Independent Sexual Violence Advisor

Victim Support is looking for an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor based in our Wakefield office, with frequent travel across West Yorkshire working 22.5 hours per week.

Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who need it? Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care?

If yes, then we'd love to hear from you.

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• Flexible working options including hybrid working where this fits in with the needs of the service
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

As an ISVA you will provide ongoing continuity, advocacy and impartial advice and information to all survivors accessing our service. You will be confident in offering advice such as reporting to the police, accessing Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) services, and specialist support such as pre-trial therapy and sexual violence counselling.

You will conduct risk assessments and analyse the specific needs of clients who have suffered sexual violence. Your expertise in this area will enable you to develop individual service plans that address these risks and needs. You will have a proven track record of working with high and complex caseloads and have demonstrated resilience in your professional life, enabling you to work effectively under pressure. You will have extensive experience working with vulnerable clients and possess the skills to maintain professional boundaries and promote empowerment to survivors, rather than fostering reliance on support. You will also be adept at working in a trauma-informed manner, acknowledging that trauma can impact individuals in different ways, and offering support with this as a priority. As an advocate for sexual violence survivors/victims, you will work to promote their confidence, resilience, and empowerment both within and outside of the criminal justice system.

You will provide non-therapeutic support to victims/survivors. This will be delivered face-to-face or via telephone, text and/or email based on the preferences of the client. To build links with services across West Yorkshire to ensure wrap-around support is available.

You will offer guidance and support to clients in navigating the criminal justice process while ensuring their rights are protected in accordance with the Victims Code of Practice. You will be able to explain legal, criminal, and civil remedies to clients as necessary. You will provide victims with access to resources and support to help them through the criminal justice process.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.

As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.