Job overview

The Safeguarding Team is seeking to appoint a Health Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) with a recognised qualification and extensive experience in the assessment and management of domestic abuse risk.

The successful candidate will provide immediate safeguarding support, specialist safety planning, and practical advice to victims of domestic abuse, including patients, carers, visitors, and colleagues. They will work closely with statutory and voluntary sector partners, signposting individuals to appropriate services and ensuring effective multi-agency collaboration.

The role focuses on improving outcomes for victims by increasing engagement with safeguarding services, reducing repeat victimisation, and promoting safety, wellbeing, and recovery. The Health IDVA will also contribute to developing domestic abuse awareness, data collection, and safeguarding practice across the Trust and wider community.

The postholder must be skilled in managing highly sensitive and confidential information and committed to a Think Family approach, ensuring support is considered for everyone affected by domestic abuse.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of individuals and families affected by domestic abuse, while helping to strengthen safeguarding practice and partnership working across the Trust and wider health and social care system. ‘

Main duties of the job

·         To provide leadership and training to Trust staff and key partner agencies

·         To provide specialist support and complex multi-generational safety planning to victims of domestic abuse and violence (and their children) who have presented to A&E or who are accessing services elsewhere in the hospital and have disclosed DA. This must be delivered through an evidence-based risk identification checklist such as the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model (DASH)

·         To be able to communicate on highly sensitive issues, negotiate over services, staff, clients/ deal with child protection, vulnerable adults, mental health issues, disclosure of sensitive information, explaining legislation in sensitive situations

·         To have specialist knowledge across range of procedures underpinned by theory

·         To have professional knowledge acquired through IDVA qualification supplemented by specialist training

·         To ensure appropriate pathways for referrals

·         To provide support for those at highest risk of further harm or through pro-active interventions for those at medium or standard risk which will include individual safety planning and personal support.

·         To be able to assess complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation, comparison of a range of options including referral to appropriate services.

Working for our organisation

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?