Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate

London Victim and Witness Service is recruiting for a Hospital based Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) working 37.5 hours per week based at St Helliers Hospital in Sutton, with one day a week at our Victim Support office near Old Street & homeworking and regular travel to meet clients and attend meetings.

This is a stimulating and challenging role where you will get to assess risks and provide immediate support to survivors, working in collaboration with health staff and our pan-London IDVA team.

Please note that the successful applicant will be required to sign an honorary contract with the Hospital Trust in addition to their contract of employment.

**County/Borough**
- Sutton

**Office location**
- Sutton & Old Street London

**Full time/Part time**
- Full time

**Hours per week**
- 37.5

**Work schedule**
- Monday to Friday 9-5 with the possibility of being required to work flexibly dependent on service delivery and client need

**Basic Salary**
- Qualified Total
- £30,850.00 per annum (FTE £28,050 per annum plus £2,800 per annum London Weighting Allowance) Unqualified Total
- £28,810 per annum (FTE £26,010 per annum plus £2,800 per annum London Weighting Allowance)

**Allowances**
- London Weighting, Travel expenses

**Contract type**
- Permanent

**DBS required?**
- Yes

**Police vetting required?**
- No

**Closing Date**
- 16/09/2024

**Ref No**
- 5761

**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
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance program & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
- Clinical supervision and group reflective practice

**About the role**:
You may be a qualified IDVA or a Domestic Abuse Outreach Worker wanting to work alongside health professionals in a hospital environment, although we will consider applicants from other fields providing you are able to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of domestic abuse.

As an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate of domestic abuse you will:
implement effective ways of working with victims and those supporting them to increase safety and reduce harm.

Provide a high-quality, front-line service to victims of domestic abuse, delivering a premium service prioritised according to risk, primarily focusing on victim/survivors aged 16+

Initiate, develop, maintain and monitor multi-agency links through procedures and protocols to keep safety central to all services for victims of domestic abuse

Deliver group training sessions and be willing and share your specialist knowledge with acute staff across the hospital

**You will need**:

- Have a knowledge of help-seeking barriers and support needs of victims of domestic abuse (in heterosexual or same-sex relationships)
- Have a good understanding of domestic abuse including the impact of domestic abuse on victims and their children
- Understand the principles of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management for victims of domestic abuse and their children
- Understand safeguarding issues, and the legal responsibilities surrounding these issues
- Direct service delivery to victims of domestic abuse or other vulnerable people
- Have excellent communication, negotiation and advocacy skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals. Understand and be committed to equal opportunities and diversity issues in policy and practice
- Have a strong crisis management skills and the ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations

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