Independent Domestic Violence Advocate

We have an exciting opportunity for an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate to join the team in London, working 37.5 hours a week. This role involves both face to face and virtual support in a hybrid model of working, based from home, our office and in co-location at Northwick Park Hospital.

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

**County/Borough**
- Greater London

**Office location**
- Northwick Park Hospital Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ

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

**Hours per week**
- 37.5

**Work schedule**
- Monday to Friday but may be required to work Flexibly over 7 days a week dependent on service delivery and client need

**Basic Salary**
- Unqualified £26,010.00 plus £2,800 per annum London Weighting Allowance Qualified £28,050.00 plus £2,800 per annum London Weighting Allowance

**Contract type**
- Permanent

**DBS required?**
- Yes

**Police vetting required?**
- No

**Closing Date**
- 14/10/2024

**Ref No**
- 5813

**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 30 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your Birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances & maternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & 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.

This role involves both face to face and virtual support in a hybrid model of working. There is an expectation that you will do a mixture of working from home, our office in Old Street and in co-location at Northwick Park Hospital.

As a Hospital Independent Domestic Violence Advocate 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+
- Work within a multi-agency framework consisting of the MARAC and local partnership responses to domestic abuse to keep safety central to all services for victims of domestic abuse.
- Be comfortable with running group training sessions and be willing and able to share your specialist knowledge with acute staff across the hospital.
- Have excellent communication skills, a proactive approach and the confidence to be able to influence the way in which this service is delivered are key.

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.

**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