Employer: Phoenix Domestic Abuse Services
Salary: This post currently attracts a salary of £28,896.43 per annum.
Contract: Permanent, subject to continued funding.
Pension: Contributory pension scheme.
Hours of Work: The full-time hours for this post are 35 hours per week. The role is office-based and will generally be worked within Phoenix DAS's core office hours of 9.00am–5.00pm. Some evening work may be required to meet the needs of service users. Where additional hours are worked, these will be managed through Phoenix DAS's Time Off in Lieu arrangements or paid as overtime where appropriate and in accordance with organisational policy.
Additional Benefits
Phoenix DAS offers a range of additional benefits, including:
- 25 days' annual leave, pro rata for part-time employees, increasing by one day for each completed year of service up to a maximum of 30 days.
- Public holidays and discretionary holidays in addition to annual leave.
- Time off for your birthday.
- Free healthcare scheme.
- Free breakfast bar available at Phoenix House.
- Contributory pension scheme.
Additional Information
- The successful candidate will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.
- References will be obtained as part of the recruitment process.
- Employment will be subject to satisfactory completion of all required pre-employment checks.
The postholder will be required to comply with Phoenix DAS policies and procedures, including those relating to safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety and data protection.
Hours: 35 hours per week
Working pattern:
This is an office-based role, working within Phoenix’s core office hours of 9am–5pm, with some evening work required where necessary to meet the needs of service users. A TOIL (Time Off in Lieu) system is in place to ensure that additional hours worked can be reclaimed.
Reporting to: Victim Safety Team Leader
Location: Phoenix DAS office (NP13 3AY), with travel as required across the service area. Please note that this is not a hybrid position.
Service Overview:
This role sits within our specialist domestic abuse service supporting adults, children and families affected by domestic abuse.
Phoenix Domestic Abuse Services provides an ‘’All Family Approach’, providing holistic, strengths-based and trauma-informed support to victims, children and, where appropriate and safe, individuals who have used harmful behaviours.
Job Purpose: The Victim Safety Officer will provide person-centered, strength-based, and trauma-informed support to people affected by domestic abuse, working across all levels of risk and within Phoenix DAS’ All Family Approach.
The role will focus on reducing risk, promoting safety, and supporting victims to build confidence, resilience, and independence. This will be completed on an individual and group work basis.
The Victim Safety Officer will work alongside Phoenix colleagues within the Intervention Team and Children and Young People's Team to provide appropriate and safe work for individuals and families.
The postholder will also work closely with partner agencies, contribute to the development and delivery of interventions, and help strengthen referral pathways and awareness of Phoenix DAS across the service areas.
Safety and the wellbeing of children and adult victims will remain central to all aspects of the role.
Key Responsibilities and Duties
Victim Support, Risk Assessment and Safety Planning
- Provide direct support to victims of domestic abuse of all genders and across all levels of risk.
- Complete strength-based assessments to identify individual and family needs, strengths, and desired outcomes.
- Continuously assess and review the needs, circumstances and risks of victims and their children using evidence-based risk identification tools and processes.
- Develop, review, and implement personalised safety plans in partnership with victims.
- Provide non-judgmental information, advice, and practical support regarding risk management and personal safety.
- Support victims to understand their rights, choices, and available options.
- Support victims to navigate criminal justice, civil and family court processes where appropriate.
- Promote the autonomy, independence, confidence, and resilience of victims, ensuring that support is empowering and not directive.
- Provide crisis intervention and support, responding appropriately to changing risk levels and need.
- Identify barriers that may prevent victims from accessing appropriate support and work proactively to reduce or remove these barriers.
- Provide information about specialist services and make referrals to external agencies.
- Coordinate multi-agency support where required, ensuring that interventions remain focused on safety and the needs of the victim and family.
- Advocate proactively on behalf of victims where appropriate.
- Participate in multi-agency meetings, conferences and safeguarding processes relating to children and adults at risk.
- Prepare reports and complete actions arising from multi-agency meetings and conferences as required.
- Provide Partner Link Work for partners or ex-partners of individuals open to the intervention team.
Intervention and Support
- Contribute to and deliver programmes and interventions for people who have experienced domestic abuse.
- Incorporate established Phoenix DAS programmes, current research, evidence-based practice, and emerging developments within the domestic abuse sector.
- Deliver group work both face-to-face and online where appropriate and in accordance with service requirements.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across Phoenix DAS to ensure interventions are coordinated and reflect the All-Family Approach.
Partnership Working
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with key statutory, voluntary, and community-sector partners.
- Promote appropriate referral pathways into Phoenix DAS- this will include attending team meetings and training events.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues and external agencies to ensure families receive coordinated and appropriate support.
- Develop professional networks and contribute to raising awareness of the service.
- Provide guidance to professionals regarding parenting, domestic abuse, CAPVA and safety-focused responses where appropriate.
Case Management, Monitoring and Reporting
- Maintain accurate, timely and secure case records in accordance with Phoenix DAS’s GDPR policies and procedures.
- Ensure case management and monitoring systems are updated.
- Monitor and record outcomes to demonstrate the impact of interventions.
- Prepare internal and external reports where required, including reports for safeguarding conferences, team meetings, managers, and partner agencies.
- Contribute to case reviews, audits, and quality assurance processes.
- Keep the management team informed of significant issues, emerging risks, successes, and areas for development
Professional Development, Team Working, and Training.
- Participate actively in supervision, case management, reflective practice, and team meetings.
- Work collaboratively across Phoenix DAS teams and contribute to the wider All Family Approach.
- Provide guidance, advice, and training to professionals working with victims and families affected by domestic abuse.
- Support partner agencies to identify domestic abuse and respond appropriately to risk and safeguard concerns.
- Promote trauma-informed, strength-based, and safety-focused practice.
- Deliver awareness-raising sessions and presentations to groups and organisations as required.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of domestic abuse research, legislation, policy, guidance, and best practice.
- Take responsibility for personal and professional development and actively participate in relevant training.
- Share knowledge and good practice with colleagues where appropriate.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the post as may be required.
Organisational Responsibilities
- Protect the safety and security of Phoenix DAS, its service users, staff and premises.
- Follow Phoenix DAS safeguarding procedures and contribute appropriately to safeguarding activity.
- Maintain confidentiality and ensure that records and information are handled securely and appropriately.
- Comply with Phoenix DAS Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Equal Opportunities, Data Protection and other organisational policies and procedures.
- Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion throughout all aspects of the role.
- Always Uphold the values and professional standards of Phoenix DAS.
Additional Opportunities
The Victim Safety Officer will have opportunities to undertake additional hours and contribute to Phoenix DAS income-generation activities.
These may include delivering training and awareness-raising sessions for groups, organisations, and professional outside of your contracted hours.
Review of the Role
This job description reflects the duties and responsibilities of the post at the time of publication. It may be reviewed and amended in response to changes in service requirements, legislation, funding arrangements, research, best practice, or organisational priorities.
The nature of the role means that daily tasks and responsibilities may vary according to the needs of the service and the families being supported. Such reasonable variations will not necessarily require a reconsideration of the grading of the post.
Personal Specifications
Qualifications
Desirable
- A recognised professional qualification in a relevant field.
Experience
Essential
- Experience working with vulnerable people.
- Experience supporting people affected by complex or challenging circumstances.
- Experience assessing needs and identifying risks.
- Experience managing a caseload and maintaining accurate case records.
- Experience developing and maintaining professional relationships with other agencies.
- Experience working within safeguarding procedures.
Desirable
- Experience undertaking risk assessments and safety planning with victims of domestic abuse.
- Experience developing and delivering group programmes or interventions.
- Experience working within a multi-agency environment.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding the impact of domestic abuse on emotional, psychological, and physical wellbeing.
- Knowledge of child protection and adult safeguarding procedures.
- Understanding the importance of confidentiality, information sharing, and professional boundaries.
- Understanding static and dynamic risk factors and appropriate responses.
Desirable
- Knowledge and understanding of strength-based approaches.
- Knowledge of the Gwent region.
- Knowledge of civil, family court, and criminal justice processes.
- Knowledge of services and organisations available across Gwent.
- Knowledge of current domestic abuse research, policy, and best practice.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work independently and use initiative while also working effectively as part of a team.
- Ability to listen without judgement and respond sensitively to people who may have experienced trauma and abuse.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills are important.
- Ability to manage and prioritize caseload effectively.
- Ability to assess and respond appropriately to risk.
- Ability to remain calm and effective when working under pressure.
- Ability to maintain accurate and confidential records.
- Ability to build trusting relationships with victims while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
- Ability to challenge appropriately and constructively when required.
- Full driving licence and access to a car for work purposes- and ability and willingness to travel as required across the service area.
Desirable
- Ability to confidently deliver presentations and speak to groups.
- Experience delivering training or awareness-raising sessions.
- Welsh language skills.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and adaptable.
- Non-judgmental, empathetic, and supportive.
- Able to listen effectively and respond sensitively to people affected by domestic abuse.
- Approachable, friendly, and professional.
- Resilient and able to manage the emotional demands of working with domestic abuse.
- Committed to promoting safety, empowerment, autonomy, and positive outcomes for service users.
- Committed to equality, diversity, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Committed to trauma-informed and strength-based practice.
- Ability to reflect on practice and take on board feedback.
