Job Title: Duty Independent Gender Violence Advocate (Duty IGVA)
Location: Lambeth, London
Salary: £23,085.69 per annum, inclusive of London weighting allowance
Contract type: Part Time, Permanent
Hours: 30 hours per week (Tuesday-Friday). Please note that the the operating hours of the service are 8AM- 6PM Monday- Friday with the expectation to work on some days 8- 4pm or 10- 6pm to cover.
This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Duty Independent Domestic Violence Advocate to be the first point of contact for women who are impacted by domestic violence. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis and other gender-based abuse to provide high quality independent support to survivors all risk levels and their children..
In this role you will be part of a busy team. You will be the first point of contact for survivors who have been referred to the Gaia Centre. The duty IGVA will be responding to daily enquiries (specify from whom- public, agencies, individuals? over the phone and email as well as contacting survivors, assessing their risks and needs.
The duty IGVA will be responsible for carrying out and implementing safety plans and needs and will ensure an effective handover to the over to the relevant GAIA team for ongoing support. The post holder will also empower survivors by providing them with emotional, practical and personal welfare support. You will ensure that survivors are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment, enabling them to access their rights, make decisions and increase their life options. The job involves working within a multi-agency framework consisting of the MARAC and local partnership protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors.
As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota.
Please note that 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 3rd September 2025
Interview Date: 11 and 12 September 2025
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you driven by a passion to make a difference to the lives of children and young people from an African, Asian and Caribbean heritage?
SEEN was set up in 2021 to create systemic change by challenging structural inequalities that impede opportunities for children and young people of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage to be safer, happier, healthier, and more hopeful, ensuring a fair and equitable future where they can fulfil their full potential. SEEN is the name chosen by children and young people to describe the work of the centre and the impact they wanted from the outcomes. This is an exciting time for SEEN, with notable achievements and learning which has provided Barnardo's with comprehensive insights to build on. A new theory of change is being shaped, and new programmes of work are in development to amplify impact, and align with the new organisational corporate strategy and the external environment Barnardo's is operating in.
We are looking for an inspirational, highly motivated, solution-focused strategic leader with exceptional relational skills and extensive experience of anti-racist practice to head up SEEN. This dynamic and influential role will drive inclusive, anti-racist practices and lead a high-performing team which includes the Head of the National FGM Centre. It will foster strategic partnerships and lead internal cultural change through solutions co-produced with stakeholders and children of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage. The post requires strategic vision, thought leadership, and a strong commitment to quality, outcomes, and effective programme governance.
The role is part of the Health, Quality and Inclusion Directorate and is a fantastic opportunity to be at the forefront of transformational change to make a real difference to the lives of children of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage.
Candidates will be notified by Friday 12th September if they have been shortlisted.
Interviews will be in person on Tuesday 23rd September at Lynton House, 7 – 12 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9LT. Nearest train/tube stations – Euston (Northern and Victoria lines), Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines) and King's Cross St. Pancras (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines).
A remote Children & Young People Panel will also form part of the interview process and the date for this will be confirmed.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
37.5 hours per week / £27,770 per annum, pro rata / permanent / working onsite on a seven-day rolling rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.
provides 24 hour supported accommodation housing up to 34 young people aged 16-25 who have multiple and complex needs, including many who are unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people. We adopt a trauma informed and psychologically informed approach to supporting our residents to help them build essential life skills, identify their goals and work towards aspirations so that they can move on to enjoy fully independent futures. We have a dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Workers and additional Bank Workers who provide support, guidance, and signposting around areas such as housing, budgeting, living skills, jobs and relationship building. Situated in the centre of Guildford, the service has strong links with and contributes to the local community.
Each Support Worker holds a caseload of residents and meets with them weekly to build a support plan and help them achieve their goals.
We are looking for a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our Guildford Foyer team. Main areas of responsibilities are:
Housing:
- Coach young people to manage their occupancy agreement and adhere to house rules, in preparation for independent living
- Promote a credit culture, encouraging young people to keep up to date with all payments for rent
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of housing and welfare benefits for young people and be well-informed on significant changes to housing law
- Deal effectively with non-compliance issues, such as non-payment of rent or damage to room, using restorative practices and working collaboratively with the rest of the team
Coaching and Engagement:
- Coach young people so they can articulate their aspirations and ambitions and take the lead in acquiring the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives
- Ensure young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own personal development, to engage with the services on offer and build strong networks and connections within the local community
- Ensure consistent standards of safeguarding and Trauma Informed Practice when supporting young people, observing our safeguarding procedures, and keeping yourself and residents safe by respecting professional boundaries
- Maintain client records on In-Form (client database) detailing the young person’s journey in relation to their strengths and needs, any risks, and any outcomes (to monitor service performance)
General:
- Work as part of a team, on a rota shift pattern, ensuring young people at the service have non-judgemental, objective, and supportive staff during the day/evening, along with taking responsibility for personal safety during periods of lone working
- Contribute to a great working environment, with a calm, yet assertive manner, being able to handle potentially difficult situations
- Participate in relevant continuing professional development and utilise Reflective Practice Supervision as part of leading psychologically informed practice
There will be times when lone working will be a requirement for this role, but you will get to know the team and service, along with an induction and training prior to starting on a rota. Please download the job profile for full role details.
If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.
This is a dynamic and varied role; you will be passionate about being involved in the support and growth of young people.
Experience and Knowledge:
- Experience relating to housing, support work, and/or working with young people at risk
- Experience of working proactively with a caseload of young people with multiple and complex needs to enable them to achieve independent living
- Knowledge of statutory and voluntary resources available to young people with multiple and complex needs
- Knowledge of good safeguarding procedures in relation to young people and the ability to maintain effective professional boundaries
- Demonstrated confidence and competence in recording notes/actions in service log, incident forms and health and safety check lists
Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing for appropriate recording of a resident’s progression, and to evidence outcomes achieved
- Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders, including signposting and advocating for clients as necessary
- Ability to work autonomously, and use own initiative, as well as being part of a team
- Clear verbal and written communication skills, good IT, and keyboard skills
- Ability to de-escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately
If you would like any further information or an informal discussion about this post, please contact
Should you require any assistance with our application process, please email us at
CLOSING DATE: Sunday 31 August 2025 at midnight. We reserve the right to close this advert early if a successful candidate is found, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role
An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.
Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.
YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adults’ barred lists) check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.
We believe every young person has the right to discover their potential.

