Health Independent Domestic Violence Advisor

About us - making a difference in our communities

Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) are part of the Community Safety and Wellbeing team within the Communities Directorate. These key roles identify, assess, and assist victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse, increasing their safety and the safety of their families. We are committed to working with victims/survivors with a wide range of needs, including those with multiple and compound needs, disabilities, and complex health considerations.

About the job

Salary: £36,363 to £39,152 per annum
Working Pattern: Full time - 37 hours per week
Location: Arun or Horsham office base, co-locating at the acute hospitals across West Sussex with countywide travel
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract until 31/03/2027

In this role you will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.

Please note this role will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.

Undertaking direct work with clients within acute hospital settings across West Sussex who have experienced domestic and sexual violence and abuse, to ensure they receive an appropriate service and are able to access support.

Working within a multi-agency setting and keep the clients' safety central to all coordinated responses. You will support colleagues and partner agencies to provide the best possible service to victims / survivors. The role will include crisis management of victims / survivors at high risk of significant harm, delivering trauma-informed support and advocacy that promotes the safety of the victim / survivor and their children.

What you'll need to succeed

You will be a team player whilst also being able to work on your own initiative to manage crisis situations. Passion for supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence and will be able to communicate effectively with multi-agency partners, so that their voices are heard. Ability to influence partners to improve practice and outcomes for clients and children within health settings.

Managing a caseload, focusing on all levels of risk in a proactive way, and incorporating risk assessment and safety planning. Being both organised and adaptable, you will have the ability to respond to complex situations calmly and effectively.

Key Skills

These will be used to shortlist your application so please refer to how your experience to date shows you can demonstrate these skills.

• Excellent crisis management skills with the ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with clients, and the ability to provide advice to victims in stressful situations with clarity and empathy whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
• Excellent advisory, guiding, negotiating and persuasive skills to encourage others to adopt a course of action they may not wish to take.
• Ability to assess risk, interpret individual needs and develop appropriate safety, support and action plans.
• Experienced at judging and analysing, using these skills to solve difficult problems and develop solutions or plans over the medium term in order to work effectively with a wide variety of people.
• Ability to deliver training to support the understanding, awareness and impact of domestic abuse.

Qualifications and/or experience
* Relevant qualification at degree level in a relevant subject, or demonstrable experience in a paid or unpaid capacity of providing support to people in stressful and difficult situations.

• Safe lives IDVA qualification, or willingness to work towards this.
• Demonstrable experience of working in a multi-agency environment with victims / survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence.
• Experience of working within legislative frameworks to support victims / survivors and using their application to develop, influence and promote safety for clients.
• Experience of working with vulnerable people and managing a complex caseload.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and policies for both adults and children.
• Valid and full driving licence.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Working for us

As an employer we recognise our employees are central to everything we do. To recognise this, we want to help support your development and provide a great place to work. So, upon joining us, you will have access to a range of benefits including:

For a full list, please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CPP01316.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Anna Leith on

For issues or queries regarding your application please contact Rachael Doolan - Recruitment Specialist at

To apply

Please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter. In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 5 years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.