Independent Domestic Violence Advocate- BMEC

We have an amazing opportunity for a Black & Minoritised Ethnic Communities Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (BMEC IDVA) to join our new team in the London Victim & Witness Service who will provide tailored specialist support to domestic abuse victim/survivors from Black and Minoritised Ethnic Communities, working 37.5 hours a week.

Do you want to join a committed and inspiring team? Do you want to help make a real difference every day?

Do you want to contribute to change & improve the quality of lives of Black & Minoritised survivors?

Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on safety and customer service and care?

If yes, then we’d love to hear from you

Full time/Part time: Full time

Hours per week: 37.5

Basic Salary: Unqualified- £26,010.00 per annum plus London Weighting Allowance (£2,800 per annum) Total- £28,810.00 per annum Qualified- £28,050.00 per annum plus London Weighting Allowance (£2,800 per annum) Total- £30,850.00 per annum

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• Flexible working options including hybrid working
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday
• £500 bonus paid on successful completion of probationary period (pro-rata for part-time roles) 
• Pension with 5% employer contribution 
• Enhanced sick pay allowances & maternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression 

About the role:

This post is open to applicants who identify as being from Black & Minoritised Ethnic Communities only, as this is deemed a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010.

This role offers flexibility for home and office working with travel to appointments to meet clients across London as required. 

As an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor- BMEC you will:

• Provide a proactive, high quality and trauma-informed support service to survivors of domestic violence and abuse, with a particular focus on black and minoritised ethnic communities.
• Providing risk assessment, safety planning, advocacy and prevention & recovery work.
• Collaborate with relevant service providers including BMEC by-and-for organisations to create effective referral pathways and advise on best practice to effectively manage risk and provide support to survivors.
• Manage a caseload across various degrees of complexity and need, including survivors and families assessed at high risk of harm and who are at particular risk from harmful practices and modern slavery.
• Use a person-centred, survivor-focused approach, being mindful of the effects of trauma and additional barriers to access that survivors from black and minoritised ethnic communities may experience.

You will need: 

• A passion for working with victim/survivors and a thorough understanding of domestic abuse and its impact.
• Knowledge of the issues facing women, children and men from Black and minoritised communities affected by violence against women and girls along with the ability to identify women’s individual and collective needs
• A thorough understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence and harmful practices and its impact on women, children, families, and communities.
• To be Non-judgemental, non-directive and anti-discriminatory approach to empowering victim/survivors of domestic abuse
• The ability to speak another language, particularly- Polish, Ukrainian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Tamil, Turkish, Kurdish, Russian , Somali, Yoruba, Akan, French, Lingala, Igbo, Gujarati, Arabic, Sylheti/Bengali, Hindi, Urdu or Spanish is desirable.

About Us:

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.