Senior independent victim advocate jobs

FearFree delivers services across the Southwest for victims, children and perpetrators of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking with the aim to break the cycle of abuse and support all to live free from fear. We provide trauma responsive support, and this post will be fundamental to ensuring service users, stakeholders and partners experience this in our daily delivery.

Our compassionate and dynamic Adult Therapeutic Practitioners provide the ‘beating heart’ of support within our multi-disciplinary teams working with individuals of all ages affected by domestic abuse, including those with harmful behaviours, and sexual violence.

This varied and rewarding role involves delivering trauma-informed groupwork and limited one-to-one support across a range of programmes, including:

• Empowerment and recovery groups for those who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse.
• Behaviour change programmes for individuals using harmful behaviours in their relationships.
• Digital peer support and learning opportunities through our online survivor platform, ‘Connecting You’.

Working collaboratively with our IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advisor), ISVA (Indenpendent Sexual Violence Advisor) and Behaviour Change teams, you will help ensure that support is safe, inclusive, and effective for people with a range of experiences and risks. You will play a vital part in championing people to recover from trauma, build safe relationships, and move forward with dignity and hope.

FearFree is committed to flexible and hybrid working and this role will be a mix of home based and office based, alongside requiring travel for multi-agency meetings and other deliverables.

This role may include evening and weekend work when required.

Key Responsibilities

Group Facilitation and Delivery

• Deliver structured, evidence-based and trauma responsive group programmes for victims/survivors and individuals who have used harm.
• Foster safe, inclusive spaces that promote empowerment, emotional safety, and constructive challenge.
• Co-facilitate groups with trained colleagues, volunteers or peer mentors/Experts by Experience as needed.
• Support the ongoing development and review of group materials and content.
• Work flexibly and manage your own schedule, including facilitating evening groups on a rotational basis to meet the needs of those unable to attend during working hours.

One-to-One Support

• Provide limited 1:1 support for medium-risk clients who may be waiting for or transitioning between group programmes and/or other services.
• Contribute to joint safety and support planning alongside IDVAs, ISVAs and Behaviour Change Workers.
• Monitor and respond to safeguarding concerns in line with organisational policies.

Digital Survivor Platform – Connecting You

• Update and upload resources, tutorials, and activities for survivors accessing the platform.
• Support survivors engaging with online content, including managing enrolments and online group access.
• Design and deliver trauma-informed self-paced tutorials and reflective learning tools.

Peer Mentoring and Survivor Involvement

• Support the recruitment, mentoring and involvement of ‘experts by experience’ in group delivery.
• Encourage and nurture survivor voices and peer leadership within both in-person and digital forums.
• Training and Awareness-Raising.
• Deliver training sessions to professionals and external partners where required.
• Speak at community or public events to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence, healthy relationships, and recovery.

General

• Live and embody the FearFree values.
• Promote the service to external agencies where applicable.
• Give information and support to service users regarding their other needs and refer them to other support services as required.
• Ensure our service is widely accessible – adapting practice as required to suit individuals.
• Work across a large geographical area to ensure locality is not a barrier to accessing services.
• Deliver training and information sessions to promote our service, and increase awareness and understanding of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking for victims and those who harm.
• Have a responsibility around safeguarding of both adults and children, maintaining knowledge of appropriate policies and procedures and integrated working.
• Support other agencies in the identification and referral of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking issues via promotion of service and institutional advocacy.
• Ensure all referrals are clearly logged on our database and all case records are kept fully updated, according to FearFree policies and procedures.
• Engage with case management supervision, reflective practice and clinical supervision as required, taking an active role in managing own wellbeing and supporting the wellbeing of your colleagues.
• Support colleagues in all services across FearFree as required.
• Support the sustainability of the organisation by participating in fundraising activities and sharing ideas and contacts for income generation.
• To engage in and contribute to effective team working with a flexible and pro-active approach, including cover for other team members’ holidays and sickness.
• Undertake all statutory and mandatory training, as required by the organisation.

Application

For a full job description/person specification and to apply, please visit the careers page on our website or contact us via the details there or on Indeed. The website also includes our Privacy Policy, detailing information about how we process your personal data at FearFree. 

There is no specific closing date for this role and this vacancy will close once a suitable candidate is found, so early applications are encouraged.

FearFree is committed to encouraging equality and diversity in the workplace.  We strive to be a diverse and inclusive place to work where we can all be ourselves and individual differences are recognised and valued. 

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.

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

Overview

Resilience Duty Worker (Young People)

Change Grow Live – Hertfordshire

Do you believe in the potential of young people—and in your ability to help unlock it?

At Change Grow Live, we see possibility in every person. Guided by our values — Be Open, Be Compassionate and Be Bold — we work alongside young people and their families to create safer, healthier futures. Our approach is grounded in evidence, shaped by compassion and rooted in the communities we serve.

As part of our 2030 Strategy, we are strengthening early intervention, safeguarding and whole-family responses so that young people can access the right support at the right time. This role is central to that ambition.

About the Role

We are seeking a Resilience Duty Worker to join our Integrated Whole Family Recovery Service across Hertfordshire. Working within a multidisciplinary team, you will support young people affected by substance use and associated safeguarding risks—helping to reduce harm, build resilience and improve outcomes.

This is a varied, frontline role requiring strong engagement skills, sound judgement and a clear understanding of safeguarding practice. You will work flexibly across the county, responding to need and ensuring timely access to appropriate pathways.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Act as a key point of entry into the service, processing referrals and completing initial triage assessments.

• Identify, respond to and escalate safeguarding concerns in line with statutory guidance and best practice.

• Reduce drug- and alcohol-related harm for young people and the wider community through evidence-based interventions.

• Hold a small caseload, delivering brief interventions focused on substance use and risk reduction.

• Manage and monitor waiting lists, maintaining contact with young people awaiting allocation to a keyworker.

• Advocate for access to partner services and coordinate support across agencies.

• Support positive, holistic outcomes for young people’s health and wellbeing—reducing risk and increasing resilience.

• Monitor referrals, identify appropriate treatment pathways and ensure timely progression through services.

• Work peripatetically across Hertfordshire to meet the needs of young people and families.

• Build strong partnerships with families, professionals and community services.

Where: This role will be based across Hertfordshire County (Full UK driving licence and access to a car will be essential)
Full Time Hours: 37.5 per week
*Salary: £27,861.26 - £32,002.35
Allowance: Outer Fringe £683.99

*Please note: Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours. 

Responsibilities

Working in Hertfordshire

Across Hertfordshire, Change Grow Live works in partnership with children’s services, education, health and community organisations to deliver integrated, safeguarding-led support. Our services are designed to reflect local need, remove barriers to access and ensure young people receive timely, effective interventions. In this role, you will contribute directly to a coordinated, whole-family approach that is built on evidence and compassion and rooted in local communities.

About You

You will bring:

• Experience of working with young people and a strong understanding of the challenges they face.

• Knowledge of safeguarding practice for children and young people, including the Fraser Competence framework.

• A sound understanding of drug and alcohol issues and experience in a related field.

• Familiarity with evidence-based approaches to young people’s substance misuse treatment and best practice guidance.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with strong IT capability.

• The ability to maintain accurate records and meet reporting deadlines.

• The ability to work flexibly and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.

• A full UK driving licence and access to a car (essential).

We Thrive at Change Grow Live By:

• Recruiting for success and recognising the contribution of our people.

• Creating safe, healthy, agile and flexible environments where people can do their best work.

• Learning, developing and growing together, building confidence and capability.

• Fostering belonging, inclusion and openness, where every voice counts.

• Delivering world-class learning and organisational development, aligned to our values and strategy.

What We Offer

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (rising by one day per year of service, capped at 30 days)

• A paid weekly Wellness Hour, access to our Wellness Hub and Employee Assistance Programme

• Contributory pension scheme

• A wide range of benefits, including discounts for shopping, cinema and holidays

• A friendly, supportive team environment

• Training, career development and progression opportunities

• Refer-a-Friend scheme

Apply Now

Please ensure your application and supporting statement clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the requirements outlined in the job description.

Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support new visa applications or extensions.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications, so early application is encouraged.

Salary Range (pro rata if part time)

CGL points 23 to 28 (£27,861.26 - £32,002.35)

ILW / OLW /Fringe

Outer Fringe (£694.25)

Interview Date

26/1/2026

Closing Date

15/1/2026

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.

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.