Senior independent domestic violence advocate jobs

Job Title: Service Manager - Eastern European Service

Location:Hybrid with a requirement to occasionally work at Head Office (Vauxhall, London) and other multiagency settings
Salary: £21,813.66 per annum (Inclusive of London Weighting, which may not be applicable depending on your home location and any agreed permanent homeworking arrangement)

Contract type: Part Time, Permanent

Hours: 18.75 hours per week (Wednesday’s PM, Thursday’s AM&PM and Fridays AM&PM)

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as Service Manager for the Eastern European Outreach Service. This vital role offers the chance to lead a dedicated team of Independent Gender Violence Advocates (IGVAs) in delivering high-quality support to women and children affected by domestic abuse.

This role is part of a job share which will lead our Eastern European Outreach Service, covering five boroughs across East and West London. This is a dynamic and fast-paced role for someone passionate about supporting women and children affected by domestic abuse and other forms of gender-based violence. Together with your colleague (another Service Manager) you  will play a key role in ensuring that reporting requirements and service outcomes are consistently met, maintaining Refuge’s high standards and fulfilling contractual and funding obligations.

As Service Manager, you will oversee the delivery and development of high-quality outreach services tailored to the needs of Eastern European communities. This includes recognising and addressing the specific barriers these communities face in accessing support. You will provide line management to outreach staff, including supervision on complex and high-risk cases, and ensure operational emergencies are managed effectively.

You will lead on multi-agency collaboration, working closely with stakeholders to ensure a coordinated and trauma-informed response for survivors. The role requires strong experience in casework management, staff supervision, and direct support to vulnerable individuals. A solid understanding of domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and its impact is essential, along with knowledge of relevant legislation including Criminal and Civil law, Housing, and Health & Safety.

For this role, it is essential for candidates to be proficient in one or more Eastern European languages. We particularly encourage applications from Romanian, Lithuanian or Polish speaking candidates.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement  under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing date: 09:00am on 2 Febrary 2026

Interview dates: 13 February 2026

Job Purpose:

Terms & Conditions:

To Apply:

• Is restricted to women only as a genuine occupational requirement
• Requires the right to work in the UK
• Is subject to an Enhanced + Adult Barred List DBS check
• Is subject to successful HMPPS enhanced vetting

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 Senior IDVA

Salary: £30,000 - £32,000 depending on experience

Location: Hammersmith

Hours: 35 Hours per week including Thursdays early shift (8am) and evening between 6-9pm on rota basis (so approximately every 4-5 weeks)

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.

Job Summary

As Senior 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. This role combines oversight of the Duty IDVA service with specialist responsibility for MARAC coordination and participation. You will lead on MARAC responsibilities, oversee the Duty service, line manage two Duty IDVAs, support the Angelou Service Manager with administrative tasks, and hold a reduced caseload providing high-quality advocacy and support based on client-led needs and risk assessments.

You will ensure that the Duty service runs effectively, maintaining referral pathways, ensuring that documents and procedures are in place and embedded into working practice supporting those covering duty as required.

You will line manage the Duty IDVAs and will manage the allocation of cases from duty, liaising with Managers. You will assist the Manager with data collection, data analysis and problem solving.

Acting as the MARAC lead for the team you will oversee the quality of the internal MARAC process, ensuring cases are prepared and presented effectively, attend MARAC meetings on a rota basis and follow up on agreed actions.

You will also contribute to duty work, conducting calls and initial assessments and responding to crises, working 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 referred to our service.

You will have an excellent understanding of domestic violence and its effects on women and children and of best practice within the domestic abuse sector and in working with women with children. The post holder will be proficient in data collection and case work recording. As an experienced domestic violence 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 violence 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.

How to apply:

 Please submit your up to date CV along with a covering letter vie our careers site.

• Closing Date for Applications: 15th January 2026 @ 23:59

• Interviews will be taking place the week of the 26th January 2026

*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

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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.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (negotiable and could be job share).

Contract: Fixed-term until 31.03.27.

Location: Hertfordshire - Working from home with options to work within local authority co-located spaces and expectations that there will be regular travel across the county to SafeLives offices in London & Bristol plus other locations across the UK as required.

Benefits: Travel expenses and subsistence provided for travel away from home, 25 days annual leave + bank holidays, contributory pension scheme, access to Employee Assistance Programme, childcare voucher and cycle to work scheme.

Hertfordshire County Council (hereby, The Council) and the Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership (hereby, the Partnership) are committed to strengthening the response to domestic abuse across the county. It is their ambition that anyone subjected to domestic abuse has access to right support for them, at the right time. The Council believe that those with lived experience, who may also have experience of using services, should have a say in how they are designed, developed, and commissioned.

The existing Co-Production Panel forms part of the Partnership’s governance structure, acting as a critical friend across the Partnership and supporting the delivery of the County’s Partnership Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Strategy 2022-2025. The full Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Strategy and Strategy Plan on a Page are published on the Domestic abuse posters, leaflets and strategy section of the Herts Sunflower Website.

SafeLives have been commissioned to facilitate the Partnership’s Co-Production Panel and support the development of a network of survivors with lived experience of domestic abuse in Hertfordshire, through their Authentic Voice practice model.

Key purpose of role:

• To truly transform the response to domestic abuse, we must place the experience of survivors at the heart of everything we do.
• Supporting the organisational commitment of SafeLives, and that of the Partnership, to Authentic Voice.
• Working within the Innovation team and alongside the Partnership to develop an influential panel, a powerful approach to gathering and amplifying survivor voices, challenging ‘them and us’ attitudes, you will have the skills and values to support and engage with survivors of domestic abuse.
• Coordinating the implementation of the Authentic Voice principles, embedding co-creation throughout the work of the Partnership.
• Establishing creative ways to reach out to survivors across Hertfordshire including those who have increased vulnerability or multiple disadvantage, those who are marginalised and others who have not yet found their voice.
• Ensuring all who want to have their voice heard, are heard and that what we learn from their lived experience shapes the response to domestic abuse in Hertfordshire and nationally.
• Demonstrating the value of expertise by experience to influence all stakeholders, breaking down perceptions of ‘them and us’ and uniting voices of experts by experience to keep families safe and end domestic abuse.

Further information about the role can be found in the Job Description which includes the Person Specification. 

If you believe you have the qualities we have described, please take a look over the full job description and submit your 500-word cover letter and CV.

Closing date: 9.00am on 12th January 2026.

Interviews: w/c 12th January 2026.

As part of our commitment to become a Disability Confident Committed employer we are happy to accept alternative applications such as video, voice note etc

Please note that SafeLives reserves the right to close campaigns early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as no further applications will be accepted once the recruitment campaign has closed.

Rape Crisis South London is entering an exciting period of growth and change, with a new CEO, Senior Leadership Team, and an ambitious vision for the future. We support survivors of sexual violence across twelve South London boroughs through counselling, advocacy, group work, education, and professional training.

We’re looking for a passionate and dynamic Training & Prevention Officer to help us shift the dial on sexual violence through education, awareness, and culture change. You’ll deliver powerful, trauma-informed training and prevention workshops to young people and professionals — while also supporting the growth of sustainable income through funded programmes. Using your facilitation and relationship-building skills, you’ll help embed consent education, challenge harmful attitudes, and raise awareness in schools, businesses, and communities across South London. This is a rare opportunity to hone your training craft and deliver something vital, urgent and right at the heart of today’s conversation around gender, power and safety. Join us to flip the script on sexual violence.

Our Feminist Commitment
Rape Crisis South London is a proudly feminist organisation. Our work is rooted in the belief that sexual violence is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality. We recognise that women and girls experience disproportionate levels of sexual violence, and we are committed to challenging the structures, attitudes, and behaviours that enable this harm.

We centre the voices, rights, and experiences of survivors in everything we do. Our approach is grounded in empowerment, intersectionality, and inclusivity, recognising that women’s experiences are shaped by factors such as race, class, sexuality, disability, migration status, and identity.

By joining our team, you will be part of a movement working to end sexual violence and to create a society where all women and girls live free from oppression, fear, and harm.

Mission Statement
Providing specialist support to women and girls who have experienced rape and/or childhood sexual violence and abuse.

Charity Vision
A world free from sexual violence, where survivors are believed, respected, and supported. 

safeguarding, Safer Recruitment and DBS Requirement
RCSL is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, respectful, and trauma-informed environment for all survivors who use our services. We recognise our responsibility to protect adults and young people at risk from harm, abuse, and exploitation, and we understand that safer recruitment is a vital part of safeguarding. All recruitment decisions are made with safeguarding as a central consideration and include:

• Conducting thorough interviews that explore values, behaviours, and safeguarding awareness.
• Verifying identity, qualifications, employment history, and references.
• Requiring the appropriate level of DBS check (with barred-list checks where applicable).
• Providing safeguarding training and ongoing supervision for staff and volunteers.

We expect all members of our team to share our commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and trauma-informed environment. Any information disclosed during the recruitment process will be treated confidentially and in line with our safeguarding policies.
 

EDI Statement
RCSL is an equal opportunities employer, and we are particularly keen to receive applications from women underrepresented in leadership roles in the violence against women and girls movement and applicants with experience of working in diverse environments and communities.

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

Interview process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a one stage interview process.  As part of our values-led interview process, we will explore your experience and approach to safeguarding, EDI, wellbeing, feminism, role-specific responsibilities, and trauma-informed practice. For management positions, we will also discuss your people-leadership skills.

Accessibility
We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role,to discuss how we can help.

Benefits

27 days’ annual leave + 8 bank holidays (pro rata)
3 extra gifted days (pro rata) between 27–31 December
NEST pension (3% employer / 5% employee)
Life Assurance, Healthcare Plan, Employee Assistance Programme, and Cycle-To-Work Scheme
Supportive, feminist working culture
Being part of a dynamic, creative and innovative team where all staff are empowered to achieve their very best
The successful candidate will be supported in their professional development
Enhanced maternity

AI in Job Applications 
We understand some candidates use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we want to learn more about you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences.

How to apply   | Please apply with an up-to-date CV and cover letter (of up to 1000 words) identifying how you meet the essential and any desirable qualifications, skills and experience
Please submit your application in PDF format. Applicants who choose to not send a cover letter, may not be shortlisted if their CV does not provide sufficient information. 

While we endeavour to contact all applicants, and we thank everyone who takes the time to apply, we have limited resources.  Therefore if you do not here from us within 1 month of applying, please presume you have been unsuccessful but we welcome future applications.

All positions are located in the UK and require the right to work in the UK.

Closing date: This is a rolling recruitment and therefore will remain open until filled.  The first sift will take place in early January 2026 and therefore early applications are advised. 

Do you want to support people with mental health issues in a moment of crisis?

Are you calm, non-judgemental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?

If you can embody our values of Hope, Courage, Togetherness, and Responsiveness, and want to help others build resilience and manage their wellbeing, we’d love to hear from you.

Services Manager – Complex Needs & Community
Reference number: 313
Responsible to: Director of Complex Needs and Community
Working hours: 37.5 Hours per week
Rate of pay: £38,000 - £39,000 per annum 
Working base: One of 7 Herts Mind Network Wellbeing Centres closest to home
Area covered: The role requires travel across Hertfordshire to our Wellbeing centres, community partnerships and external organisations

About Us

For over 50 years, we have supported the people of Hertfordshire with their mental health. We offer a range of Community Support services which provide advice, information, onward referral and holistic outreach support to people who are experiencing mental ill-health or who need help with their mental wellbeing. Our high quality services are flexible and we help people to resolve real-life difficulties and to improve their own independence, quality of life and wellbeing. Each year, we help 15,000 people experiencing mental ill health.

We are a local Mind, affiliated to national Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. This means that we are an independent charity responsible for raising our own funds through contracts, grants and fundraising.

About our Complex Needs & Community Services

The successful candidate will manage and develop the Complex Needs and Community Teams at Hertfordshire Mind Network. The Services Manager will be responsible for leading a variety of services currently including the Flourish (asylum seekers and refugees) contract and the Primary Care Network contract. As the services grow and develop, other services/projects may sit under this post.

About the role

The role requires travel across Hertfordshire to our Wellbeing centres, community partnerships and external organisations and is responsible for a team of staff and volunteers who work within Complex Needs and Community teams across the county.

As a Services Manager you will be an integral part of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and work in partnership with Complex Needs Team Leaders and the other Service Managers across the Charity. Reporting into the Director for Complex Needs and Community you will be directly responsible for the efficient and effective delivery of two or more of our Services and a key member of the Herts Mind Network Safeguarding team.

Responsibilities of the post

• Support the Director of Complex Needs and Community with effective running of the complex needs and community services.
• Build strong relationships and liaise with commissioners and partner organisations.
• Manage the Flourish and PCN contracts.
• Work closely with all key delivery partners across the system to ensure the service is responsive, inclusive and easy to access.
• Support the development of services by promoting and being responsive to changing needs.
• Oversee the recruitment and management of client facing staff.
• Be a strong safeguarding level 3 champion and manage/support referrals.
• Ensure all policies and procedures are current, understood by staff and that they are working within these policies and procedures.
• Monitor outcomes and evaluate the service, ensure all KPIs are met.
• Process referrals and manage and prioritise all administration tasks associated with the service, including Payroll and expenses submissions.
• Be part of the Senior Management on call rota (out of hours), attend SMT meetings as required and support the work of the wider SMT. 
• Maintain and enhance service delivery standards and effectiveness.
• Contribute to the service development by working alongside the Directors to evaluate service delivery and produce progress and monitoring reports.

Benefits

• Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising to a max. of 29 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays).
• Birthday leave day.
• Cash plan health cover (after 6 months employment).
• Eligibility for blue light card.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Ongoing training relevant to your role.

Being able to drive and having access to your own vehicle (or equivalent) is essential for this role.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 9am on January 15th 2026.
Interviews to be held on Wednesday 28th of January 2026
N.B. Please quote reference number 313 when completing your application for this role.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.

Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. Our inclusive approach recognises the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives that lived experience brings to our team.

No agencies please.