victims to specialist services. By combining this direct ED-based presence with multi-agency collaboration and staff education, the role connects frontline emergency care directly with wider trust safeguarding pathways and national best-practice standards.

Working for our organisation

At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.

Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of ‘safe, high quality care every time':

• Being a clinically led organisation
• Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
• A positive patient experience every time
• A great place to work
• Managing our money well

As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.

Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment.Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligiblevacancies.

Disclosure and Barring Service:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:

Standard Check: £20.00 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £26.50. Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

Enhanced Check: £41.00 + administration cost of £6.50 = £47.50. Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment

NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:

27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years

NHS Discounts*

Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*

Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems

*Subject to eligibility

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.

Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Practitioner in a recognised statutory agency (e.g. police, social care Registered Nurse, Midwife, Allied Health Professional, social worker, community worker or youth worker.
• Relevant degree/professional qualification/equivalent experience plus willingness to undertake accredited training.
• Evidence of continuous professional development (CPD)
• Qualified Independent Domestic Violence / Sexual Violence Advisor (IDVA / IDSVA) with a recognised Level 3 national accreditation (e.g., SafeLives).
• Specialist post-registration education or experience in safeguarding children/young people/adults

Knowledge and Experience

• Demonstrable experience of supporting victims/survivors of domestic abuse and/or sexual violence using a trauma-informed approach.
• Proven experience in conducting dynamic risk assessments (e.g., DASH) and developing individualised safety/support plans.
• Strong working knowledge of statutory safeguarding legislation, MARAC protocols, and Criminal Justice System processes.
• Experience working across multi-agency frameworks with Police, Social Care, SARCs, and voluntary sector services.
• Experience delivering support in high-volume, fast-paced environments.
• Direct experience working within an NHS acute hospital environment (e.g., Emergency Department).
• Experience delivering training or awareness sessions to multidisciplinary teams.
• Understanding of local community resources and domestic abuse strategies

Skills and Aptitudes

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills for managing complex, highly sensitive, and distressing information.
• Ability to exercise clinical judgment and autonomy while managing a busy, unpredictable caseload under supervision.
• Strong advocacy skills with the ability to challenge interagency assessments professionally in the best interest of the victim.
• Proficient in maintaining precise, confidential records across electronic patient systems and dedicated case management software in line with Information Governance.
• High level of personal resilience and emotional intelligence in dealing with severe trauma and acute distress.
• Ability to analyse complex data/activity metrics and contribute to clinical audit or policy reviews.
• Skills in designing and delivering training materials or workshops for diverse professional groups.

other requirements

• Ability to maintain a flexible, visible presence across various trust sites as required (e.g., Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital).
• Commitment to regular clinical and safeguarding supervision.
• Alignment with Trust Vision and Values
<
• Full UK Driving License and access to a vehicle for work purposes across the Trust footprint.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have regular contact with vulnerable people and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.