Location: Bexley (Hybrid) (Bexley office and co-location/ hybrid working may change with demands to service)
Salary: Unqualified Applicants £28,255 - £29,913 per annum
Qualified Applicants £29,923 - £32,623 per annum
(Please note that applicants are usually appointed at the bottom of the relevant band)
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Contract: Fixed Term Contract
Closing Date: Friday 31st October 2025
Closing Time: 00:00am
Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as an Family Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) at Solace Women's Aid.
You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in the capital. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.
Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.
About the Service
The Bexley SASS team provides advocacy and support to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse living in Bexley. An exciting opportunity has arisen in this busy team for a Family IDVA. This includes a package of support covering crisis intervention, risk assessment, safety planning, assessment of needs and individual support planning. A key aspect of the role will be to advocate on behalf of service users pursuing remedies through the criminal and civil justice systems.
About the Role
Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates provide a proactive service to survivors of domestic abuse identified as being at high risk of imminent harm.
As a Family IDVA your focus will be supporting survivors with two or more children. You will carry out risk and needs assessments, safety planning and support planning with survivors and advocate on their behalf with external agencies. You look at the children’s needs and signpost them to appropriate services.
You will support the family (where safe) to remain in their own home with the support of Solace’s Sanctuary Scheme to ensure the risk is reduced and/or negated or you will advocate on their behalf for appropriate safe accommodation.
You will hold a caseload for up to three months and will provide crisis intervention, risk assessment, safety planning, assessment of needs and individual support planning; engaging them in other services for additional support.
About You
You will need a thorough understanding of domestic abuse and its impact on women and their children, as well as experience of providing emotional and practical support and strong casework management skills.
You will have the skills to provide effective crisis intervention, carry out risk assessments, safety planning, assessment of needs and individual support planning. You should have demonstrable experience of working in an IDVA or similar position with this or a similar client group.
As women we know that we don’t always apply for jobs unless we meet all of the criteria. If this applies to you, we ask that you consider using the supporting statement to show us how you believe your experience and skills will enable you to do the role, and how you think we might support you to develop in the role.
You will be highly organised, self-motivated, and passionate about ending gender-based violence. You will have a “can-do‟ approach and demonstrable commitment to Solace’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer. You will receive training and support for this role, as necessary.
What we can offer you
We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:
* Flexible working
* Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
* Generous holiday entitlement
* Employer pension contribution
* Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
* Access to Inclusion Networks
* Daily clinical debriefing
* Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
* Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
* Flow & Restore yoga classes
* Meditation sessions
* Cycle to Work Scheme
How to apply
When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:
* Values, Behaviours & Competencies
* Knowledge, Experience and Skills
Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.
This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.
No agencies.