Domestic Abuse Practitioner

**Organisation**
- Southampton City Council

**Service Area**
- Family Help

**Job Location**
- Civic Centre

**Contract Length**
- Permanent

**Work Hours**
- Full time 37 hours per week

**Salary**
- £32,061 to £36,362 per annum

**Special Requirements**
- Enhanced DBS check required

**Closing Date**
- 15/10/2025

**Job Reference**
- 16049
- Job description and person specification

We saw that social care reform was coming, and we acted. We transformed our service, restructured our teams, changed how we work with each other and our partners, and we improved.

We believe one simple thing**:that everyday counts and everyone matter**s.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve been on a journey that has seen Ofsted has our **Children’s Services as ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding Leadership’,** and more recently has inspected our SEND provision (Area full SEND inspection) and how we work with partner agencies (Joint Target Area Inspection). In every inspection Ofsted has recognised our commitment and dedication to delivering the best outcomes for children, young people and families.

But we’re ambitious for our children and young people, so our journey continues.

We have an opportunity for a two Permanent, Full Time**, Domestic Abuse Practitioners** to join Southampton City Council in the Family Help Service.

These two new Domestic Abuse Practitioner roles are part of our Social Care Reforms, extending our multi-agency Family Safeguarding approach into Family Help so children and families receive the right help earlier.

**About the team**:
We’re building out our Family Help offer so children, young people and families get the right help earlier, from a truly multi-agency team. As part of our Social Care Reform programme and the Families First Partnership, we’re introducing two Domestic Abuse Practitioners to provide specialist, trauma-informed support to victims and survivors—working alongside Adult Mental Health Workers and Substance Misuse Workers to address the issues that most affect safety and stability.

We are a Children’s Services on the up—rated ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding Leadership’ by Ofsted—and our partnership working has been commended for its ambition and impact. Recent Ofsted inspection activity highlighted the strength of our multi-agency culture and how co-located teams enable timely, holistic support for families.

We’ve embedded the Family Safeguarding model and are extending that way of working into Family Help, so families benefit from coordinated, evidence-informed support at the earliest opportunity.

**About the role**:
As a Domestic Abuse Practitioner, you will be the domestic abuse specialist within a Family Help team. You will:

- Provide expert advice, guidance and case consultation to colleagues where domestic abuse is present.
- Deliver 1:1 and group interventions with children, young people and adult survivors, tailored to assessed need and focused on safety, recovery and resilience.
- Lead early intervention work to reduce risk and prevent escalation to statutory services.
- Plan and deliver training for staff on the impact of parental conflict and domestic abuse, and on practical strategies that reduce harm to children.
- Work shoulder-to-shoulder with partners—family practitioners, social workers, health, police and the VCS—so safety planning is coordinated, timely and effective. Co-location and joint discussions are part of how we work.
- Contribute to a strengths-based culture that recognises the dynamics of coercive control and partners with victims and survivors to make change possible.
- Safe & Together and Family Safeguarding principles, ensuring proportionate attention on those using harmful behaviors while keeping the focus on child and victim safety.

**About you**:
You are an experienced practitioner who brings credibility, compassion and clarity under pressure. You will have:

- At least NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) in a relevant field (e.g. Health & Social Care; Advice & Guidance).
- 2+ years’ experience working with vulnerable children/young people or adults, including assessment and risk management.
- Strong knowledge of domestic abuse and coercive control and its impact on victims and children.
- Proven ability to deliver 1:1 and group work, develop co-produced support plans and record to a high standard.
- Confidence working in a multi-agency context, building positive relationships and offering professional challenge where needed.
- A values base that is person-centered, strengths-focused and inclusive, aligned with our organisational behaviours.

**W**hat we can offer you**:
**Salary**: The salary band for this role is £32,061 - £36,362. The **starting salary is £32,061** with annual progression through the salary bands.

Here at SCC we have a range of different perks and benefits, a few examples can be found below.
- Excellent local government pension with 16.8% employer contribution
- Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost