Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA)

There has never been a more exciting time to join Wirral Council. We’ve got ambitious targets to meet and to achieve everything we have promised to our residents, we need people who are ready to deliver the very best for our communities and show how they can #BeTheDifference. Our vision is to secure the best possible future for our residents, defined by the community prosperity we create and supported by our excellent people and services. If you strive to #BeTheDifference and want to be at the heart of our change and improvement journey, then this could be the perfect job for you.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) to join the team in Wirral’s Domestic Abuse Hub.

About the role:
The role of IDVA involves providing a pro-active service to all victim survivors of domestic abuse who have been assessed as high-risk of further harm.
The role including assessing risk and delivering an individualised service which aims to address the safety needs of victim survivors and any children and/or dependents.
The IDVA will advocate on behalf of the victim survivor, ensuring that they remain at the centre of all that we do, providing advice and support from the point of crisis and referring on to relevant agencies once the risk has reduced.
The IDVA aims to support clients to improve their safety, to support their recovery and to achieve long term safety and reduce repeat victimisation.

As an IDVA you will be:

• working with victims at high risk of serious harm through domestic abuse, supporting them to keep themselves safe, understand their rights and options and support them through the Criminal Justice process.
• completing risk assessments and safety plans
• working with partner agencies to develop multi-agency plans to support victims effectively

You will need:

• a good understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse
• preferably experience of working with victims at high risk of harm
• an IDVA accreditation or willingness to work towards one
• excellent communication skills as well as empathy
• good levels or organisation and the ability to prioritise and work under pressure

 

This role is based in Wirral. This role involves regular travel and due to the location, a driving license and access to a vehicle is preferred. Hybrid working is available.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:
The Domestic Abuse Hub is a multi-disciplinary service providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by domestic abuse across Wirral. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims, where strive to:

• Be there when needed
• Increase safety for those at risk, without adding to their trauma
• Reduce opportunities for perpetrators to abuse
• Support people to live the lives they want after harm occurs
• Create a brighter, kinder future for the next generation.

For an Informal discussion about this role, please contact emmagraham2@wirral.gov.uk

This post requires a DBS check. The Safer Recruitment & Employment Policy and the Disclosures for Recruitment Procedure can be found at : https://www.wirral.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/job-vacancies/safer-recruitment-and-employment

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, and as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience. Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing recruitment@wirral.gov.uk

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on info@involvenorthwest.org.uk or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.

Working at Wirral

You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start:

Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave.

We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family-friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities.

Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.

We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you’d like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier-free and as accessible as possible please contact recruitment@wirral.gov.uk

Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.

It is Council policy not to re-appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications.

Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration.  Forms received via the post will not be processed.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK.  Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page.

The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now.

We do not accept applications or CV’s from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.