Independent Domestic Violence Adviser

We are Hestia. We make a difference.

At Hestia, we live by our values and are committed to a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation that provides a variety of services such as Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery, Mental Health & Complex Needs and Criminal Justice. We are committed to empower people to rebuild their lives and regain independence. 

The service you will work in is the Wandsworth and Richmond local boroughs. We cover 3 local walk-in sites and various co-locations in housing, mental health and children's services.  

A day in this role looks like….

As an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser at Hestia, you will play a crucial role in our Domestic Abuse service. Your contributions will directly influence the lives of our service users, guiding them towards a path of empowerment and independence.

A day will never look the same and some of the things you can expect to do/be responsible for are:

• Attend a local walk-in site to provide support for walk-in clients once a week.


• Manage a caseload of 25 medium - low risk cases, referring clients to various external agencies to provide safeguarding measures and ongoing support.


• To address the safety of victims at high risk of harm from intimate partners, ex-partners, or family members to secure their safety and the safety of their children. This should be delivered within a multi-agency framework, working with MARAC(s).


• Provide practical and emotional support to women and men experiencing domestic and sexual abuse across all level of risk and their children and to advocate for survivors to ensure their needs are met.


• Provide a service that upholds best safeguarding practice in relation to children and adults at risk and to escalate any issues in relation to safeguarding clients and their children and / or any vulnerable adults to the Senior Manager or Programme Manager in the first instance.


• Advocate, both verbally and in writing, in a range of settings including in civil and criminal proceedings and with criminal justice professionals, external support agencies, social services, employers etc.


• To work with the Everyone's Business Manager and wider team to ensure a seamless service is being delivered by working closely with the employer, providing workshops, information sessions , accurate monitoring and reporting outcomes. 


• Support and contribute to the operational delivery of the Respond to Abuse Advice Line for Employers. (The Advice Line is a free and confidential service for employers across the UK to access support and advice regarding domestic abuse disclosures within the workplace.)

Why Hestia?

Joining Hestia means more than just a job; it's an opportunity to be part of something bigger. We offer a supportive, inclusive and resolution driven work environment where your contributions are recognised and valued. As a member of our team, you will have the chance to grow both personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of passion, expertise, and dedication to the table. To excel in this role, you should possess:

• Proven experience of providing high-quality casework support to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, including strong crisis management – dealing with challenging situations, risk assessment and safety planning.


• Experience of working within a multi-agency framework providing a coordinated response to survivors.


• A sound understanding of, and the ability to advise on various options available to survivors of domestic abuse such as the criminal justice system and civil remedies, housing options, finances etc.


• Comprehensive knowledge and experience of safeguarding adults and children at risk and the ability to identify and address them appropriately.


• High levels of empathy, active listening and effective verbal and written communication skills.


• Demonstrate awareness of safe practice when lone working.


• Demonstrate the ability to keep and maintain accurate and confidential records to a high standard.


• Ability to establish, develop and steward effective and creative relationships with the employer, stakeholders, external organisations and with other teams within the organisation.


• Excellent knowledge of the impact of domestic abuse and other gender based violence on survivors and their children together with experience of providing support to the same.


• Knowledge and experience of participating in the MARAC process.


• Knowledge and ability to advise competently on a range of criminal and civil law options available to those accessing the IDVA service.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer…

Hestia is a disability confident employer, committed to the employment and career development of individual with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We will also accommodate reasonable adjustment during the selection and interview process and throughout your employment with us.