Job Description:

Health IDVA / DA Practitioner

Location: Exeter
Salary: £25,964 - £28,104 depending on experience
Vacancy Type: Fixed Term for 3 years (37 hours per week, Monday – Friday)

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.

The Exeter Health IDVA (HIDVA) will work alongside the DDAA (Devon Domestic Abuse Alliance), ensuring effective access to services for victims of domestic abuse across Devon County. The HIDVA will work in partnership with the second HIDVA (North) and Specialist Suicide Prevention IDVA’s in Devon. This role involves multi-agency working and service flexibility to encourage engagement with the service.

They will assist health services to respond more effectively to domestic abuse, including primary, community, specialist and acute services. The work will include training and presentations, sometimes in partnership with stakeholders, so requires creativity and initiative.

Main duties:

• 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.
• Undertaking safety planning with clients (both crisis and long-term) and developing individual care plans to meet their identified risks and needs.
• Providing advocacy, emotional and practical support and information to victims including in relation to legal options, housing, health and finance.
• Creating a team around the person approach, linking in support from other elements within DDAA and the wider system, with the clients voice at the centre.
• Managing a caseload and maintaining up-to-date records on an electronic case management system.
• Engaging with supervision; clinical and line management, in order to help process vicarious trauma, reflect on practice and identify any support or training needs.
• Working harmoniously with other team members, member organisations within DDAA and the wider system.
• Refer non-high-risk cases into the wider NDADA service after initial assessment
• Work with high-risk victims of domestic abuse to help them access services to keep them and their children safe. 
• Advocate for high-risk victims with agencies who can help to address the domestic abuse by understanding the role of all relevant statutory and non-statutory services available to domestic abuse victims and how your role fits into them
• Working directly with all key agency partners to address the safety of high risk victims and ensuring that their safety plans are coordinated particularly through the MARAC.

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 as a practitioner supporting people in a role which requires extensive safeguarding knowledge and risk assessments. Or IDVA/ISVA Qualification
• 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 Qualification in addition to 2 years’ experience.
• 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

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.