Vulnerability Officer - Hybrid

Avon and Somerset Police; Portishead; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Continuous professional development

Local Government Pension Scheme

Employee Assistance scheme

Staff discount scheme

On-site gym and Costa Coffee

Beautiful grounds

Job summary

Avon and Somerset Police’s Legal Services Directorate invites applications for a Vulnerability Officer. You will provide legal and organisational support as the single point of contact for DVPNs and DVPOs, helping police protect victims of domestic violence.

The role requires drafting, file preparation within tight deadlines, and liaison with court staff, perpetrators and partner agencies. You will work in a large, friendly team with blended working and development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Confident with computer systems, especially MS Word and Excel.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with experience communicating with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Good presentation skills to communicate salient points to various audiences, including senior stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to influence others.
• Excellent drafting skills with the ability to summarise large volumes of information clearly.
• Strong organisational skills with experience handling large volumes of casework and meeting tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Keeping up to date with legislative and procedural changes to laws relating to Domestic Abuse.
• Preparing DVPO files and breaches of DVPN for Court.
• Liaising with the perpetrator or their representative before hearings to explain the DVPO process.
• Updating and researching databases to monitor DVPN/DVPO status.
• Ensuring orders are complied with and any breaches re-submitted to court within deadlines.
• Carrying out other duties commensurate with the role profile.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Drafting

Time management

Presentation skills

Negotiation

Attention to detail

Court liaison

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Job description

A fantastic opportunity has arisen within the Legal Services Directorate, which provides legal advice to the Chief Constable, Chief Officers, Senior Managers, police officers and staff of Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

You will join a large, friendly and supportive Legal team working in an exciting and fast paced legal environment. The role offers an excellent work life balance and the opportunity to make a real difference to the communities we serve.

As a Vulnerability Officer, you will provide legal and organisational support as the single point of contact for all matters relating to Domestic Violence Protection Notices (DVPNs) and Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) within the Constabulary. The aim of these legal powers is to enable the police to put valuable measures in place to protect people who have suffered from and are at further risk of domestic violence.

You will be comfortable corresponding in a professional manner with court staff; perpetrators and their legal representatives; victims of crime; partner agencies and other colleagues of varying seniority within the organisation.

As this role involves the preparation of court files which often require to be progressed within 24-48 hours, you will utilise your strong organisational skills and an ability to manage your time, work to tight deadlines and respond to fast paced changes in demand. You will be experienced in producing written work and correspondence to the highest standard, as well as having a keen eye for detail and the ability to review and analyse a number of different resources to identify relevant information.

This is a highly rewarding opportunity to contribute directly to Avon and Somerset Police's Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategic priority and help safeguard vulnerable people.

Main Responsibilities will include:

• Keeping up to date with any legislative and procedural changes to laws relating to Domestic Abuse.
• Preparing Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) files and breaches of Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) for Court.
• Liaising with the perpetrator/ and/or their representative prior to any hearing to explain the DVPO process and discuss the terms of the Order.
• Updating and researching relevant computerised databases, including the Police National Computer, to ensure that the Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) and DVPOs are monitored effectively.
• Ensuring that the terms of the Order are being complied with and any breaches of DVPN/DVPO are re-submitted to court within the legislative deadlines.
• You may be required to perform other duties which are not necessarily specified on the role profile, but which are commensurate with the responsibilities of the role holder.

Skills and Experience required for the role:

• Confident with computer systems particularly in MS Word and Excel.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with experience of communicating effectively with people from a variety of different background and often in difficult circumstances.
• Good presentation skills with the ability to communicate salient points effectively to various audiences, together with experience of liaising with and presenting to senior members of an organisation.
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to influence others.
• Excellent drafting skills with the ability to summarise large volumes of information into a clear and concise format.
• Strong organisational skills with experience of working with large volumes of case work and prioritising/managing tight deadlines. The ability to remain calm and professional in pressurised situations.

What we can offer you:

A package of financial, lifestyle and health benefits to support whatever stage of lifeyou'rein, including:

• Flexible working
• Continuous professional development
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee Assistance scheme offering help through counselling services, legal advice, fitness advice, personalcoachingand health assessment
• Staff discount scheme for savings on shopping, days out, sporting events, holidays
• In our Headquarters in Portishead, you’ll have access to a 24 hour gym, on-site Costa Coffee shop and beautiful grounds.

Additional Information

Please be aware that, due to the nature of the role, you may be required to deal with sensitive and potentially distressing information and case material.

You will hold a full driving licence or be prepared to travel around the force area using alternative transport to attend court when required.

To be eligible to apply for this role you must have a 3 year 'checkable history' in the UK – ideally this means that you would have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years.

This role benefits from blended working arrangements, providing the flexibility of both home and office working during the working days of Monday - Friday. Details will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate.

Applicants successful at shortlisting will be invited to attend an in person interview week commencing 26th October 2026.

About us

A pension that grows with you, whatever stage you’re at

Alongside your salary, you’ll be enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), administered by Peninsula Pensions. This is a high-quality defined benefit pension, providing a secure, inflation-linked income for life, based on your earnings and length of service.

If you’re early in your career, it’s a valuable way to start building long-term financial security from day one, with employer contributions that significantly boost the value of every pound you pay in.

If you’re more experienced, the scheme offers a level of certainty and stability that is now rare, helping you plan confidently for the future with predictable retirement income and benefits for your dependants.

Find out more: https://www.peninsulapensions.org.uk/local-government/

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity is a strength and individuality is an asset. We recognise the benefit different life experience and perspectives can bring.

Closing Date

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

Blended Working / Hybrid Working

Avon and Somerset Police encourage flexible working where operationally possible.
This role has been identified as a blended role.

The successful candidate for this role will have the opportunity to work from home whilst also at a secondary work location, which will be a police premises. The successful applicant will have the option to discuss working arrangements with their line manager. All applicants must reside within the UK.