Independent domestic violence advisor jobs in East of england

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Specialist Housing IDVA

Salary: £27,000 - £32,000 depending on experience

Location: Hammersmith Head Office and once a month you will attend St Mungo's

Hours: 35 hours per week

Thursdays early shift (8am) and evening between 6-9pm on rota basis (approximately every 4-5 weeks)

Contract: Fixed Term Until March 31st 20267

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.

About the role:

The Specialist Housing Advocate will work within a dynamic, fast paced team to provide intervention, advocacy and support that empowers women and ensures that the voice of survivors informs every stage of their journey towards improved safety. The successful candidate will work with service users in Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea with an identified housing need, including those who are homeless or have additional needs, such as poor mental health, substance use, or those who are victims of Modern Day Slavery and trafficking. We are looking for someone passionate about ensuring that all survivors of domestic abuse are able to access safe and appropriate accommodation which meets their needs. As part of this role you will attend St Mungo's once a month to provide outreach support.

To be successful as Specialist Housing Advocate you will need the below experience and skills:

You will have an excellent understanding of domestic abuse and its effects on survivors and their children, and of best practice within the domestic abuse and housing sectors. You will be skilled in risk management and safety planning, remaining calm in a crisis and in handling sensitive information on a daily basis. The post holder will hold a caseload of survivors and will also be required to support Advance’s duty team on a rota basis which will involve completing intake assessments and providing crisis intervention support.

How to apply:

Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered.

Closing Date for Applications: 26 April 2026

Interviews are taking place on a rolling basis

*Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate.

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits:

• A 35-hour working week

• An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!)

• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home

• Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more

• Pension scheme

• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision

• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

• Employee eye-care scheme

• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles

• Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation

• Organisation wide away days

• Thorough induction and training

• Career development pathways

**************************************************************

Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe. We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Mental Health IDVA

Salary: £27,000 - £32,000 depending on experience.

Location: Hammersmith

Hours: 35 Hours per week

Contract: Permanent

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.

About the role:

We work within a coordinated partnership response to violence against women and girls as part of the Angelou Partnership. Within the partnership ADVANCE provides independent domestic abuse advocacy and support for women, children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse.

As the Mental Health IDVA you will work within a dynamic, fast paced, crisis intervention, advocacy and support service to ensure the voice of survivors informs every stage of the process specialising in working with clients for whom mental health is a factor. You will work within the team to make proactive contact and provide high quality advocacy and support based upon a client led needs and risk assessment to women, focusing on working with those aged 18 and over who access the domestic abuse service.

You will be delivering one-off drop-in sessions for clients referred via LBHF Talking Therapies and we are aiming to expand these drop-in sessions to the other two boroughs in this new financial year (RBKC & WCC).

To be successful as the Mental Health IDVA you will need the below experience and skills:

You’ll need to have an excellent understanding of domestic abuse and its effects on women and children and of best practice within the domestic abuse sector. As an experienced domestic abuse advocate who has worked with complex and multiple needs, you will be skilled in risk management and safety planning, remaining calm in a crisis and in handling sensitive information on a daily basis. Experience of direct work with female survivors of domestic abuse, of supporting women involved in mental health services, and of working within safeguarding procedures is essential for this post, as is the need to adopt and promote a strong partnership approach to service provision.

In short, you will:

· Establish positive, proactive and innovative working relationships with mental health services and partner agencies.

· Provide high-quality crisis intervention, information, advocacy, and proactive support to women referred to the service, in respect to risk management and safety planning, criminal and civil remedies, housing, health, welfare rights, and children’s legislation.

· Assess the needs and risks of survivors, carry out short and longer-term risk management, safety planning and support and identify and refer to services appropriate to their needs.

· Advise women of their rights and options for seeking help and support from other agencies and proactively advocate to ensure barriers to accessing support and protection are reduced.

· Work with mental health service providers to introduce the service and encourage practitioners to identify domestic abuse, respond appropriately and refer to the service.

We recognise that women often only apply to roles if they meet 100% of the criteria. We encourage you to demonstrate how your skills and experience would make you an asset to the role, and if you don’t have the exact skills/experience, tell us in your cover letter how you think you might grow and develop in the role.

How to apply:

Please apply with an up to date copy of your CV and a cover letter via our careers site.

• Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 26th April 2026

• Interviews are taking place on a rolling basis

*Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate.

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits:

• A 35-hour working week

• An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!)

• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home

• Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more

• Pension scheme

• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision

• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

• Employee eye-care scheme

• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles

• Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation

• Organisation wide away days

• Thorough induction and training

• Career development pathways

**************************************************************

Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe. We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Independent Domestic Violence Advisors to join the DRIVE team in London, working 37.5 hours a week.

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…

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.
• Generous Annual Leave: 28 days plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 33 days plus Bank Holidays, with options to buy or sell annual leave.
• Birthday Leave: An extra day off for your birthday
• Pension Plan: 5% employer contribution.
• Enhanced Allowances: Enhanced sick pay, maternity, and paternity payments.
• Exclusive Discounts: High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment, and leisure discounts.
• Financial Wellbeing: Access to our financial wellbeing hub and salary-deducted finance.
• Wellbeing Support: Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support.
• Inclusive Networks: Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes.
• Sustainable Travel: Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans.
• Career Development: Ongoing training and support with opportunities for career progression.

About the Role:

You may be a qualified IDVA or a Domestic Abuse Outreach Worker wanting to work alongside professionals in a multi-agency environment, although we will consider applicants from other fields providing you are able to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of both domestic and sexual violence.

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 Singer Street.

As a DRIVE 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 and sexual 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 and sexual abuse to keep safety central to all services for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
• 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.

You will need to:

• Have a knowledge of help-seeking barriers and support needs of victims of domestic and sexual abuse (in heterosexual or same-sex relationships).
• Have a good understanding of domestic and sexual abuse including the impact of abuse on victims and their children.
• Understand the principles of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management for victims of domestic and sexual abuse and their children.
• Understand safeguarding issues, and the legal responsibilities surrounding these issues.
• Experience of direct service delivery to victims of domestic and sexual abuse or other vulnerable people.
• Have strong 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 is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

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 Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet all essential criteria for a job where it is practicable to do so. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment and selection process.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

About the role
 
This role builds on work that we have been doing for decades to support and empower LGBT people who have experienced domestic abuse. Your work will enable LGBT people to feel supported, heard and empowered in the face of abuse and violence, and pave the way to a safer future for our community.
 
You will sit alongside our other advocates supporting LGBT people facing abuse or violence. You will work directly with LGBT victims/survivors of domestic abuse, offering them a space to talk and think through options, helping them plan what they want to do, and offering assistance in getting what they need from services. Your work will focus on needs specifically related experiences of abuse or violence, including issues such as wellbeing, support with the criminal and civil justice process, safety and access to other services to enable survivors to cope and recover. You will be empathetic and thoughtful in your approach to understanding your clients’ needs, while remaining boundaried and mindful of self-care.
 
You will work with mainstream services to ensure the voices and experiences of LGBT survivors are represented in order to make change for our community at a local and national level. You will also work closely with key partner organisations by attending meetings and have the opportunity to take part in external work to ensure a joined-up approach among services working with LGBT people facing abuse and violence. 
 
For more information on this role please download the attached job description. 
 
Location
Galop’s offices are located in London. This role will have the option of hybrid working with at least 2 days a week in the office.

Hours
Full Time (35 hours per week)

Contract
Until 31/09/2026 (subject to extension)

Reports to
Advocacy & Support Manager/Senior Advocate

Salary
You will start on scale point F1, £32,626.66 per year (including London Weighting of £4,296.25).

Closing Date 
Applications should be submitted by 28th April 2026.

We encourage early applications as we will be reviewing and interviewing on a rolling basis. The vacancy may remain open or be reposted beyond the closing date while recruitment is ongoing.
 
REF-227 771

Independent Domestic Violence Advocate – Male Victims

Do you want to join a committed and inspiring team? Do you want to help make a real difference every day?Do you want to contribute to change & improve the quality of lives of male survivors of domestic abuse?

If so then we are looking for a proactive and compassionate Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) to join the Ashraya Project supporting Male Victims & Survivors. 

This role is hybrid, working from home and the office in London and also involves regular travel throughout the area.

Position: 6662 Independent Domestic Violence Advocate – Male victims

Location: Greater London

Hours: Monday to Friday - Flexible dependent on service delivery and client need

Contract: Fixed Term, until 31.03.27

Salary: Qualified: Total £32,383.00 per annum - (FTE £29,583.00 per annum plus £2,800.00 per annum London Weighting Allowance) Unqualified: Total £30,552.00 per annum - (FTE £27,752.00 per annum plus £2,800.00 per annum London Weighting Allowance)

Closing Date: 30th April 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if enough suitable applications are received.

The Role

As an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate you will ensure that male survivors’ safety & housing needs are met.  You will provide specialist support at the moment of crisis, providing advocacy & support to access safe accommodation ensuring the safety, security & dignity of service users & their children.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure that male survivors’ safety and housing needs are met by supporting survivors to access safe accommodation
• Provide a pro-active, high quality, frontline service to victims of domestic abuse through on-going risk assessment, individual safety planning, advocacy, emotional and practical support.
• 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
• Promote the service and raising awareness of issues arising, minimising barriers and improving access to support

About You

Ideally, you will have knowledge about legal remedies for domestic abuse victims and have experience working with drug, alcohol, and mental health issues. An understanding benefits, housing, and homelessness would also be beneficial.

You will need:

• Experience of providing support those affected by domestic abuse 
• An understanding of the principles of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management for victims of domestic abuse and their children
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues, and the legal responsibilities surrounding these issues.
• A good understanding of Housing Law to be able to provide up to date advice and information on housing related needs
• Strong communication, negotiation and advisory skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals.
• An understanding of commitment to equal opportunities and diversity issues in policy and practice.
• Strong crisis management skills and the ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations.

We particularly welcome applicants who are male, as they are under-represented in the provision of support to domestic abuse victim survivors.

If you are passionate about supporting victims of crime and have the necessary skills and experience, we encourage you to apply.

In Return…

Benefits include:

• Flexible Working Options: Including hybrid working.
• Bonus: £500 bonus paid on successful completion of probationary period (pro-rata for part time roles)
• Generous Annual Leave: 28 days plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 33 days plus Bank Holidays, with options to buy or sell annual leave.
• Birthday Leave: An extra day off for your birthday.
• Pension Plan: 5% employer contribution.
• Enhanced Allowances: Enhanced sick pay, maternity, and paternity payments.
• Exclusive Discounts: High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment, and leisure discounts.
• Financial Wellbeing: Access to our financial wellbeing hub and salary-deducted finance.
• Wellbeing Support: Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support.
• Inclusive Networks: Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes.
• Sustainable Travel: Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans.
• Career Development: Ongoing training and support with opportunities for career progression.
• Practice Support: Clinical supervision and group reflective practice

About the Organisation

This independent charity provides a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. Working 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 the charity is driven by the Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events.

As part of the commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The charity is also a Disability Confident Employer and provides a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition, which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of the selection process, the team will be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

You may have experience in areas such as Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health, Care, Outreach, Crisis, Family, Children, Housing Support Worker, Homelessness Support Worker, Mental Health Support Worker, Care Support Worker, Outreach Support Worker, Crisis Support Worker s, Family Support Worker, Children’s Support Worker, IDVA, IDVSA, Abuse, Advocate, Advocacy.

Please note this role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of our client.  #INDNFP

We are recruiting for a IDVA to join our team in Wandsworth; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: IDVA

Location: Hybrid with a requirement to work regularly from a range of locations within Wandsworth and occasionally from Refuge’s Head Office (Vauxhall)
Salary: £29,701.36 per annum
Contract type: Full-time, Permanent

Hours: 37.5

Refuge is recruiting an Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate (IDVA) to join our Enhanced Support Outreach Team, focusing on supporting clients living in Wandsworth.

The IDVA will provide high quality, trauma informed independent advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse, and additionally face multiple disadvantages in accessing support service across Wandsworth. Funded by MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime), this post focuses on improving access to justice, safety and holistic support for individuals affected by domestic abuse, including those navigating the criminal justice system.

We are looking for someone who is passionate, committed and cares about the work Refuge undertakes. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of domestic abuse and the impact this has on survivors and their children. They will be able to work under pressure to effectively manage risk and provide needs-led support to clients with a variety of support needs.

Refuge is the UK’s largest provider of specialist services, and we are proud to be a leader in our field and an employer of choice, with leading edge systems for supervision, quality management and development. This is an opportunity to join a brand-new service and improve the local multi agency partnership to recognise, reject and respond to all forms of gender-based abuse.

Closing date: 9.00am on 21 April 2026

Interview date: 29 April 2026

Benefits

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

Location: Tower Hamlets / Hybrid

Salary: Unqualified: £17,631 - £18,402.60 per annum (Based on an FTE salary of £29,385 - £30,671 per annum)

Qualified: £18,402.60 - £20,062.80 per annum (Based on an FTE salary of 30,671 - £33,438 per annum)

(Please note that applicants are usually appointed at the bottom of the relevant band based on fairness and our pay scales)

Hours: 22.5 hours per week 

Contract: Fixed Term Contract (Until 31st March 2027)

Closing Date: Wednesday 15th April 2026

Closing Time: 00:00am

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) (Duty & Triage) at Solace Women's Aid.  

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in the capital. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service 

Tower Hamlets Solace Advocacy and Support Service (SASS) provides advice and support to people aged 16+ in Tower Hamlets who are currently experiencing domestic abuse. Tower Hamlets SASS is a team made up of Core IDVAs, a Duty IDVA, and Co-located IDVAs; Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) IDVA, Housing IDVA, Housing Floating Support Worker, a MASH IDVA, a Hospital IDVA, and a GP IDVA.

About the Role 

We are looking for a Duty and Triage IDVA to join our team. The successful candidate will act as a first point of contact for incoming referrals to Tower Hamlets SASS. As the Duty IDVA you will triage referrals into the Tower Hamlets SASS team, responding to professionals and members of the public. You will be working as part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with external agencies. In addition, you will risk and needs assess and safety plan with survivors of domestic abuse. 

 

About You

The ideal candidate would have demonstrable experience of working with those affected by domestic and/or sexual violence and experience of managing risk and following case management procedures to meet the needs of a diverse and vulnerable client group.

You bring a solid understanding of housing, welfare, and policies relating to domestic and sexual violence, alongside strong administrative and time‑management abilities, including confident use of Excel and the capacity to juggle multiple tasks. You’re able to manage a busy and often complex caseload with professionalism and care.

You have a well‑developed understanding of the causes and dynamics of domestic and sexual abuse and the impact this has on victims and survivors. Your approach to work is flexible, empathetic, and grounded in the values of Solace Women’s Aid, with a commitment to empowering those you support.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Values, Behaviours & Competencies
• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies.

Victim Support is recruiting for an Hospital Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) to support victims of domestic abuse, based at Bedford Hospital. This is a full time role on a fixed term contract until 31st March 2027.

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…..

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 & options to buy or sell annual leave
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
• Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

We are looking for an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA). This is a full time role on fixed term contract until 31/03/2027. The aim of this role is to support victims of domestic abuse, who are inpatients or outpatients of Bedford Hospital. This role will be part of our other wider specialist services covering Bedfordshire.

As an IDVA you will be:

• Working closely with the safeguarding team and a range of other hospital departments
• Providing a high quality support and advocacy service to victims of domestic abuse.
• Managing a caseload; identifying and assessing risks and needs, providing a tailored crisis intervention service trough individual safety planning, advocacy, emotional and practical support.
• Working with other agencies and advocating on behalf of service users in order to help them access services to keep them safe.
• Working within a multi-agency framework consisting of partners as well as MARAC and other local partnerships to offer a coordinated response to domestic abuse.
• Promoting the service and raise awareness of domestic abuse through the delivery of training

You will need:

• Experience of working in support and advocacy with victims of domestic abuse is advantageous
• To be able to prioritise work and deal with competing or conflicting demands/needs and interests and promote organisation interests and values.
• To ideally hold a SafeLives IDVA accreditation, relevant degree, vocational qualification or relevant experience of delivering a service and working with domestic abuse victim's/service users in a statutory, voluntary or community work setting.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:

Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

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 Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet all essential criteria for a job where it is practicable to do so. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment and selection process.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

Location: Redbridge / Waltham Forest / Hybrid

Salary: Unqualified: £29,385 - £30,671 per annum

Qualified: £30,671 - £33,438 per annum

(Please note that applicants are usually appointed at the bottom of the relevant band based on fairness and our pay scales)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week 

Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: Wednesday 15th April 2026

Closing Time: 00:00am

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as a Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) at Solace Women's Aid.  

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in the capital. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service

Our Solace Advocacy Support Service (SASS) teams provide advocacy and support to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse living across London. We are recruiting an IDVA in our Redbridge team.  

 

About the role

The successful candidate will be responsible for risk and needs assessing and safety planning with survivors of domestic violence. They will hold a caseload of service users, requiring crisis short-term intervention, providing advice, advocacy, and onward referral where appropriate.

About You

We're looking for highly organised and self-motivated applicants who are passionate about ending gender-based violence. You will have a “can-do‟ approach and demonstrable commitment to Solace’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer. Successful applicants will have in-depth knowledge of domestic abuse and its impact on service users and their children, experience of supporting survivor’s domestic and/or sexual abuse including strong casework management skills.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Values, Behaviours & Competencies
• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies.