IDVA (Based in The Children’s Front Door)

Location: Exeter - County Hall
Salary: £28,666 - £31,029 rate will depend on IDVA qualifications and length of service
Vacancy Type: Permanent, Full Time (37 hours per week)

North Devon Against Domestic Abuse is committed to equity and diversity and strongly encourages applicants with a disability, from ethnically diverse backgrounds and the LGBT community, as these groups are currently under-represented in our organisation.

Our Children’s Front Door IDVA will work with the Children’s Front Door safeguarding Team at Devon County Council. They will also be part of DDAA (Devon Domestic Abuse Alliance), ensuring effective access to services for victims of domestic abuse across Devon County. This role involves multi-agency working and service flexibility to encourage engagement with the service.

The role involves providing a proactive service and advice to staff teams within the Front Door and victims of domestic violence to keep them and their children safe. The IDVA assesses the risk a client is in and delivers a service appropriate to the level of risk. They will work with a multi-agency approach to ensure all agencies do their part and coordinate their work to keep people safe

Main duties:

• Be a key person within the support planning and decision-making of the Children’s Front Door team in Devon Children’s Services.
• Highlight the impact of Domestic Abuse within the family and how this may pose a risk to the child.
• Challenge narratives around abused parents failure to protect and reframe as ‘why don’t they stop abusing’, helping to foster empathy to the victim and taking a focused approach to support and empower the parent/victim.
• Delivering training to other professionals within Children’s Services
• Link families who want to change into the DA Prevention Programme when those that harm are wanting to change their behaviour.
• Risk assessing and regularly reviewing the risk assessment, delivering service in keeping with the result.
• Explaining housing, financial, civil, and criminal legal options to clients and empowering them to make their own choices.
• Presenting cases to MARAC if needed.
• Attending and presenting reports at multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARAC) meetings.
• Undertaking safety planning with clients (both crisis and long-term) and developing individual care plans to meet their identified risks and needs.
• Supporting clients through the criminal and civil justice systems, explaining procedures and their role and rights within that system.

Please note, this is a brief list of the job’s responsibilities. Duties may change over time without altering their general nature or responsibility level. Such changes don''t warrant a re-evaluation of the post''s grading.

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

• At least two years’ experience working as an IDVA/YPVA or ISVA
• A good standard of education
• Knowledge of safeguarding
• Excellent understanding of active listening and the ability to understand the needs of others.
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health issues
• Trauma informed working training

Desirable

• IDVA/ISVA/YPVA Qualification
• Degree level qualification
• Level 2+ Safeguarding training
• Level 2+ counselling qualification or therapy qualification.
• Mental Health First Aid training
• Trauma stabilisation training or PATH Training

Experience

• Experience of supporting people who have experienced domestic abuse, sexual violence, forced marriage or so-called ‘honour-based violence’.
• Experience of working with vulnerable people.
• Experience of working in partnership with other organisations, using a multi agency approach.
• Experience of working with case management systems and Microsoft programmes.
• Experience of working in a trauma-informed manner.

General

• Full driving license, with access to a car for full working hours, enabled for business use.
• Clear boundaries and a willingness to accept line management and make effective use of supervision.
• A good understanding of the importance of confidentiality and anti-discriminatory practice; safe practice and health and safety procedures.
• A good understanding of cultural issues and equal opportunities.
• A good understanding of cultural issues and equal opportunities.
• Willingness to carry out the policies and procedures of NDADA/DDAA.

Please note that any offer of employment will be made subject to references and confirmation of the right to work in the UK and satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for North Devon Against Domestic Abuse, please do not hesitate to apply.