Interpersonal Trauma Practitioner

FearFree delivers services across the Southwest for victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse and victims of sexual violence. We provide responsive, victim-focused, and trauma-informed support, and this post will be fundamental to ensuring service users, stakeholders, and partners experience this in our daily delivery.

The aim of the Interpersonal Trauma Service is to improve the health, wellbeing, and safety of people who have been exposed to trauma arising from sexual violence and abuse and/or domestic abuse. Following a successful trial in several surgeries, this service is now being rolled out across Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay. This is a very exciting opportunity to take ownership and be part of an innovative new service, delivering real improvements to the local community.

You will work across a specified number of GP practices to offer support to health professionals, people who have experienced interpersonal trauma arising from sexual violence and abuse and/or domestic abuse, as well as a service for people at risk of perpetrating abuse. You and the team will provide training to GP surgeries to improve identification, enquiry, and response for patients. You and your team will also support adults and children impacted by interpersonal trauma with emotional and practical support, focusing on trauma stabilization. The team will be responsible for facilitating timely access to further appropriate support services where needed.

• To provide specialist, individual, and needs-led domestic violence/abuse (DVA) and sexual violence (SV) advocacy and support to patients who are or have experienced DVA/SV, who are referred from participating practices or self-refer, and to provide onward referrals where appropriate.
• To provide signposting and onward referrals to patients who are affected by DVA/SV.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with general practice teams.
• To provide ongoing specialist advice and support around DVA and SV to practice teams.
• To encourage general practice health professionals to ask patients about their experience of abuse and respond, record, safety check, and refer.
• To provide feedback on case outcomes to referring clinicians.
• To collect and collate performance and monitoring data for reporting purposes.
• Provide in-house training & refresher training for general practice teams on understanding, recognising, and responding to domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and sexual violence (SV).

• Provide support to increase people’s personal safety, and that of any children, and inform them of their rights and options in terms of housing, legal, and welfare rights.
• Provide direct assessment, casework support, advice, information, and advocacy through telephone contact and/or meetings at the relevant practice.
• Develop good working relationships and liaise with outside agencies where needed.
• Keep accurate records of all referrals received and of work done with or on behalf of service users.

• Arrange dates for refresher training sessions with practices.
• Deliver DVA and SV training to clinicians and non-clinical staff in participating general practices.
• Promote awareness of the experiences and needs of people affected by DVA and SV, particularly in relation to their health.
• Develop a good relationship with all general practice staff and work effectively as part of the practice team.

• Attend and participate in required meetings.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation of the programme collecting required data and producing written reports as requested.

FearFree is committed to encouraging equality and diversity in the workplace. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive place to work where we can all be ourselves and individual differences are recognised and valued.