Job Description

We have rewarding opportunities available for four Female Domestic Abuse Housing IDVA’s to join our teams based in North Somerset and Bristol.

In Bristol, there are two full time roles available and you will join us on full-time, fixed-term contract until September 2022, working 37.75 hours per week.

In North Somerset you will join us for a one-year fixed term contract from January 2022, working either full-time (37.5 hours) or part time (18.75 hours). In return, you will receive a competitive salary of £23,541 (pro-rata for part time) per annum and benefits.

Established in 1999, Next Link is the leading provider of domestic abuse services to women and children in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. At Next Link we are committed to providing holistic, empowering and personalised support and advocacy to women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

In return for joining us, we will offer you:

• Up to 30 days annual leave (depending on length of service)
• 3 extra holidays including International Women’s Day
• Excellent development and training opportunities
• Employer pension contribution (minimum 5% of your gross salary)
• Mindful Employer Plus Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Wellness Awards

About the role:

The roles will be based in either Bristol City Council or North Somerset Housing teams and you will work alongside colleagues and other partners to support women and families in housing need and support around domestic abuse support.

You will develop and coordinate support and provide interventions across a range of key partnerships as it relates to domestic abuse. You will support and educate housing workers working to develop robust, trauma informed approach to service users faced with housing issues and domestic abuse. You will advocate for these women and improve responses to DVA within the housing teams and link into and support strategic work across the authority.

 Key duties and responsibilities of our Domestic Abuse Housing IDVA’s:

• To train and support housing staff to identify and support victims of domestic/sexual abuse.
• To establish and maintain support to women and their children, with a victim centred approach, focussing on safety and recovery and ensure service users:

• Are safer
• Feel safer
• Feel more empowered and confident
• Have an increased understanding of DA and risk factors
• Are more aware of safety measures
• Have an increased understanding of the abuse they are experiencing 
• Understand the Impact of DV on their children

• Using intelligence from a variety of sources, and support housing teams to identify these families in need who are at risk of domestic abuse, alongside partners form a clear action plan and lead on their housing whist addressing their domestic abuse
• To provide advice and guidance to Housing teams and other partners dealing with domestic abuse
• Be an active participant in multi-agency meetings and undertake regular consultations with housing and other partnership colleagues
• To liaise effectively and collaboratively with partner agencies to respond to women and children in crisis and at risk, maximising safety and achieve positive outcomes
• Champion service user empowerment and involvement by ensuring our services:

• Are accessible to all potential service users;
• Value and respect service users as the experts of their experience; 
• Work in strength-based and solution-focused ways with clients; 
• Facilitate agreed actions into practice
• Use service user feedback and involvement to improve our service
• Have a Think Family approach

• Providing support to enable survivors to safely maintain their current accommodation, access welfare benefits, legal advice alternative housing, and support services.
• Maintain an effective support service with the aim of enabling the survivor to develop the skills and resources necessary to move on and maintain independence and self-reliance.
• To liaise effectively and collaboratively with all appropriate agencies and community groups to ensure the best access to services and meaningful community engagement for service users.

This is not an exhaustive list of your duties and outlines the general ways in which it is expected you will meet the overall requirements of this post.

What we are looking for in our ideal Domestic Abuse Housing IDVA’s:

• An understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on women and children
• Knowledge of criminal and civil legal remedies and housing law relating to domestic abuse
• Able to deliver training
• Knowledge of the safety options available to women experiencing domestic abuse
• Experience of support planning and risk assessment
• Experience of assessing the risks and needs of vulnerable people who have experienced domestic abuse and/or complex needs 
• Demonstrable understanding of the diverse needs of families experiencing domestic violence and the discrimination issues as they relate to survivors escaping domestic violence
• Knowledge of Domestic Abuse risk assessment tools including DASH and extensive understanding of the MARAC process
• An understanding of cultural diversity

If you are passionate about supporting vulnerable women and families with housing needs, please apply now to join us as our Domestic Abuse Housing Worker and contribute to the valuable work Next Link and its wider services, delivering hope and support to survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

How to apply:

Please download the application pack from our website and complete the application form. Please submit your application by 9am on Monday 13th December 2021.  Interviews will be held on 17th December 2021.