Senior independent victim advocate jobs

Location: Hybrid
Department: Advocacy & Support Helpline
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract
 
About the LGBT Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate 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.
 
This is a pivotal moment in Galop’s journey. We have grown quickly over the last six years and you will be part of the future of our work. You’ll help us reach, support and assist more of our community nationally. You’ll be helping to amplify the voices of LGBT survivors of abuse, and ensure that they are at the centre of Galop’s service.
 
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.
Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week)
Contract: Until 31st March 2026
Reports to: Advocacy & Support Manager/Senior Advocate
Salary: £31,986.91 - £36,728.54 per year including London Weighting.
 
Closing Date:
 
Applications should be submitted by 10:00am on 11th July 2025.
Interviews will be held on 24th and 25th July 2025.
 
REF-222251

Rainbow Migration is the longest-running charity in Europe dedicated to supporting LGBTQI+ people through the asylum and immigration system and has been campaigning for their rights since 1993. We are recruiting a Senior Casework and Service Coordinator to assist the Support Services Manager, provide guidance and advice to colleagues, and manage incoming queries from service users.

Rainbow Migration has grown in recent years from a small charity generating £200k income in 2019 to £1M in 2024. The Senior Casework and Service Coordinator is a new role that will take on some of the responsibilities of the Support Services Manager, freeing the manager up to work on service development and strategic matters. 

Responsibilities include:

· Managing systems for incoming service user inquiries

· Casework for service users with the most complex needs or challenges

· Facilitating complex case discussions with colleagues and providing support and guidance

· Ensuring accurate reporting on service delivery outputs, outcomes and trends

· Assisting the Support Services Manager to implement changes in the service

Rainbow Migration’s vision is that LGBTQI+ people can settle in the UK and lead fulfilling lives. Our values are: 

· Safety: We believe everyone should be safe from persecution and safe to be themselves. We strive to create a safe workplace culture, and we place importance on the wellbeing of everyone involved with Rainbow Migration. 

· Integrity: We are thorough and honest in everything we do, and we take responsibility for our actions. We want to be accountable to our communities and those who support us. 

· Belonging: We welcome and include all LGBTQI+ people, and we celebrate and value their range of experience in terms of gender, religion, race, age, disability status and class. We try to remove obstacles to participation, champion equality and promote a sense of family or home through our services. 

· Respect: We believe that every person is equal and deserves the same level of courtesy, care, and attention. We respect the rights, wishes and feelings of our service users, and campaign for their rights to be respected as they go through the asylum and immigration system. 

Diversity, inclusion and anti-oppression

At Rainbow Migration, we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. We do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. We consider all qualified applicants, consistent with any legal requirements.

We strive to build a team that reflects the diversity of the community we work in and welcome applications from candidates who have been through the UK asylum system and people of colour, who are currently underrepresented among our staff in relation to our service users.

We are also reviewing what we do and how we do it through an anti-oppression and anti-racism lens, as well as investing in being more informed and led by LGBTQI+ people who have sought asylum.

We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for anyone considered as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if they meet all the necessary criteria in the person specification. If you wish to qualify under this scheme, please make this clear when applying.

We send a selection of questions in advance of job interviews to give applicants more thinking time. You are welcome to take notes in interviews to help process information. If your interview is online, we can also put questions in the meeting chat. Please let us know if we can make other adjustments to support your interview process.

Role overview

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week). Working part-time (minimum 28 hours) will be considered. Occasional work in the evenings and at weekends may be required but with plenty of notice. Rainbow Migration encourages staff to maintain a good work life balance and has a TOIL system in place.

Salary: Starting at £36,994 with potential annual step increases up to £41,315 (pro rata if working part time), plus statutory employer’s pension contribution. In addition to an annual step increase, we consider giving a separate inflationary increase every April.

Location: Rainbow Migration’s wheelchair accessible offices are based between Vauxhall and the Oval, London. This role will have an office-based contract but the postholder can choose to work from home for part of the week in agreement with their line manager as per our hybrid working policy. You must be available to work from our offices in London when necessary. The successful candidate would also be welcome to work from the office full-time if that is their preference. At the time of posting this advert, staff mostly work from home. There might also be occasional travel outside London with plenty of notice. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Annual Leave: Initially 25 days per year. After two years of employment, this will increase by one day per year up to a maximum of 28 days (pro rata if working part-time).

Benefits:

· Two days of wellbeing leave to be taken at short notice in each calendar year (pro rata for part-time staff)

· Enhanced parental leave and pay

· Full pay for jury service (up to four weeks), compassionate leave (up to two weeks) and dependants’ leave (up to four days, pro rata for part-time staff)

· Separate salary step and inflationary increases considered every year

· TOIL system

· Hybrid working policy, including possibility of working abroad for 10 working days (pro rata for part-time staff) each year

· Policy on staff loans or salary advances for difficult times

· Work laptop and mobile phone

· Training and learning opportunities

· Occupational health assessments for disabled employees to understand how we can support and make reasonable adjustments

· Employee assistance programme which includes counselling service, wellness advice, legal and money advice, and other matters

· Clinical supervision for staff delivering services (a safe space with an independent therapist to offload and discuss feelings and challenges)

How to apply

Closing date: 9am 14 July 2025

Interview dates: Initial interviews will be 30 July and 1 August 2025 by Zoom. A second round of face-to-face interviews in London will follow.

Please read the job description and person specification. If you have any questions about the role or would like to find out more before applying, then you can contact the line manager via the email in the JD or on our website.

Please send to the email in the JD:

1. Your CV

2. A written statement (max 1,000 words). Instead of a written statement you may submit your statement by video or audio recording (max 8 minutes)

We would also be grateful if you could complete the optional monitoring form (link in the JD).

In your statement, please:

1. Explain why you are interested in this role and give examples of how you meet the person specification. In addition to what is on your CV, we want to hear about any relevant skills and experience that demonstrate you meet the necessary (and, where applicable, advantageous) criteria for the role. Skills and experience could be from training, volunteering, interests or life experience

2. Confirm if you wish to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme for anyone considered as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 (physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ effect on your ability to do normal daily activities)

3. State how many hours a week you wish to work and if you have a preferred pattern

While AI can be a helpful tool, we expect all applications to be original and authentic. Please ensure your final submission personally reflects your own experiences, qualifications and style of writing. Transparency is valued, so if you use AI to help with your application in any way, please explain why. Applications that are obviously written with AI without explanation will not be considered.

By submitting an application, you:

1. Confirm that you have the right to work in the UK and will produce the necessary documentation if you are offered this post.

2. Declare that to the best of your knowledge and belief, the information provided in your application is true and correct and that you understand that any false information or statement given will justify your dismissal from Rainbow Migration if appointed.

3. Accept that owing to the nature of the work, if successful, you will be required to disclose all spent and unspent criminal records at the point of conditional job offer and subsequently to undergo an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. See our website for more information.

We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network, which aims to create a charitable sector that is led by people with lived experience of the asylum and immigration system. As part of this network, we challenge the one-size-fits-all approach in our employment practices and respect the personal circumstances and needs of people with lived experience.

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 independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please complete the form (link in JD) to request support and they will confirm if they can match you with a mentor to support your application.

Privacy notice

If you apply for this role, the information you provide will be processed according to Rainbow Migration's privacy policy. Rainbow Migration will not share your information with any third parties unless part of the recruitment process or are legally required to do so. By applying, you are permitting Rainbow Migration to access and use the information for recruitment purposes. Rainbow Migration will store data on unsuccessful applicants for 12 months after the conclusion of the recruitment campaign. Monitoring information is kept separately and is pseudonymised to avoid identification of applicants. It is amalgamated for statistical purposes and the original data is then deleted after six months.

Full-time, 35 hours per week, part-time will be considered (minimum of 28 hours)

Woman’s Trust is the leading independent charity providing free and confidential mental healthcare to domestic abuse survivors throughout London and the South-East. As we approach our 30th anniversary, we are committed to ensuring every woman and child affected by domestic abuse has the mental health support they need to recover from the trauma of the abuse. Our work is vital in preventing further harm and breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma.

This role is vital in ensuring that the public and key stakeholders understand the impact of our work; that we can generate more support and funding for what we do, helping more women as a result; and that we can influence the public and policy-makers to ensure even more survivors of domestic abuse have access to specialist mental health support.

You will be responsible for planning and delivering effective communications that reach, engage, motivate, and resonate with media, clients, fundraisers, and policy makers across a range of channels.

We are looking for someone with a strong news sense and experience in Press and Public Relations. You will have a demonstrable background of proactively getting organisations involved in the public conversations that matter – while reflecting the confidential nature and sensitivities around domestic abuse and mental health. We aim to proactively generate more awareness of our work and its impact, including our unique position in the women’s and mental health sectors.

The role will be responsible for proactive and reactive media relations; effective engagement on social media; developing engaging content for our website; drafting copy for and producing marketing materials, including our e-newsletter. A highly autonomous role, you will work closely with our Chief Executive, fundraising, counselling, and research teams. You will also be engaging regularly with the Board of trustees, supporting our Chief Executive in our work and mission.

Our ideal candidate would also have experience of working on press and awareness campaigns; and the ability to create content on social media in line with branding guidelines. Experience in developing communications strategies and reporting on Key Performance Indicators would be preferred.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday, 13th July 2025.

Interviews will be held week commencing 14th July 2025.

Only successful applicants will be notified. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date your application has not been successful.

This post is open to female applicants only – the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1 applies. We encourage those from diverse communities and backgrounds to apply.

Job Title: Angelou Service Manager

Direct reports: 2 x Senior IDVAs and 4 IDVAs

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

Advance is committed to equality and diversity and strongly encourages applications from women with diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities, BAME and LBT communities.

Job Summary

This is an opportunity for an experienced manager with a proven track record of supporting and leading a team of advocates to join Advance as the Angelou service manager. The post holder will manage a team of senior IDVAs (2) and IDVAs (4) who provide advocacy services to women experiencing domestic violence and abuse. This role requires the effective management of advocates who will deliver 1:1 advocacy that fulfils the needs of women accessing advocacy services across the boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster. The job involves working within a multi-agency framework consisting of the Multiagency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and local partnership protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors. The post holder will collaborate with Advance management, external agencies, and key stakeholders to provide consistent and holistic service.

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: 12th July 2025
Interviews are taking place on: 25th and 29th July 2025

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

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits

• 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.

Job Title:  Domestic Abuse Practitioner

 

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week, flexibility required.

 

Salary: £27,921

 

Annual leave: 25 days plus back holidays and birthday leave

 

Benefits: - Monthly car user allowance

- Pension following 3-month probationary period of 5%

Contract: Permanent

 

Responsible to: Team Manager

 

Location: Hexham base, outreach working across Northumberland.

 

Relevant Background in working with adult victim/survivors and experience: children and young people.

 

Qualifications: Level 4 NVQ or CAADA IDVA training desirable.  Successful applicant will be required to undertake additional training.

Northumberland Domestic Abuse Service

NDAS provides support to all victims who have been the subject of domestic abuse/violence, supports them through the criminal justice system and offers relevant advice and assistance, both practical and emotional. 

NDAS empowers victims to make decisions, increase their options, their confidence and safety.  Prevention and awareness raising activities are also delivered across Northumberland and counselling to the children of our service users.

Established in 2003, NDAS has a track record of providing excellent services and is a key member of domestic abuse provision in Northumberland.  We have a secure financial foundation and are looking forward to developing our team to continue to provide essential services in tackling domestic abuse.

This is a key role within NDAS managing our operational delivery team working across the county.  We are looking for a motivated professional who is passionate about delivering the best possible prevention and support services.

 

OUR VALUES

Welcoming: We welcome you, whoever you are

Believing and accepting: We believe you, accept you and will not judge you. We do not discriminate

Understanding: We understand what you are experiencing. Our staff are here to listen

Protecting: We make sure you stay safe and will help you to make plans to ensure your safety

Empowering: We help you to find your voice and gain confidence and independence

United: Working with you, and with other local partner organisations, to find the right support

 

 

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB

To provide practical and emotional support to victims of domestic abuse/violence; including supporting them through the criminal justice system and providing guidance and assistance.  The role also involves empowering victims to make decisions, increase their options, their confidence and safety.

 

DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Managing service delivery and performance

Provide an efficient, effective outreach service to all victims of domestic abuse/violence across Northumberland.

Establish the risks and the needs of the individual and deliver a service appropriate to that level of risk.

Develop and deliver individual support and risk management plans to address the risk of harm to victims.

Work with multi-agency partnerships with local agencies whose services victims may require, ensuring a coordinated community response.

Work in partnership with other agencies and to advocate for victims to ensure their needs are met.

Explain the intricacies of the criminal justice and family court systems to victims and give advice on how to proceed at different stages of the process.

Ensure that victims are aware of their rights to legal protection and to arrange for the provision of legal advice as required and accompany victims to appointments if appropriate.

Ensure the safety of the victim is paramount.

Attend MARAC meetings when needed, Case Conference, Core Groups and CAF meetings when required.

Liaise with other agencies as appropriate. Deliver training to colleagues and other professionals.

Work within Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services management system following all policies and procedures.

Provide statistical monitoring or reports as required to the planning officer.

Note and feedback to other agencies any consistent difficulties clients are having accessing their service.

Provide a service, which is sensitive to all cultural and other differences and needs.

Ensure that the views and experiences of the victims and agencies are sought actively and inform the development of the service.

Report any problems/difficulties/complaints to the Team Manager or CEO and participate in follow up investigations as required.

Managing Security

 

Maintain the security and well-being of victims of domestic abuse and to communicate immediately with the Team Manager/CEO any concerns regarding security.

Maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries and security, when working with service users, staff and external bodies.

General Duties

Contribute to the overall development of Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services, by attending team meetings and participate in training and development working groups as agreed by the post-holder and CEO. This will include training specific to working with victims of domestic abuse.

Contribute to the overall development of Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services, by the implementation of Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services. Develop effective and supporting working relationships with all Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services staff.

Contribute to the overall development of Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services, by adhering to Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services policies and procedures including equal opportunities and health and safety when meeting the needs of service users. Assist in and maintain effective communication, which promotes free flow of non-confidential information and issues within Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services, other agencies and members of the public.

Ensure that security of sensitive information is maintained and complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Whilst this job description attempts to cover the main duties of the post, it is not exhaustive. The Post-holder is, therefore, expected to undertake any other reasonable duties within their capabilities and the scope of the post as specified by the Service manager.