Senior Independent Domestic Violence Advisor

Victim Support; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An established charity is seeking a Senior Independent Domestic Violence Advisor to support male victims of domestic abuse. This hybrid role involves assessing risks, developing safety plans, and providing advocacy to clients navigating the criminal justice system. With a focus on empowerment and collaboration, you will lead a team while ensuring high-quality service delivery. Join a dedicated organization committed to making a difference in the lives of those affected by crime, offering flexible working arrangements and a comprehensive benefits package to support your well-being and career development.

Benefits

Flexible working options

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Extra day off for birthday

Pension with 5% employer contribution

Enhanced sick pay allowances

High Street and leisure discounts

Employee assistance programme

Ongoing training and support

Cycle to work scheme

Season ticket loans

Qualifications

• Experience managing complex caseloads and prioritizing work.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Identify and assess risks and needs of male domestic abuse victims.
• Support clients in accessing services and developing safety plans.
• Provide effective line management and monitor service quality.

Skills

Resilience

Adaptability

Customer Service

Risk Assessment

Safety Planning

Multi-agency Collaboration

Case Management

Education

SafeLives IDVA Qualification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Case Management Systems

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) to join the Bristol IDVA Service supporting male victims, working 37.5 hours a week.

Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who need it?

Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care?

If yes, then we’d love to hear from you...

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• Flexible working options including hybrid working
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
• Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

This role is hybrid between Bridewell Police Station and home (and therefore requires an appropriately confidential home space in which to work), with travel around the locality to meet with service users.

As a Senior IDVA you will:

• Identify and assess the risks and needs of male domestic abuse victims. Assist them in accessing services to keep them and their family safe, and develop individual safety plans to meet client’s needs.
• Support the empowerment of clients, assisting them in recognising the features and dynamics of domestic abuse.
• Participate fully in the MARAC framework: refer clients to, attend and participate in meetings by being the voice of the client and follow up actions agreed, keeping the client’s safety at the forefront.
• Take a lead in setting an example of good working practices and offer mentoring to colleagues. Be the initial contact for colleagues to provide advice and guidance on their casework.
• Provide information and advocacy to enable service users to navigate and understand the criminal justice process and ensure their rights are upheld in accordance with the Victims Code of Practice.
• Provide effective line management of staff to ensure performance targets and agreed outcomes are met by the service. Monitor and oversee quality of service provision provided by the team, and identify learning and development opportunities. Support performance auditing, interpret data for commissioners and report on this.
• Maintain accurate and confidential case management records and contribute to monitoring the service.

You will need:

• A SafeLives (or equivalent) IDVA qualification.
• Evidence of management capability.
• An ability to work independently and as part of a team, sharing, coaching and influencing others.
• An understanding of the principles of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management.
• Experience of working within a multi-agency and legislative framework.
• Experience of managing a complex caseload, and be able to prioritise work and deal with competing demands.
• The ability to use IT applications competently including, Microsoft Word, Excel etc. and Case Management systems in order to keep accurate records and undertake performance monitoring.

This role involves regular travel and due to the location, a driving license and access to a vehicle is considered an essential requirement. If you are unable to drive because of a disability please indicate this in your application in your personal statement so we can explore the feasibility of alternative arrangements.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we’ll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We reserve the right to close thisvacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.

If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.