Independent domestic violence advocate jobs in Watford, hertfordshire

Job Title: Duty Independent Gender Violence Advocate (Duty IGVA)

Location: The GAIA Centre in Lambeth, London
Salary: £23,761.08 per annum, inclusive of London weighting allowance 
Contract type: Part Time, Permanent 

Hours: 30 hours per week (Tuesday-Friday). Please note that the the operating hours of the service are 8AM- 6PM Monday- Friday with the expectation to work on some days 8- 4pm or 10- 6pm to cover. 

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Duty Independent Domestic Violence Advocate to be the first point of contact for women who are impacted by domestic violence. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis and other gender-based abuse to provide high quality independent support to survivors all risk levels and their children..

In this role you will be part of a busy team. You will be the first point of contact for survivors who have been referred to the Gaia Centre. The duty IGVA will be responding to daily enquiries (specify from whom- public, agencies, individuals? over the phone and email as well as contacting survivors, assessing their risks and needs.

The duty IGVA will be responsible for carrying out and implementing safety plans and needs and will ensure an effective handover to the over to the relevant GAIA team for ongoing support. The post holder will also empower survivors by providing them with emotional, practical and personal welfare support. You will ensure that survivors are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment, enabling them to access their rights, make decisions and increase their life options. The job involves working within a multi-agency framework consisting of the MARAC and local partnership protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors.

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota.

Please note that this post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 8 September 2026

Interview Date: 17 and 18 September 2026

Help children and young people recover from sexual abuse. 

Respond is looking for a compassionate and skilled Specialist Child and Young Person Advocate to join an innovative partnership delivering a new Child Sexual Abuse Support Hub. 

Working alongside SurvivorsUK and other specialist organisations, you will provide trauma-informed advocacy and emotional support to boys, girls and non-binary children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse. 

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a collaborative service that places children and young people at the centre of support, helping them understand their options, improve their safety and access the specialist services they need. 

About the role 

You will: 

• Hold a caseload of children and young people requiring specialist advocacy and support. 

• Provide practical and emotional support tailored to individual needs. 

• Support children and young people to access health, education, social care, therapeutic and criminal justice services where appropriate. 

• Work collaboratively with families, carers and professionals while ensuring the wishes and rights of the young person remain central. 

• Contribute to safeguarding, risk management and multidisciplinary working across the partnership. 

• Help improve access to services for children and young people who experience additional barriers, including disabled children and young people and those from under-represented communities. 

Please note this is not a court advocacy or Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) role. Where ongoing ISVA or court support is required, you will work closely with partner organisations to ensure children and young people receive the right support at the right time. 

About you 

We're looking for someone who has: 

• Experience supporting children and young people affected by trauma, abuse or exploitation. 

• A strong understanding of safeguarding and trauma-informed practice. 

• Experience working collaboratively across agencies. 

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills. 

• A commitment to equality, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice. 

• Experience supporting autistic children and young people, those with learning disabilities, or additional needs would be highly valued. 

Why Respond? 

For over 30 years, Respond has been a national leader in supporting autistic people and people with learning disabilities who have experienced abuse, violence and trauma. We are committed to delivering accessible, inclusive and person-centred services that enable people to recover, heal and thrive. 

Joining Respond means becoming part of a supportive team that values collaboration, reflective practice and continuous learning while making a genuine difference to the lives of children and young people. 

We welcome applications from everyone 

We are committed to building a diverse workforce and particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience and those from communities that are under-represented in our workforce. 

Respond is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. The successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. 

Help us build Pathway to Protection CIC from the ground up and create a service that can make a meaningful difference to victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Project Manager to turn an ambitious social-impact vision into an operational, referral-ready and funding-ready organisation.

About Pathway to Protection CIC

Pathway to Protection CIC is a newly established Community Interest Company being developed to provide a single point of contact and coordinated pathway of support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

Our aim is to develop referral pathways with the police, domestic abuse refuges, local authorities, social services, healthcare providers and other statutory and voluntary-sector organisations.

Following appropriate assessment and safeguarding, individuals will be supported to access relevant specialist services, including refuge and housing support, advocacy, counselling, welfare assistance and legal advice and representation.

Where legal assistance is required, we intend to establish a transparent and independent panel/referral network of suitably experienced solicitors and law firms, preserving client choice and the independence of the CIC.

The Role

This is a hands-on development role. Working closely with the Founder/Director, you will take a leading role in building the infrastructure required to launch the organisation.

Key responsibilities will include:

• developing and implementing a clear project plan for launching the CIC;

• designing referral, intake, triage and onward-referral pathways;

• developing safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection and case-management policies and procedures;

• building relationships and referral pathways with police, refuges, local authorities, social services, healthcare providers and other relevant organisations;

• developing a transparent framework for a panel/network of independent solicitors and specialist service providers;

• identifying and developing strategic partnerships;

• researching suitable grants, trusts, foundations, commissioning opportunities and other funding streams;

• developing a funding pipeline and preparing high-quality grant, bid and commissioning applications;

• assisting with budgets, monitoring frameworks, outcomes and evidence of impact required by funders;

• supporting appropriate governance and operational structures; and

• establishing clear and measurable milestones towards sustainable service delivery.

About You

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in one or more of the following:

• project or programme management within the charity, CIC, voluntary or public sector;

• establishing or developing a charity, CIC, community service or social-impact project;

• domestic abuse or Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) services;

• safeguarding and multi-agency working;

• grant and bid writing, fundraising or commissioning; and

• partnership and stakeholder development.

Previous success in securing grant or commissioned funding would be a significant advantage.

Knowledge of domestic abuse referral pathways, IDVA services, MARAC and multi-agency safeguarding arrangements would also be highly desirable.

You should be proactive, organised and capable of taking ownership of a project from concept through to implementation, with excellent written communication, project-planning and stakeholder-management skills.

What Success Will Look Like

By the end of the initial six-month contract, we expect substantial progress towards:

• an established operational and safeguarding framework;

• functioning referral and case-management processes;

• relationships with key referral partners;

• an independent legal referral/panel framework;

• a clear funding strategy and active funding pipeline;

• grant and commissioning applications submitted or in development; and

• a practical plan for sustainable service delivery.

Contract

6-month fixed-term contract
Part-time – 3 days per week (approximately 21 hours)
Watford, Hertfordshire / Hybrid
Salary: £42,000–£48,000 FTE, pro rata, depending on experience

A formal review will take place after three months. There may be an opportunity for extension subject to satisfactory performance, organisational requirements and funding.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a covering statement outlining your relevant experience, particularly in project development, domestic abuse/VAWG or safeguarding services, grant funding, commissioning and multi-agency partnership working.

Please include an example of a project or service you have helped take from concept to implementation and confirm your availability to commence the role.

Closing date: 5:00 pm, Monday 14 September 2026.

Applications may be reviewed during the advertising period and suitable candidates may be invited to interview before the closing date. Early applications are encouraged.

Pathway to Protection CIC is committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and safeguarding.

No recruitment agencies, please.

We are looking for a Safeguarding Lead to provide dedicated safeguarding leadership as our flagship Drive Project working with high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse, scales across England and Wales. Acting as a Safeguarding Lead, you'll hold oversight of safeguarding governance across our network, lead a shift from compliance towards collaborative, relational learning, and support delivery partners as a trusted peer and source of expertise. This is a pivotal, newly created role for someone energised by culture change, skilled at holding both accountability and compassion, and comfortable working in complexity.

Closing date: Tuesday 25th August, 9am. Please refer to the job description for further details.

To apply, please visit Respect UK website 

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 Floating Support Worker at Solace Women's Aid.

We exist to end the harm caused by gender-based violence. Our aim is to prevent violence and abuse, as well as provide services that meet the individual needs of survivors, particularly women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives free from abuse

The Floating Support Worker will complete risk and needs assessments, develop safety and support plans, and provide ongoing support to survivors of domestic abuse whose level of risk has reduced to medium risk following specialist intervention. The postholder will hold a caseload of survivors requiring practical, emotional and advocacy support to help them increase their safety, access appropriate services, regain independence and work towards their longer-term goals.

We're looking for someone who is highly organised and self-motivated as well as being passionate about ending gender-based violence. You have a “can-do‟ approach and will show demonstrable commitment to Solace’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer.

Additional Information

This is a part-time, hybrid role at 18.75 hours per week. The postholder will work 1.5 days remotely and one day per week from the Enfield office.

The salary for this role is £29,385 - £30,671 (Unqualified) or £30,671 - £33,438 (Qualified), pro-rata for part time hours.

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
• Two paid wellbeing days
• 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

Please submit your CV and Supporting Statement through the recruitment portal. When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferable 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 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, Part 1. Section 7(2)(e) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 applies. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

No agencies

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Support Worker to join our Young People Mental Health Service located in Ealing. No personal care or experience required, just the right values.

£30,784.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply)
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Oaklands is made up of a newly refurbished six-bedroom home, located close to each other in Ealing, West London. We work with up to 6 young people at a time, providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment. Many of the young people joining us are moving on from hospital, stepping down from more intensive placements, or transitioning from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult services.

What you'll do:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead.

• Build supportive, trusting relationships with young people and help create a positive, welcoming atmosphere.
• Work proactively with other members of the team to manage the service caseload and carry out necessary administrative tasks.
• Conduct keywork sessions as required, using creative and engaging approaches to help young people achieve their Support Plan goals.
• Work collaboratively with young people to assess and manage risks, supporting positive risk-taking and shared decision-making.

About you:

• Ability to advocate for young people in a variety of professional and community settings.
• Values working collaboratively with young people to ensure the service truly meets their needs.
• Understands the impact of individual context, including experiences of trauma and adversity, on young people's lives and mental health.

What you'll bring:

Essential:

• Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent, or experience supporting young people or individuals experiencing mental health challenges.

Desirable

• Experience working in complex mental health environments, supported accommodation, or similar settings.
• Understanding of trauma-informed and psychologically informed approaches.
• Experience supporting people to develop independent living skills.

About us:

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Working within Baobab's welcoming and dynamic admin team in our Therapeutic Community, the Engagement and Administrative Assistant is a dual role. In your Admin assistant role you will provide comprehensive administrative support to operational, research and advocacy teams. In your Engagement Assistant role, you will lead on developing a successful programme of youth activities at the Baobab Centre (as Baobab Youth Activities Coordinator) and will focus on prioritising young people’s engagement in advocacy and research.

As a Housing Options Officer, you will provide housing-related support, advice, and guidance to vulnerable young people aged 16-35 living in YMCA accommodation. You will work closely with residents to help them develop independent living skills, manage their tenancies, maximise their income, access education and employment opportunities, and move on to sustainable housing solutions. 

What you'll be doing

• Managing a caseload of young people and providing person-centred support.
• Completing assessments, support plans, and risk assessments.
• Supporting residents with budgeting, welfare benefits, tenancy sustainment, and life skills.
• Working with housing providers, local authorities, and support agencies to secure positive move-on outcomes.
• Managing rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, and resident welfare issues.
• Promoting safeguarding, wellbeing, and a psychologically informed environment (PIE).
• Acting as a shift lead when required and helping maintain a safe and supportive accommodation environment. 

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience supporting young people or vulnerable adults in a housing, support, youth work, or customer-facing environment.
• Understands the challenges facing young people experiencing homelessness.
• Has excellent communication, organisation, and relationship-building skills.
• Can work effectively with a range of internal and external partners.
• Is passionate about helping young people achieve positive futures.
• Can maintain professional boundaries while providing compassionate support.

Waking Night Support Workers

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Waking Night Support Workers to join our Mental Health Social Care Service in Ealing.

£23,088.00 per annum, working 30 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply)
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
* Online wellbeing resources
* Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
* Free DBS
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Support workers will manage a number of young people to help them to identify, plan and achieve their goals, develop relationships meaningful to them and achieve greater independence by providing a flexible and individually tailored support package.

This is a Waking Night role working to support young people throughout the night at the service.

The working pattern for this role Includes: three 10-hour night shifts per week, with shift times varying between 9:30pm-7:30am and 10pm-8am.

What you'll do:
- Building supportive, trusting relationships with young people and creating a positive atmosphere
- Working proactively with other members of the team to handle the service caseload and administrative responsibilities
- Conducting key work sessions as required, that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
- Co-producing ongoing assessment and management of risks in collaboration with young people with an attitude of 'positive risk taking'
- Providing support with daily living activities, including practical assistance to support young people s to independent living e.g. budgeting, cooking, establishing a night time routine
- Supporting young people to maintain a healthy environment and where appropriate assisting them to clean their accommodation and maintain good personal hygiene
- Assisting in the recording and reporting of customer incidents
- Managing referrals, completing assessments and obtaining and maintaining all relevant paperwork

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:
Ability to advocate for young people in different professional and community spaces
- Values working collaboratively with young people to ensure the service best meets their needs.
- An understanding of peoples' contexts and how this might be impacting them their lives and mental health
- Cultural awareness and respect for the many different ways a person might make sense of their experiences and distress.

What you'll bring:
Essential:
- Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience supporting young people or people experiencing mental health challenges.

Desirable:
- Experience working in complex mental health environments

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
* We focus on Excellence and innovation.
* We are Caring and Compassionate.
* We are Inclusive and Trusted.
* We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Please see our website for full Job description

Change Grow Live are a charity dedicated to the belief that we can make a difference to our Service Users lives, offering support and respect in a safe environment, treating each person as an individual and working with them to find the right treatment and care options.

Our core values are ‘Be open, be compassionate and be bold’ and our team members apply these daily to achieve our mission of helping people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential. 

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Buckinghamshire Service for you to join a dynamic team committed to supporting children and young people who have been affected by someone else’s drug and/or alcohol use. The role of a Children and family Worker will support children and young people under the age of 18 on a one-to-one basis in a confidential space. The role will deliver a wide range of interventions/ education though activities, such as games, arts and crafts and emotional wellbeing resources. The role will utilise a young person-centred approach, empowering them to explore situations which they feel they have little control over to support them to lead a safe, happy, and healthy life.

The role will work in partnership and liaise with other young people services throughout Buckinghamshire, to provide holistic support to young people accessing the service. We need to record information about what we do, so enjoying a bit of admin work and attention to detail is important, but most of the time you’ll be enjoying working with young people from all backgrounds, making a difference to their lives. You will be required to work flexibly across operational sites as required so must hold a full UK driving license and have access to a car. Don’t worry, there is a wide array of training and development opportunities to help support you in your work.

Where: This role will be based across Buckinghamshire County

When: We're looking for the right person to join our team ASAP on a permanent contract

Hours: 37.5 per week

Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours. 

Responsibilities

About the role: 

• To holistically support CYP affected by parental substance misuse, using a range of interventions including group work, 1:1 work, whole family interventions, safety planning and safeguarding working closely and proactively with the family unit to support positive and sustainable outcomes.
• Identify families in conjunction with other agencies, who will benefit from a Think Family / Whole family approach, negotiating participation and engagement with the programme of care.
• Identifying and responding effectively to potential safeguarding issues. 
• Reducing drug and alcohol related harm to young people and the wider community. 
• Working with young people to support positive, holistic outcomes in relation to their health and wellbeing, enabling them to lead safe, healthy, and purposeful lives: reducing risk and increasing resilience 
• Working flexibly across sites where required

About you: 

• Experience of working with young people and knowledge of the issues they face 
• Knowledge of safeguarding concerns in relation to children and young people and the Fraser Competence framework 
• Have an excellent understanding of drug and alcohol issues and experience of working within a related field 
• Knowledge of working with evidence-based practice around young people’s substance misuse treatment services and methods, including relevant best practice guidance 
• An accomplished communicator, both verbal and written with a high degree of personal IT competency 
• Be able to accurately update and maintain records and to work to deadlines for the submission of information, e.g., reports 
• Have excellent team working and interpersonal skills, maintaining a highly cooperative approach to supporting colleagues in delivering service objectives 

What we will give to you: 

• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays) rising by 1 day for each years’ service “Capped at 30 days” 
• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour each week along with a ‘Wellness’ hub and Employee Assist Programme 
• Contributory pension scheme 
• A great selection of benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc. 
• A friendly and supportive team 
• Training, career development & progression opportunities 
• Refer a friend scheme.

Please ensure that when completing your application form and supporting statement, you reflect on the details outlined in the job description. This will help us understand how your skills and experiences align with the requirements of the role.

A note about using AI in your application

AI can be a really helpful tool when putting together your application, and we're happy for you to use it. However, what we're most interested in is you.

We want to understand your experiences, achievements and strengths, so please make sure your application reflects your own story and clearly shows how you meet the essential criteria and the impact you've made in previous roles.

There's no need to write in a particular style. The strongest applications are those that are authentic, specific and clearly demonstrate your skills, experience and potential. We look forward to learning more about you.

Direct applications only — we will not be engaging agencies for this vacancy. 

Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. For applicants with time-limited visas, unfortunately, we are unable to support new visa applications or extensions. 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. 

Salary Range (pro rata if part time)

CGL points 23 to 28 (£28,557.79 - £32,802.41)

ILW / OLW /Fringe

N/A - Outside London Weighting Area

Interview Date

24/8/2026

Closing Date

17/8/2026

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.