We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior IDVA to join the Specialist Services team in Bedfordshire, working 30 hours a week. This is a fixed term contract until 31st March 2026. This role will be hybrid and be located within Bedford Borough.
Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change and improvement for those who need it?
Do you have resilience and 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 this role:
This role supports the service across Bedford Borough. As a Team Leader for the Specialist Services team you will:
- Offer a consistent representative for the twice weekly MARAC
- Be a SPOC for the Front Door - giving advice and support around queries/ concerns about DA
- Carry a reduced caseload
- Support the Safe & Together model
- have line manage responsibilities including Bedford Borough IDVA
You will need:
- A qualification as an IDVA or ISAC
- Experience of developing and maintaining partnerships and pathways within a multi-agency and legislative framework
- Knowledge of legislation relating to equal opportunities and diversity, safeguarding and risk assessments
- Practical understanding of the requirement for confidentiality and safe working practice and maintenance of files in accordance with the Data Protection Act and other legal requirements
- Experience of working in a challenging and changing environment with an emphasis on customer focus and excellence in service delivery
- Demonstrable experience of providing crisis management, support and guidance in sometimes stressful and difficult situations to a team with a client service focus
- Have excellent communication, negotiation and advisory skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals
- Work without direct supervision, prioritise work and deal with competing or conflicting demands/ needs and interests in an organised and methodical manner
- Gather, analyse and use information and evidence from different sources to solve problems and report on data quality and compliance
- Sound IT expertise with the ability to use a range of software including: Word, Excel and Case Management systems
- Self-aware and committed to own continuous development
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 Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide 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 our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
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 looking forward to hearing from you.
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.
Role: Senior Officer, Policy & Advocacy (Climate Change & Environment)
Reporting To: Policy & Advocacy Adviser (Climate Change & Environment)
Salary: £47,333
Location: Remote working (preference for GMT +/- 8h).
For non-UK candidates: Please note that you would be hired via Deel either as a contractor or as an employee with local national benefits.
Contract duration: 3 year fixed-term contract, renewable
Probation period: 6 months
Contract type: Full-time or part-time (minimum 4 days a week), compressed hours and flexible working arrangements available
Closing date: 13 June 2025 at 23:30 UK time
What does United for Global Mental Health do?
At United for Global Mental Health, we work with trusted partners to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase support for mental health worldwide.
The United for Global Mental Health team is made up of diverse, passionate and knowledgeable individuals based in the UK and in countries around the world. By combining our extensive in-house expertise in advocacy, financing and campaigning with the unique insights of our many partners, we’re making progress on ensuring that everyone, everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health. You can read about our three-year strategy and our 2024 impact report here.
What will I be doing?
This role will support the delivery of several activities within our portfolio of activities on climate change, the environment, and mental health. The four main areas of work that the Senior Officer will be responsible for include:
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Leading work with national partners (50% of post)
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Integration of people with lived experience (hereafter referred to as PWLE) across the portfolio (25% of post)
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Developing our advocacy on the intersection of air pollution and mental health (15% of post)
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Developing our advocacy on the intersection of biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)
National level work (50% of post)
A key component of the current project will be to support national partners in a subset of countries globally (approximately 6 countries) to advocate for action on climate change and mental health. The final set of countries is yet to be defined but will likely include one country per WHO region and one country from the Small Islands Developing States. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Lead in the selection of national partners in each country. This will include supporting the running of a competitive process to select one civil-society organisation based in each country to conduct the work
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Strengthen the capacity of national partners to work on climate change and mental health (e.g., via training to national partners to be delivered by the Senior Officer), if required
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Support national partners in advocating for the integration of mental health into climate policies, including but not limited to Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, Heat Health Action Plans etc.
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Lead in cohort-building activities for this subset of countries (e.g., organising regular meetings, ensuring shared learnings etc.)
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With the support of our Operations team, support in the logistics of sub-contracting national partners and monitoring deliverables
Involvement of people with lived experience (25% of post)
The meaningful engagement of PWLE of mental health challenges is central to all work at United for Global Mental Health. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Leading on setting up and coordinating a Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG), which will meet every two months to provide guidance to UnitedGMH and national partners on their work on climate and health. The Senior Officer will be responsible for recruiting approximately 12 PWLE (2 x WHO region), organising regular meetings, and ensuring that the feedback of PWLE is integrated across different projects
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Support the attendance of PWLE to key global advocacy moments in a meaningful, safe, and impactful way
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Support national partners on the integration of lived experience considerations in their work on climate change and mental health
Work on air pollution and mental health (15% of post)
The evidence on air pollution and mental health is a nascent, but rapidly growing, area of interest. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Scope what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into air pollution policies at the global, regional, and national levels
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Build connections with organisations working on air pollution and clean air policies
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Refine our messaging on air pollution and mental health
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Lead on the production of one advocacy brief on air pollution and mental health
Work on biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)
There is emerging evidence on the association between biodiversity loss and mental health, but very little work has yet been done in the policy space. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Scoping what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into biodiversity policies at the global, regional, and national levels
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Build connections with organisations working on biodiversity, conservation, and nature
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Refine our messaging on biodiversity and mental health
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Lead the production of one advocacy brief on pesticide use and suicide
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Lead on our engagement with the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (biodiversity COP)
Is this job for me?
Requirements
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A minimum of 3 years of experience working on global mental health policy, advocacy, research, or practice
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Expertise in managing and engaging with multiple different types of stakeholders (e.g., civil society, UN agencies, governments etc.)
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Experience working on co-creation, patient and public involvement (PPI), or working with people with lived experience of mental health problems
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Excellent project management skills and strong planning skills including attention to detail, critical thinking, multi-tasking and problem-solving
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Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
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Ability to work collaboratively in a team
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Expertise in the development of funding proposals and ability to track and report on grant deliverables
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Expertise in organising meetings, events, and small gatherings of partners and other stakeholders
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Ability to travel 2-3 times a year internationally
Desirable
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Expertise in climate change and mental health is desirable but not required
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Experience of working in low- and middle-income countries on mental health is desirable but not required
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Experience of working on influencing policy within a government is desirable but not required
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Fluency in English is essential, the ability to work in a second UN language would be an advantage (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian)
Diversity and inclusion
Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to UnitedGMH’s core mission and values, and the organisation is dedicated to promoting this across our work and also within the workplace. We will ensure that this commitment is embedded in all operational aspects of the organisation and also implemented within our day-to-day working practices.
Reasonable adjustments statement
We aim to ensure that all applicants are provided with the same opportunities during the recruitment process. Should you have a disability and require a particular adjustment to be made to allow you to fully participate in the recruitment process, please ensure that this is made known to the person arranging your interview.
How can I apply?
To apply please submit your CV and a cover letter (800 words maximum) via Charity Job.
Selection process
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A subset of candidates will be invited to:
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Submit a short written assignment
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Participate in at least 2 online interviews between the 1st of July and the 18th of July
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Benefits
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28 days of holiday a year plus national holidays in your country of residency
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Possibility of being hired by Deel as a local employee (with local pension and social security benefits) or as a contractor (decision up to the employee based on personal preference)
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Up to 1000£ a year of allowance for office space
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Up to 500£ a year in personal development training allowance
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A minimum of 1 in-person team retreat a year
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Possibility to work from anywhere in the world (where you have the legal right to work from)
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Possibility to work compressed hours
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Access to Employee Assistance Programme via HealthAssured
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[For UK-based staff] You contribute 5% of your salary and we pay for 3% (8% total)