Advocate jobs in Bristol

Specialist & Expert Advocate for Children - based in Scotland

Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse AAFDA

Remote – Based in Scotland with regular travel across Scotland

Salary – £33,000 pa

Full-time

Fixed term for 12 months (potentially 36 months dependent on funding)

Closing Date – 10th April 2026

AAFDA is a growing charity, and we are looking for a specialist Children’s Advocate to be based in Scotland. Although home based, travel will be required across Scotland. We welcome applications from candidates who are registered social workers and who have professional experience of working with people who have experienced domestic abuse.

We are also committed to diversity and strongly encourage applications from those with Black and/or Minoritised backgrounds.

AAFDA was founded by Frank Mullane in memory of his sister Julia Pemberton and her son Will who were both killed by her ex-partner in 2003.

Scotland is expected to introduce Domestic Homicide and Suicide Reviews (DHSRs) in April 2026. We are looking for a candidate with a good understanding of the Scottish legislative system and good understanding around domestic abuse and how it impacts on children to join our growing charity. Each year, in Scotland, around 25 families lose a loved one to fatal domestic abuse, perhaps one third of this number being domestic homicides and the others being suicides following domestic abuse. The actual number of domestic abuse related suicides remains unknown.

Many of these families suffer significant problems including relationship breakdown, job difficulties/loss and mental and physical health issues. The Children’s advocate will provide expert advocacy, specialist peer support to children, and other services, helping them practically and emotionally. This may include helping them to contribute to DHSRs and providing opportunities to recover from harm for example via trauma therapy and other services.

Through trauma-informed approaches, you will help the children bereaved by fatal domestic abuse:

-To enhance their voice after fatal domestic abuse including by helping them to contribute to domestic homicide and suicide reviews and formal / informal meetings with various professionals.

-By providing residential peer support events, or access to these events for both the children and their carers.

-Via virtual support tools and other resources.

-By developing pathways into groupwork programmes for carers of bereaved children.

-Cope and recover by direct support and by linking into other services, for example, specialist trauma therapy.

In return for joining us, we will offer you:

· 25 days annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays

· Excellent development and training opportunities

· Pension Scheme

· Healthcare Scheme

· Employee Assist Scheme

Application Instructions

To apply for this role, please submit a supporting statement along with your CV. The closing date is 10th April 2026. Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages

Applicants will be shortlisted according to how well they meet the criteria in the person specification. Please highlight and explain how you meet these in your supporting statement. If you have been shortlisted for interview, you will be informed by email. Regrettably, we are normally unable to acknowledge unsuccessful applicants.

Please note that we will not progress applications where the supporting statement does not address the criteria for the role being applied for.

This senior leadership position is responsible for managing and overseeing OTR’s Voice Services which include our Advocacy and Independent Visiting (IV) Service, Participation Service, LGBTQ+ Service, and our CAMHS Link Work Service. You will directly line manage our Leads of these services and empower them to deliver and develop the work that they do.

You’ll work with the Service Leads to manage key commissioner and contract relationships to ensure we’re delivering in line with our contractual obligations. This role also plays an important part in shaping the future of each service; supporting re-contracting, bid writing, and applications to tender.

The post holder will be a key member of OTR’s Senior Management Team (SMT), working collaboratively with the Head of Wellbeing Services, Head of Resources, and the CEO to help shape and deliver the organisation’s strategy, drive innovation, and support long-term organisational growth.  

Your attributes: 

We are looking for someone who has strong people management skills, who can build trust quickly within a team. The Service Leads are key to the success of this role and their expertise and knowledge is invaluable. 

You’ll enjoy supporting colleagues to thrive and develop services, while also able to use a strategic approach to decision making to future proof what we deliver. You’ll be passionate about our mission and hold strong communication skills to bring clarity to our work for staff, partners, and young people.

Your enthusiasm and personality are as important to us as your experience to date. If you can’t tick off every point in the job description below but feel you have the right transferable skills to succeed in the post, please do still apply.   

Main Responsibilities 

Service delivery support 

• Operational oversight and responsibility for OTR’s Voice service, working with the Service Leads to ensure continuity of quality service provision. 

• Line management of: LGBTQ+ Lead, Participation Lead, Link Worker Lead, and Advocacy & IV Lead. 

• Through service evaluation, ensuring young people are receiving the best possible quality of support, capturing feedback and learning to continually develop the support we provide.

• Working with Team leads on quality assurance using the data from our client record system, and service specific monitoring to ensure we’re delivering on contractual goals and targets.  

• Be the first point for safeguarding escalation for the Voice Service Leads and part of the on-call safeguarding rota for all of OTR.

Contracts and commissions 

• Managing relationships with contract managers and commissioners. 

• Working with the Service Leads to make sure we produce timely reporting, monitoring numbers, and finance papers.

• Attending quarterly review meetings, annual reviews and subgroups relating to these.

• Working with the SMT on re-contracting and applications to tender for Voice Services. 

Finance 

• Work with Service Leads and the SMT on funding proposals and development opportunities for the Voice Services. 

• Working with the CEO and Service Leads to set and manage the service budgets and expenditure. 

Partnerships 

• Engage and collaborate with community partners to increase OTR’s presence and impact. 

• Develop and maintain relationships within health a social care to improve outcomes for young people.

• Participate in a variety of external networks and steering groups to share learning and best practice to reach more young people who need us most.

Senior Management Team 

• Alongside SMT and the Board of Trustees, overseeing and managing the implementation of OTR’s organisational strategy, including reporting to the Board.  

• Promote OTR values and support the growth of OTR’s culture and identity

• Alongside SMT proactively work to ensure Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion commitments are upheld and continuously woven into what we do.

• Leading on EDI work across OTR to ensure an inclusive, equitable and accessible service for all young people and staff. 

General  

• Participate in the day-to-day work of the organisation – such as reporting, attending team and other meetings as required, and taking a flexible approach to general administrative and support tasks

• Be an ambassador for OTR, actively promoting our vision and work

• Ensure the effective implementation of the organisation’s policies and overall organisational objectives, including Health & Safety policies and procedures, taking responsibility for their own personal health, safety and welfare in the workplace.

• Following safeguarding policies and procedures in all aspects of the work with children and young people.

• Actively promoting good equal opportunities practices across all aspects of work and taking positive steps to counter discrimination however and wherever it occurs.

• Participate constructively in supervision and staff development opportunities including training and team building initiatives.

• Contribute to co-operative working across all the services within OTR.

• Promote and enable active involvement of young people in planning, improving and making decisions about OTR services.

• Ensure effective and accessible communication with staff, service users and the general public.

• Contribute to maintaining and developing effective professional relationships both internally and with outside agencies.

• Undertake any other reasonable duties consistent with the skills and duties needed for this role, as required. 

For the full Job Description and Person Specification, please visit our website. 

Working pattern and location 

This role is based at our office in central Bath, which is very close to Bath Spa train station and Bath central bus station. The post holder will be based in a shared office with access to meeting rooms.

There is opportunity to work from home when agreed with your line manager, and we operate a flexible working policy which allows your hours to be spread throughout the day/week in agreement with your line manager.

The post holder will be expected to be able to travel throughout the authority and beyond to meet service users, professionals, and to attend meetings and training activities associated with the position. Mileage allowance will be payable for these types of travel.

The job will require occasional working outside of core office hours, some evenings, including the occasional weekend.  

Applicants must have the ability to travel within and outside the local authority, including to areas where there is no public transport.