Victims services initial response officer jobs
Job Title: Safeguarding Officer
Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer
Professional Supervision: The Regional Safeguarding Lead
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £22,500 per annum (FTE £39,375)
Hours per week: 20 hours
Annual Leave: 25 days plus bank holidays (Pro Rota)
Role Description
The Safeguarding Officer will lead and oversee all aspects of safeguarding within St Edmundsbury Cathedral, ensuring that the Cathedral remains a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
You will be responsible for ensuring that the Cathedral meets all statutory safeguarding obligations and complies fully with the Church of England’s national safeguarding policies, diocesan frameworks, and relevant legislation. This includes proactively identifying potential risks, responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns, and ensuring effective reporting and case management in partnership with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team and statutory agencies.
Beyond compliance, this role is about embedding a culture of care, accountability, and transparency across the Cathedral community. You will support clergy, staff, and volunteers to understand their safeguarding responsibilities, ensure safer recruitment and training practices, and provide guidance and reassurance when safeguarding issues arise.
By acting as a source of expert advice, leadership, and advocacy, the Safeguarding Officer will help the Cathedral community uphold the highest standards of safety, dignity, and pastoral care, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, background, or circumstance, can participate fully and confidently in Cathedral life.
The Cathedral Safeguarding Officer has operational authority within the Cathedral (subject to agreement with the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer with respect to responding to concerns and allegations against Church officers) for the following responsibilities, arranged according to the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Standards.
These four National Safeguarding Standards provide the framework for effective safeguarding practice across all Church settings:
- Culture, Leadership, and Capacity – Promoting a culture where safeguarding is embedded in every aspect of Cathedral life, ensuring that leaders, clergy, staff, and volunteers model and champion best practice.
- Prevention – Implementing robust safer recruitment, induction, and training processes, and proactively identifying and mitigating potential safeguarding risks.
- Responding to Concerns – Ensuring that all concerns, disclosures, and allegations are taken seriously, responded to promptly, and managed in partnership with statutory agencies and the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.
- Learning, Supervision, and Quality Assurance – Fostering continual improvement through regular review, reflection, and evaluation of safeguarding practice, ensuring accountability and transparency at all levels.
Together, these standards guide the Cathedral’s commitment to providing a safe, nurturing, and trustworthy environment for all who engage with its worship, ministry, and community life.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic leadership
- Act as the Cathedral’s primary safeguarding lead, providing authoritative advice and operational oversight to the Chapter, leadership team, clergy, staff and volunteers.
- Ensure compliance with national Church of England safeguarding guidance, diocesan requirements and all relevant statutory legislation.
- Develop, maintain and drive a measurable safeguarding action plan and improvement programme, ensuring policies and practice are implemented consistently across Cathedral activities.
- Produce clear, timely safeguarding reports and briefings for Chapter and committees translating case and compliance information into strategic recommendations.
- Actively promote a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, supporting leaders to embed safeguarding into planning, events, recruitment and everyday practice.
- Engaging in professional supervision and quality assurance provided by the relevant Regional Safeguarding Lead, and in continual professional development, including ensuring that the requirements of the National Safeguarding Learning and Development Framework for Safeguarding Officers are met.
Safer recruitment
- Lead and oversee safer recruitment processes for all paid roles and volunteer positions, ensuring job descriptions, interviews and selection processes assess safeguarding suitability.
- Support managers to make informed recruitment decisions and ensure all new starters receive safeguarding induction and appropriate supervision.
Case management
- Receive, triage and respond to safeguarding concerns and disclosures quickly and sensitively, ensuring the safety and welfare of those involved.
- Undertake initial risk and needs assessments and make appropriate referrals to statutory agencies and the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.
- Support and co-ordinate multi-agency responses where required, and follow agreed safeguarding pathways.
- Provide pastoral support and signposting to victims/survivors while ensuring appropriate boundaries, confidentiality and access to specialist support services.
- Manage allegations involving staff or volunteers in line with diocesan procedures, ensuring safe working arrangements are put in place while enquiries proceed.
- Maintain accurate, secure and auditable case records, ensuring all documentation complies with data protection (GDPR) and Cathedral record-keeping protocols
Meetings & governance
- Attend safeguarding-related meetings, including the Safeguarding Committee, Guild Committee and Forum, providing briefings, presenting reports and highlighting risks and compliance matters.
- Prepare agendas, papers and minutes as required; maintain an action log and follow up to ensure agreed actions are completed.
- Escalate unresolved risks or urgent safeguarding matters to Chapter and senior leadership in a timely and constructive manner.
- Attend Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel (DSAP) Meetings.
Training & awareness
- Lead on Cathedral safeguarding training, coordinate and deliver induction and refresher training for staff, volunteers, and clergy.
- Maintain up-to-date records of safeguarding training for all staff and volunteers (showing completion and renewal dates).
- Create accessible safeguarding information and communications for the Cathedral community (e.g., weekly bulletin items, posters, webpages and event briefings) to raise awareness and reinforce good practice.
- Provide tailored briefings for high-risk roles and ongoing advice to managers and supervisors on safeguarding responsibilities.
- To evaluate training to ensure that learnings have been embedded.
Policy & risk management
- Review, update and implement the Cathedral’s safeguarding policies and procedures on a regular schedule (and sooner where guidance or case learning requires change).
- Lead safeguarding risk assessments for services, events, volunteer activities and external bookings; provide straightforward, action-focused mitigation plans for event organisers and hirers.
- Conduct audits and spot-checks to ensure practice aligns with policy and report findings with recommended improvements.
- Ensure contractors, partner organisations and hirers meet required safeguarding standards and that any safeguarding responsibilities are set out contractually where appropriate.
Additional duties and professional development
- Provide clear, timely advice within agreed working hours and support any out-of-hours arrangements for urgent safeguarding concerns as agreed with Chapter.
- Maintain your own professional development through training, supervision and membership of relevant safeguarding networks; ensure learning is shared across the Cathedral.
- Carry out any other reasonable duties that support the effective delivery of safeguarding across the Cathedral.
- Attend the East Anglia Regional Safeguarding Network meeting three times a year, with other DSOs and CSO in the region
Key Relationships
- In the Cathedral, the Dean provides leadership concerning safeguarding, supported by Chapter and senior leadership team requiring good working relationships with both clergy and lay colleagues.
- It is essential that the CSO forms excellent working relationships with key people in the Diocese, including: the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer (DSO), the safeguarding team and other relevant staff; the chair and membership of diocesan safeguarding governance structures e.g., the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel (DSAP) and relevant sub-groups; and the National Safeguarding Team.
- It is essential to have good connections with colleagues in relevant local third sector agencies, including those working in the fields of homelessness, poverty, domestic abuse, mental health, substance misuse, refugee support, language and learning support, etc. Adults and children who are using, have used or may use the services of the cathedral, particularly in relation to safeguarding.
Person Spesification
Essential Qualities
Qualifications
- Relevant safeguarding qualification/training, or willingness to undertake
Experience
- Substantial experience working with safeguarding in roles involving children and/or adults at risk.
- Handling safeguarding referrals, disclosures, and case management.
- Liaising with statutory services such as police, social care, and health agencies.
- Delivering safeguarding training or workshops to diverse audiences.
- Producing reports, maintaining accurate records, and managing confidential data.
Knowledge
- Excellent understanding of current safeguarding legislation, guidance, and best practice for children and adults.
- Knowledge of safer recruitment principles and DBS requirements.
- Understanding of GDPR and secure data management in relation to safeguarding.
- Awareness of the Church of England’s safeguarding frameworks and National Safeguarding Standards (or willingness to learn).
Skills and Abilities
- Strong ability to assess risk and make clear, evidence-based decisions.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate sensitively and appropriately at all levels.
- Effective relationship-building skills, including working collaboratively with clergy, volunteers, statutory agencies, and community stakeholders.
- High levels of organisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities calmly and effectively.
- Confident in designing and delivering safeguarding training and briefings.
Personal Qualities
- Integrity, resilience, and discretion when managing sensitive information.
- Empathy and pastoral sensitivity towards those impacted by abuse or allegations.
- A collaborative, approachable, and supportive leadership style.
- Ability to remain calm and make sound decisions in challenging situations.
- Commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
- Respect for the Cathedral’s Christian values and willingness to work within its ethos.
Desired Qualities
Qualifications
- Relevant professional qualification (e.g. social work, education, counselling, youth work, nursing, or safeguarding).
- Membership of a relevant safeguarding or professional network.
Experience
- Experience working in a Church of England context or other faith-based safeguarding setting.
- Experience of developing and implementing safeguarding policies and risk assessments.
Knowledge
- Knowledge of trauma-informed approaches when supporting victims/survivors.
- Familiarity with Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) roles and procedures.
Skills and Abilities
- Experience in facilitating safeguarding learning using innovative or digital approaches.
- Competence in using safeguarding case management systems or CRMs.
Other Requirements
- Willingness to undergo enhanced DBS checks, including barred lists.
- Flexibility to attend occasional evening or weekend meetings and events.
- Commitment to completing all mandatory safeguarding and leadership training as required by the Cathedral and Diocese.
Closing Date: Wednesday 12 November
Registered Charity
21 - 50
It is our aim to be a centre for learning, both for the Christian faith and beyond.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Overview
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.
The aim of the Interpersonal Trauma Service is to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of people who have been exposed to trauma arising from sexual violence and abuse and/or domestic abuse.
You will work across a specified number of GP practices, to offer support to health professionals working in practices, people who have experience of interpersonal trauma arising from sexual violence and abuse and/or domestic abuse, as well as a service for people at risk of perpetrating abuse.
You and the team will provide training to GP surgeries to improve identification, enquiry, and response for patients. You and your team will also support adults and children who have been impacted by interpersonal trauma with emotional and practical support, focusing on trauma stabilisation. The team will be responsible for facilitating timely access to further appropriate support services where needed.
FearFree is committed to flexible and hybrid working and this role will be a mix of home based and office based, alongside requiring travel to GP practices and for multi-agency meetings and other deliverables.
This role may include evening and weekend work when required.
Key Responsibilities
- To provide specialist, individual and needs-led domestic abuse and sexual violence advocacy and support to patients who are or have experienced, who are referred from participating practices or self-refer, and to provide onward referrals where appropriate.
- Provide direct assessment, casework support, advice, information, and advocacy through telephone contact, and/or meetings at the relevant practice.
- Provide support to increase people’s personal safety, and that of any children, and inform them of their rights and options in terms of housing, legal and welfare rights.
- To provide signposting and onward referrals to patients.
- To provide ongoing specialist advice and support around Domestic Abuse (DA) and Sexual Violence (SV) to practice teams.
- To encourage general practice health professionals to ask patients about their experience of abuse and respond, record, safety check and refer.
- To provide feedback on case outcomes to referring clinicians.
- To collect and collate performance and monitoring data for reporting purposes.
- Provide in-house training and refresher training for general practice teams on understanding, recognising, and responding to DA and SV.
- Develop good working relationships and liaise with outside agencies where needed.
- Keep accurate records of all referrals received and of work done with or on behalf of service users.
- Deliver DA and SV training to clinicians and non-clinical staff in participating general practices.
- Develop a good relationship with all general practice staff and work effectively as part of the practice team.
- Contribute to monitoring and evaluation of the programme collecting required data and producing written reports as requested.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
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.
This exciting post will be working with children who have experienced or been affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. Focusing on standard and medium risk cases, this role will provide practical and emotional support to children and young people, whilst working proactively with other professionals, with an emphasis on early intervention and awareness raising.
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
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Manage a caseload of low to high risk children and young people, predominantly through face to face appointments but also utilising virtual technologies and group work.
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Plan, recruit and deliver group work interventions for children and young people alongside colleagues.
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Complete an initial assessment of the child’s needs so that you can identify and plan the support needed to address issues and prevent any problems from escalating.
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Assess the needs of the child and devise appropriate support and safety plans with due regard to the dynamic nature of risk.
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Proactively engage with children and young people affected by DA/SV by providing therapeutic sessions tailed to their needs in where they are in their recovery journey.
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Risk assess and follow FearFree safety procedures to ensure personal safety and that of service users and other staff at all times.
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Actively support carers and parents in how to support their CYP affected by trauma. This may include working together to ensure the child is support at every stage in their recovery journey.
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Respond to emergencies and crises with a focus on the child’s wellbeing and safeguarding.
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Provide child-centred, trauma responsive support to all your cases taking in considering different learning needs, to empower the young person to make informed choices.
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Enable service users to participate in the design, delivery and evaluation of services.
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Keeping the child’s voice central to all support and decision making wherever possible: taking the time to talk through and work with the individual child’s understanding around safeguarding and why we need to share certain things.
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Act as duty officer, responding to incoming calls, logging referrals and making assigned outgoing calls, according to the duty rota.
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Work effectively within a multi-agency framework, consisting of the MARAC and local partnership responses to domestic abuse and sexual violence, in order to reduce the risk for service users and their families.
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Be proactive with your line manager to carry out periodic case reviews.
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Respect and value the diversity of the community in which the services work in, and recognise the needs and concerns of a diverse range of survivors ensuring the service is accessible to all.
General
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Live and embody the FearFree values.
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To promote the service to external agencies where applicable.
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Give information and support to service users regarding their other needs and refer them to other support services as required.
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Ensure our service is widely accessible – adapting practice as required to suit individuals.
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Work across a large geographical area to ensure locality is not a barrier to accessing services.
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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.
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Have a responsibility around safeguarding of both adults and children, maintaining knowledge of appropriate policies and procedures and integrated working.
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Support other agencies in the identification and referral of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking issues via promotion of service and institutional advocacy.
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Ensure all referrals are clearly logged on our database and all case records are kept fully updated, according to FearFree policies and procedures.
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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.
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Support colleagues in all services across FearFree as required.
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Support the sustainability of the organisation by participating in fundraising activities and sharing ideas and contacts for income generation
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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.
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Undertake all statutory and mandatory training, as required by the organisation.
To apply, please download the full job description/person specification along with the application and equality monitoring forms. Please send the completed application form and optional equality monitoring form direct to 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.
For information about the processing of your personal data at FearFree, please visit our website.
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Women in Prison
Women in Prison is a national, women-led, feminist organisation. We deliver front line support to women harmed by the criminal justice system, through our work in prisons, in the community and ‘through the prison gate’ as they resettle back into their communities. We also campaign for systems change that addresses the root causes of offending, reduces the harmful impact of prison, and creates workable, community-based alternatives to imprisonment.
Job Purpose:
Women in Prison’s Advocates deliver high-quality, trauma-informed, independent advocacy for women in communities and in prisons, which focuses on early intervention, and holistic provision as part of a ‘whole system’ multi-agency response that looks to address the root causes of women’s offending.
Key Responsibility Areas
- Provide high-quality, trauma-responsive advocacy and support to a caseload of women in contact with, or at risk of being in contact with the criminal justice system.
- Undertake risk and needs assessments and co-producing bespoke support plans with women across the nine pathways to reoffending.
- Monitor case management systems to ensure accurate and timely data recording, aligning with contract KPIs and WIP policies.
- Champion the core values of Women in Prison, including social justice and feminism in all internal and external communications, articulating their importance to the work we do.
For the full list of responsibilities, please download the recruitment pack.
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The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Salary: £31,600 per annum pro rata
Hours: Part time - 18.75 per week - working pattern negotiable
Location: Humberside, based in Hull
Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2026
Closing date: Thursday 23rd October 2025 at 11.30pm
We are looking for an Accommodation Adviser for our team based in Humberside, to provide tailored support to women under probation supervision within the community and helping reintegrate into a life outside the justice system.
About the role
You will complete an Initial Needs Assessment (INA) with each client, having a detailed discussion with them to outline their situation and the support they need. A strengths-based approach is used to identify the positive attributes that they can build upon to achieve their goals and is reflected in the design of the INA.
Working together with your client, you will map out and agree a set of interventions and the outcomes needed, encouraging and empowering them to actively contribute towards their goals.
You will carry a fluctuating case load of service users with varying levels of needs. The focus of the service is to support the desistance model, supporting individuals to achieve their full potential.
The position will be based Hull Women’s Centre, with other locations and travel expected when needed across the National Probation Service Region in Humberside.
About You
You have considerable experience of housing law and debt advice, along with an understanding of issues affecting homelessness and women with multiple and complex needs. You have a successful track record of delivering services for women and advocating for clients to agencies and authorities. You can adapt complex information into practical plans and proactively manage your caseload.
Motivating and encouraging your clients will be a key part of the role, as well the ability to build rapport, trust and actively listen to their needs. As you will be working closely with clients, a sound understanding of professional boundaries is crucial. If you have experience of working in a criminal justice setting that would be an advantage but is not essential.
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.
About the team
We ensure that our clients are supported to gain and retain safe, decent and affordable accommodation. A stable home is a key factor in successful rehabilitation and breaking the cycle of re-offending. We work holistically with clients, alongside multiple agencies.
Nationally we aim to influence the Government and MOJ to bring about systemic change, so that people in the criminal justice system can access better housing. We also work with housing providers and local authorities to achieve change at a local level.
About Shelter
Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.
We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.
We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.
Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.
Safeguarding Statement
Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.
Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
How to apply
Please click ‘Apply for Job’ below. You are required to submit a CV and a supporting statement. Your supporting statement should include responses to the 'About You' points outlined in the Job Description of no more than 1000 words in total. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:
- We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset
Any applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered.
This role is only open to women, in accordance with the sex-based exemptions of the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1 support.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.