Senior independent victim advocate jobs

We have an exciting opportunity to join Birmingham's brand-new Family IDVA Service as a Senior Family IDVA, helping to shape and embed an innovative service supporting families affected by domestic abuse across the city.

This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in establishing a new city-wide service from the very beginning. Working within Birmingham's Family Hubs, Senior Family IDVAs will combine specialist domestic abuse expertise with leadership responsibility, supporting the safe and effective delivery of services for non-abusive parents and their children who have experienced domestic abuse.

As a Senior Family IDVA, you will work closely with the Operations Manager to support the mobilisation, development and ongoing success of the service. Alongside managing your own caseload, you will provide day-to-day leadership, support and guidance to a team of Family IDVAs, helping to create a positive, high-performing and learning-focused culture.

This permanent, full-time role (37.5 hours per week) is hybrid, with regular visibility required across Birmingham's 10 Family Hubs. You will lead a dedicated team of 5 Family IDVAs, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality and trauma-informed support to families affected by domestic abuse.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for an experienced IDVA looking to take the next step in their leadership journey, or for an existing senior practitioner who is passionate about developing others whilst continuing to make a direct difference to families affected by domestic abuse.

You will also play an important role in strengthening Birmingham's response to domestic abuse, supporting partnership working and helping to build professional confidence across Early Help, education, health and community settings.

Are you passionate about supporting families affected by domestic abuse, developing others and helping to build an outstanding new service from the ground up?

If so, 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 seeking a passionate and experienced Senior Family IDVA to join Birmingham's new Family IDVA Service. This is one of two Senior IDVA roles, with this post being full time (37.5 hours). This innovative city-wide service will provide specialist domestic abuse support to parents aged 16+ and their children under 18, delivering a flexible, whole-family response that meets families at the earliest opportunity and helps prevent the escalation of harm.

Based within Birmingham's Family Hubs, Senior Family IDVAs will provide specialist domestic abuse support to families through risk assessment, safety planning, advocacy, emotional and practical support, and partnership working. You will manage a complex caseload, working with families experiencing high-risk and complex domestic abuse whilst ensuring the voices and needs of both parents and children remain central to all aspects of support.

Alongside direct casework, you will support the Operations Manager in the day-to-day delivery and development of the service. You will line manage and support a team of approximately five Family IDVAs, providing coaching, supervision, case guidance and performance support to ensure the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed services. You will lead by example, sharing your expertise, promoting best practice and helping to develop a confident and resilient team.

The role will also involve supporting service quality and performance, including case reviews, audits, reporting and ensuring compliance with service standards and contractual requirements. You will work closely with Birmingham Children's Trust, Family Hubs and a range of statutory and community partners to strengthen multi-agency responses and improve outcomes for families affected by domestic abuse.

In addition, you will contribute to the service's training and engagement offer, helping to build awareness and understanding of domestic abuse amongst professionals across Early Help, education, health and community settings.

This is a rewarding opportunity for a skilled domestic abuse practitioner who combines strong frontline expertise with a passion for leadership, service development and empowering both families and colleagues to achieve positive outcomes.

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 offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the 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.

Reducing the Risk is an Oxfordshire-based charity with a growing regional and national reputation for delivering high-quality, victim-centred domestic abuse services. Established in 2007, we empower communities, train multi-agency professionals, and provide critical Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) services to ensure the safety and wellbeing of adults and children at risk.

We are now looking for an exceptional, values-driven leader to build on these strong foundations and guide us through our next exciting phase of growth and innovation.

The Role

As our next Chief Executive Officer, you will work closely with an ambitious Board of Trustees to shape and deliver the charity’s strategic plan. Inheriting a highly skilled, dedicated team of practitioners and a network of over 1,800 Domestic Abuse Champions, you will balance compassionate strategic vision with sound operational and financial leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute the charity's strategic plan, driving innovation and service development across our local and national footprint.

• Income & Sustainability: Diversify income streams beyond traditional grants, growing our accredited training and consultancy services into sustainable earned revenue.

• Partnership & Influence: Act as the principal public voice for the charity, building high-impact relationships with statutory, corporate, and voluntary sector partners.

• People & Culture: Foster an inclusive, high-performing, and trauma-informed workplace culture that prioritises staff wellbeing.

• Governance & Compliance: Oversee robust risk management, safeguarding frameworks, and regulatory compliance alongside the Board.

Who We Are Looking For

You are a credible, resilient senior leader with a proven track record in the charity, public, or social impact sectors. While a background in the domestic abuse sector is highly valued, what matters most is your ability to navigate complex funding environments, secure multi-source income, and champion victim-centred practices. You are a collaborative relationship-builder who combines commercial awareness with genuine empathy and integrity.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your up-to-date CV alongside a covering letter explaining how your experience meets the job description and person specification.

• Application Deadline: Midday, 14th August

• Shortlisting: 19th August

• Interviews: 26th August (In-person at our Oxford office)

Job Title:

Victim Support Casework Team Lead 

Salary:

Actual salary is £27,200 per year (FTE £34,000). 

Contract/Hours:

Permanent. 4 days per week / 0.8 FTE. The normal working week is 30 hours.

Annual Leave:

FTE annual leave entitlement is 23 days pro rata plus public and bank holidays. 

Location:

NUM delivers its services UK-wide through a combination of digital resources, remote services and in-person hubs. Staff work on a hybrid basis, with the balance of home and location-based working depending on business needs. This role is primarily remote, with occasional travel possible for meetings, events, and outreach. If you are based in one of our hubs, Glasgow, Manchester or London then this is desirable.

About NUM:

National Ugly Mugs (NUM) is a UK-wide charity which delivers a holistic safety, wellbeing and economic support model for sex workers, combining digital harm prevention, specialist casework, mental health support and pathways to economic stability. Activities are delivered UK-wide via a digital platform, remote services, and in-person hubs. We run a wellbeing drop-in service in Glasgow and other in-person services and events in Manchester and London. We have developed Vocational Support Services for those exploring careers both in and outside of sex industries and we run a Racial Justice project and Youth Justice project that makes visible the lived experiences of harm among racialised and young (18-25) sex workers towards systems change. 

NUM values those with lived experience in sex industries and work with them to shape services and responses, conduct research, develop education packages, and participate in policy advocacy to change the conditions that lead to survival sex work, gain rights and recognition, and improve the safety of UK-based sex workers. 

Background and Responsibilities:

The casework team is at the heart of NUM. We provide vital support from assistance through the criminal justice journey to essential emergency financial support. We are looking for a Casework Team Lead to lead our casework team. If you are driven, have a keen eye for detail, can effectively motivate others in a demanding and emotive area of work with the ability to support people in an empathetic and trauma informed way then this could be the role for you. 

This role will specifically focus on the day-to-day running of the casework team alongside carrying your own caseload. The work involves utilising and monitoring our digital platform and CMS maintaining and monitoring the documentation of cases and coordinating responses to ensure sex workers received the high standard of support they deserve, to prevent and recover from violence as well as seek justice and recourse. The Victim Support Casework Team Lead is responsible for maintaining high standards for all digital, individualised and in-person support provided by the casework team. All responsibilities can be grouped under five umbrella categories. The successful candidate will evidence suitability for the role based on the strength areas below:

1) Management: Manage the operations and administration associated with victim and vocational support casework. 

2) Leadership: Lead and motivate the team of national case workers towards service excellence. The best leaders can also be led. The successful candidate will value the lived and learned experiences on the casework team and ensure that everyone works to their strengths and strives for the best outcomes for sex workers. 

3) High Standards: Support good performance and quality outcomes for sex workers.

4) Creative and Innovative: Ability to strategise and problem-solve. Sex workers experience forms of violence before and after accessing support. At NUM, our principle of 'Sex Workers First' means that we work with them to achieve the outcomes that they desire. Sex workers are in control of their healing and recovery, and it will be the successful candidate's job to ensure that lives are improved as a result of contact with NUM. 

5) Well-being Focused: Provide care for the health, safety and welfare of the case work team and the sex workers we serve. 

Day-to-day tasks include but are not limited to the following.

• Managing your own caseload, providing individualised support to sex workers alongside your leadership role ensuring that sex workers are put at the forefront of all services offered. Maintaining our high standard of support.

• Continued monitoring and development of the NUM platform backend functions to find efficiencies and boost productivity. Develop and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on new policies and service priorities, new platforms/ procedures, and new innovations or services. 

• Problem-solving to ensure the smooth and efficient operations of the casework team eg, managing resource and rota’s including leave and absences, delegation of task where appropriate to the casework team.

• Audit overview and quarterly reporting to Operations Manager with responsibility for data management and the production of case studies. 

• External communications with practitioners to ensure best practice of utilising NUM service, promoting NUM membership where possible and attending external meetings as a NUM representative where required. 

• Host or contribute to the ongoing meetings of the National ISVA/SWISVA forum and continue to foster useful and productive spaces for SWISVAs (specialist sex work ISVA’s) throughout the UK to share experiences, insights towards delivering quality support services to sex workers with maintaining high service standards and prioritising self-care. 

• Deliver weekly operations meetings, keep them short and concise to discuss operational updates NUM wide/internal. Analyse statistics and case work trends and discuss any issues or take aways with the Operations Manager to inform Casework Team strategy.

• Communicate and collaborate with other work streams and projects at NUM. Contribute to organisational priorities and support initiatives that strengthen National Ugly Mugs’ overall impact. 

• Lead 1-2-1 check-ins and appraisals with staff, acknowledging individual and team success in appropriate ways, motivating the team and resolving conflict and managing team dynamics (with support where needed).

• Onboard and train new members of the casework team.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Skills and Experience

• Demonstrable casework skills, with experience in delivering advice, information, emotional and practical support and advocacy in partnership with health, wellbeing and criminal justice outcomes for individuals who may have experienced traumatic events.

• Experience managing a team, providing line management support, and managing rotas and team resources.

• An understanding of coordination responsibilities and the requirements of middle management in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.

• Qualified ISVA or relevant casework support experience.

• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work with multiple partners on complex cases.

• Excellent administrative and organisation skills, able to manage both your own and other people’s workloads effectively.

• An understanding of Equal Opportunities, the diversity of sex workers and the impact of criminalisation, stigma, and marginalisation on sex workers and a team comprising those with lived experience.

• Effective communication skills and the ability to deliver training, guidance, advice and support to a diverse range of stakeholders to promote best practice in relation to supporting sex workers when they’re victims of crime.

• Experience of using online communication tools, CMS (Oasis), google workspace, MS suite, slack and other digital platforms to maximise efficiency and productivity of your own casework and that of the casework team. 

• Experience of dealing with internal and external complaints and having difficult conversations.

• Strong empathic and active listening skills.

• Willingness to undertake continued professional development. 

Desirable:

• Experience of the sex work community.

• Experience completing detailed reports on workstream productivity, both statistically and in written form.

• The ability to understand local, regional and national policy and evidence-based research in relation to community safety, health and social inclusion.

• Ability in languages other than English is beneficial but not required. 

If you are passionate about NUM’s mission to ‘end all forms of violence against sex workers’ we would love for you to hear from you!

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications close on 13th August 2026 at 11:30pm BST. We encourage applicants to apply before the deadline as interviews may be held on a rolling basis. You can apply via Charity Jobs or by emailing admin[at]nationaluglymugs[dot]org with your name and ‘Victim Support Casework Team Lead’ in the subject line. 

Please include a CV (max 3 pages) and a cover letter (max 2 pages) describing your suitability for the role. The cover letter should address the points in the ‘Personal Specification’ section of this posting. 

NUM is a diverse team committed to inclusion and equal opportunities in the workplace, and we actively encourage applicants of all different ages, genders, social and economic backgrounds, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, and from people with disabilities. If you have any access requirements related to applying, please contact admin[at]nationaluglymugs[dot]org.

We understand that everyone’s experience is different and encourage applications from those who may not meet all of the person specifications. If you’re passionate about equality, economic empowerment, and ending violence against sex workers, we want to hear from you.

Interviews are planned to take place remotely on week starting August 17th. We will let you know by August 18th if you have been selected for an interview. Please note that due to the high number of applications expected for this role if you do not hear back from NUM by the August 18th unfortunately your application has not been successful. We are not able to provide feedback on your application at the application stage.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Legal Casework

• Work closely with the Public Law Supervisor, Director of Legal Casework and Asylum Aid Executive Director to develop a public law caseload and drive change through strategic litigation;
• Provide legal advice and representation to clients on asylum and human rights claims, and on judicial review challenges pertaining to asylum and immigration matters and the treatment of asylum seekers and other migrants;
• Identify common problems and issues from the wider team’s caseload which are suitable for strategic challenges; 
• Contribute to internal strategy discussions
• Attend external meetings on behalf of AA and contribute to strategy discussions within the wider sector
• Where appropriate, apply for LAA Case Funding through the CCMS, obtain appropriate costs and scope extensions, and submit claims for payment;
• Ensure that legal aid and other income is maximised, and targets are achieved;
• Maintain client files and records in line with file management procedures;
• Provide technical supervision and training in judicial review procedure to other staff where necessary.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The first stage is to complete on our online application form on our website by 9am on Monday 27th July 2026

The website form will ask you to:

1. Upload a short covering letter. Please tell us why the position appeals to you, and how your

relevant skills and experience, including any voluntary experience and lived experience, matches the listed responsibilities and person specification. Please also state in your covering letter when you would be available to start the role.

1. Upload your current CV
2. Complete an online Equal Opportunities monitoring form – completion of this form will help us ensure that our recruitment procedures operate in such a way as to provide genuine equality of opportunity. The questions are entirely optional, and this information will not be available to members of the selection panel.

SELECTION PROCESS

We will invite candidates to an initial 15-minute online screening meeting week on 3rd, 4th or 5th August followed by shortlisted candidates attending in-person interview at our office in Old Street on 10, 11th or 12th August. We will also ask you to complete a short exercise on the day.

At Asylum Aid we want to be transparent about what kind of qualities we are looking for and build trust from the very beginning of your journey with us. The first step is your interview, and we mean ‘your’ interview so we will provide you with your interview questions ahead of the interview. This will allow you time to prepare, and ensure you have your best examples in mind. We will also ask you some questions which you will not have prepared.

We offer a guaranteed interview for refugees, stateless people and others with lived experience of forced migration, provided that they meet at least 50% of the essential criteria, where practical.

EXPERTS BY EXPERIENCE SUPPORT

We are also proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector.

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network and access other information and resources. You can also request 121 interview mentoring ahead of your interview from them.