Drive Team Leader

This is a Full Time, Fixed Term position for 2 years due to funding. Strength to Change is seeking a dynamic and experienced DRIVE Service Team Leader to lead and develop a specialist team working to address high-risk high harm domestic abuse. The DRIVE programme works with perpetrators of domestic abuse to reduce harm, improve safety for victims and children, and disrupt patterns of abusive behaviour. As Team Leader, you will play a critical role in delivering a high-quality, trauma-informed and multi-agency approach that places victim safety at the centre of all interventions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide effective leadership and management to the DRIVE team, ensuring high standards of practice and performance.
• Oversee the delivery of interventions with high-risk high harm perpetrators, ensuring risk is safely managed.
• Work in close partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies, including police, probation, social care, and Domestic abuse services.
• Ensure robust safeguarding and risk management arrangements are in place for victims, families and staff.
• Monitor performance, outcomes and service quality, using data to improve practice.
• Lead on case oversight, supervision, and reflective practice.
• Contribute to the strategic development of the service and wider partnership work.

We are looking for someone with:

• Significant experience working within domestic abuse, safeguarding, criminal justice or related services.
• Proven management or team leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of coercive control, perpetrator behaviour and risk assessment and management.
• Experience of working within a multi-agency environment.
• Excellent communication, decision-making and organisational skills.
• A commitment to victim-centred and trauma-informed practice.

You will be confident in managing complexity, supporting staff, and influencing across partnerships to drive improved outcomes.

ROLE AND PURPOSE

The post holder will lead and manage the operational delivery of the Strength to Change Drive Project. Responsible for ensuring the overarching aim of the service is at the centre of all decision making and service delivery, which is to safeguard victims and their children. Develop a system thinking, strengths-based solutions focused approach to the delivery of highly specialised service for perpetrators of domestic abuse.

This role will be responsible for providing supervision, case management/reviews, reflective practice, mentoring and identifying the development needs of all staff to ensure high quality support and advice services are offered and provided. Oversee and lead on training and development of DRIVE Case Practitioners to ensure they have the required high-level knowledge and expertise to undertake their specialist roles.

Initiate, develop, maintain and monitor a multi-agency infrastructure that actively engages with perpetrators of domestic abuse on the “support – disrupt” continuum principles. Work collaboratively with the DRIVE Partnership and local delivery partners to maximise the reach and impact of the service. Raise awareness of domestic abuse and evidence based good practice in relation to safeguarding and service provision in this specialist and complex area of work.

Ensure domestic abuse specialist risk assessment tools are used to inform high level and often complex decision making and ensure appropriate information sharing to safeguard victims and their children. The post holder is expected to work in line with the Respect Practice Standards, SafeLives and women’s Aid National Service Standards for domestic abuse. Support the Strategic Domestic Abuse Manager and Commissioning Lead to meet the requirements set by commissioners and Drive central team.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Ensure that all support and advice given is in line with DRIVE Partnership key messages and strategic objectives. Contribute to the development of the DRIVE model through service reviews, supporting the DRIVE Partnership in delivery challenges and implementation of changes to the DRIVE operational model. Act as a champion for DRIVE across the area in all aspects of development and delivery throughout.
2. Work to ensure the DRIVE Project plays a key role in multi-agency structures and responses to domestic abuse, including supporting the coordination of a multi-agency perpetrator panel. Influence and develop responses to improve services to perpetrators of domestic abuse ensuring that the experiences of clients and other agencies inform this process. Develop and maintain effective links with other partner agencies, attending strategic and operational working groups as appropriate to inform and contribute to the development of strong multi-agency strategies to tackle domestic abuse.
3. Develop protocols, referral procedures, skills sharing and joint working with external partners as appropriate. Ensure effective and timely joint working practices are developed and maintained between the DRIVE Case Practitioners and partner service, supporting the partners, ex-partners and new partners, and family members of clients in management of risk and developing intervention plans, as directed by policy and process.
4. Ensure that the required data is recorded on the service case management system and DRIVE case management system (Iizuka), so that the evaluation, performance management and service learning is maximised and shared across senior managers and stakeholders. Ensure that Case Manager’s files and records are accurate and complete, and those both are kept and in compliance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Local Authority information Sharing Procedures. To support information collection to inform statistical, and workload returns as required by the Strategic Domestic Abuse Manager and Commissioning Lead and wider service area managers.
5. Contributes to the development of the domestic abuse / VAWG strategy by sharing victim and perpetrator views and feedback and practice barriers and challenges and trends to influence practice and service delivery. Contribute to the development of the Drive model through service reviews, management audits and quality assurance processes, identifying service risks and good practice working with the Drive Central Team and commissioners, supporting the Drive Partnership in delivery challenges and to implement Drive Partnership decisions on changes to the Drive operational model.
6. Support team members to deliver the Drive behaviour change interventions and to consider disrupt activities with partner agencies. To line manage, supervise and support, DRIVE staff to ensure they are highly efficient, effective trauma informed and take a strength-based client centred approach to service delivery. To co-ordinate and plan the day-to-day operations of specialist domestic abuse service and staff teams in order to achieve ongoing service delivery and continuous improvements within the service. Remain mindful of and ensure the application of national evidenced based best practice and minimum standards ensuring ongoing service improvements are adopted and implemented.
7. To manage and advise staff in all areas of risk identification and assessment, safety planning and safeguarding practice. Ensure staff are trained and developed to the required standards to ensure safeguarding practices are adopted and delivered. To lead and model a trauma-informed, strengths based and survivor-centred culture. Assists and directs staff to promote a culture of professional curiosity embracing research within areas of responsibility, encouraging the exploration of different cultures, concepts and ideas. Proactively promote and ensure the service is responsive to all sections of the community, including people with complex needs, disabilities and those from global minority groups, etc.
8. Ensure policies and procedures are adhered to and are in line with GDPR and other Local Authority information sharing protocols, health and safety and safeguarding. To ensure that policies and procedures are relevant, fit for purpose and cover all aspects of service delivery. Remain current and up to date with legislative changes and the impact on practice and service provision, taking positive action and translating into practice as and when required. Validates assessments with quality audits of casework, including observation of practice, to ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge and competencies to practice safely and confidently.
9. To oversee and manage complex cases that require high levels of expert knowledge and expertise and give practice advice and consultation to project staff and partner agency staff who are managing complex cases and facilitate effective client centred risk focused decision making.
10. Ability to manage DRIVE efficiently and effectively and ensure systems and processes are maintained to ensure a high standard of day-to-day operations are provided, with full regard to Health & Safety Legislation, staff support and staff risk assessment and management are adhered to.

The above principal accountabilities are not exhaustive and may vary without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility.