Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA)

The IDVA team works within a multi-agency system to provide a proactive, person-centered independent service for victims of domestic abuse, empowering choice through informed decision making.

Key elements of the role include:

• Providing priority support to service users.
• Risk assessing and helping to keep service users safe through safety planning.
• Enabling victims to access statutory and other services.
• Engaging with and supporting the MARAC process, to ensure that the voice of victims is heard.
• Managing a caseload of high-risk victims and working proactively to support them and their families.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide a high-quality service to those at the highest risk.
• Provide practical and emotional support to service users, working jointly with them to carry out, implement and review needs assessments and support plans.
• Understand and work effectively within a multi-agency framework, consisting of the MARAC and local partnership responses to domestic abuse, in order to reduce the risk for service users and their families.
• Identify and assess the risks and needs of service users using an evidence-based risk identification checklist.
• Work with high-risk service users to help them access services, to keep them and their children safe.
• Advocate for high-risk service users with agencies who can help to address the domestic abuse.
• Understand the role of all relevant statutory and non-statutory services available to service users and how your role fits into them.
• Provide information to service users in relation to legal options, housing, health and finance.
• Work directly with all key agency partners to address the safety of high-risk service users and ensuring that their safety plans are coordinated particularly through the MARAC.
• Manage a case load ensuring each person receives the appropriate support, tailored to their needs.
• Support the empowerment of the service user – assisting people to recognise the features and dynamics of domestic abuse present in their situation, and help them regain control of their lives.
• Support service users to maintain existing accommodation and to advocate on their behalf, in order to access accommodation and additional support.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with specialist agencies, both statutory and voluntary, to support those with multiple support needs.
• Recognise, respect and address the needs of service users who face barriers when seeking help to access the service, including those from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, LGBT communities, disabled people, those with complex needs and other groups which services have found difficult to reach.
• Provide practical and emotional support in relation to criminal and civil remedies, housing, health, education, employment, welfare benefits, counselling, legal aid and children’s support.
• Accompany service users, when needed, to other relevant agencies and support them in their interactions with these agencies.
• Work alongside colleagues to deliver a whole family approach.
• Be proactive with your line manager to carry out periodic case reviews.
• Respect and value the diversity of the community in which the services work in, and recognise the needs and concerns of a diverse range of survivors ensuring the service is accessible to all.
• Help maintain accurate and confidential case management records and contribute to monitoring information for the service.

General:

• Remain up to date and concordant with organisational procedures, policies and professional code of conduct, upholding standards of best practice.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings.
• Contribute to effective team working with a flexible and pro-active approach, including cover for other team members’ holidays and sickness where required.
• Undertake agreed training and keep updated on changes in legislation, policy, and best practice.
• Support additional duties at your team manager's discretion.