The Women’s Aid Research Bulletin

Sign up here!

Our Research Bulletin connects members with up-to-date research, studies and events relevant to the work of the Domestic Abuse (DA) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector, including:

• Up-to-date statistics, research and reports from Women’s Aid and key stakeholders  
• New publications by academics and researchers in the field of domestic abuse and VAWG  
• Other publications such as books, research-informed resources and policy briefings  
• Free or low-cost events, webinars and seminars  
• Calls for research participants 

Please note: Inclusion in the Women’s Aid Research Bulletin does not in any way entail endorsement by Women’s Aid. Our Research Bulletin will be distributed by email every two months, ensuring research is timely, relevant and can be acted upon if necessary. Women’s Aid may also, from time to time, send you other communications relating to research. If you no longer wish to receive emails from us, you can unsubscribe, or email us at: researchandpolicy@womensaid.org.uk

Women’s Aid’s Research

Visit Research – Women’s Aid to access Women’s Aid’s research, data and information about domestic abuse and it’s impact on women and children, including The Domestic Abuse Report: The Annual Audit, which give an overview of the domestic abuse support services available in England, including provision and usage, drawing on Women’s Aid’s key datasets and evidence.

Sign up to the Women's Aid Research Bulletin

Name *

First

Last

Email address *

Email

Confirm Email

Organisation *

Your job role/title *

How did you hear about the Research Bulletin? *

• Women's Aid's Members Bulletin
• Women's Aid Members' Area
• Recommended by colleague
• Recommended by external organisation
• The Women's Aid National Conference
• Women's Aid training or workshops
• Other

If you ticked 'Other' please expand here:

Consent

Please review the below terms below:

• By completing this form, you consent that we may use the contact details provided to contact you. Your data will be stored and used in line with Women’s Aid’s privacy policy. https://www.womensaid.org.uk/privacy-policy/

Submit

Your data will be stored and used in line with Women’s Aid’s privacy policy: www.womensaid.org.uk/privacy-policy/

The post Sign up to our Research Bulletin appeared first on Women’s Aid.

The post Annual funding settlement appeared first on Women’s Aid.

As outlined in a previous update, Women’s Aid have increased our minimum annual funding settlement for specialist domestic abuse services to align with a new estimate for  the ‘by and for’ from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s office. In their latest funding submission, the DAC modified their figure for the ‘by and for’ sector to account for updated population figures from the Office for National Statistics. Their new minimum funding settlement for the ‘by and for’ sector is £150m (previously £178m). This includes £66m for refuge services and £84m for community-based services. We continue to call for further research to be led by the ‘by and for’ sector to provide a better understanding of the demands facing the ‘by and for’ sector and the funding needed to ensure that all Black and minoritised survivors are able to access the support that they need.

In the meantime, we have aligned our funding ask with the figure estimated by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner. This means that our total funding settlement for the specialist domestic abuse sector, including ‘by and for’ services, is now £502m (previously £516m). This is divided into a funding settlement of £222m for refuge services (previously £228m) and £280m for community-based services (previously £288m). Our estimate for the total shortfall from current government spending is now £307m (previously £321m). This includes a shortfall of £62m for refuge services and £212m for community-based services.

We continue to call for the Government to work with Women’s Aid to establish a better understanding of the funding required to meet the needs of children as victim survivors in their own right. In the meantime, we continue to call for a ring-fenced fund of £46m to ensure that at minimum all refuges and community-based services have a dedicated children and young person’s worker.

The post Women’s Aid updates proposed funding settlement for domestic abuse services appeared first on Women’s Aid.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Act) received Royal Assent on 29th April 2021. The Act is now widely regarded to be a ‘landmark’ piece of legislation, but we rarely expand beyond that assertion to reflect on why, or how much the Act has helped us to tackle domestic abuse.  

The Act was undoubtedly important in delivering a step change in our national response to domestic abuse. It introduced provisions in a wide range of areas, from housing to health and the family courts, reflecting the diversity of needs that survivors have when fleeing abuse, as well as the insidious nature of domestic abuse – permeating every aspect of a victim’s life. Women’s Aid was immensely proud to campaign alongside sister organisations, activists, member services, government officials, dedicated parliamentarians, and most importantly, survivors, to secure key changes to the legislation.  

Three years following the passing of the Act, all but one of the 91 provisions have been established in law – but what has really changed for survivors? 

Access to Justice 

Although the Act provides greater assistance for survivors giving evidence in family, civil and criminal court proceedings, the court system is overborne with cases and unable to meet the significant number of requests for special measures. The measures are further inhibited by a lack of basic infrastructure. Remarkably, in many cases special measures simply cannot be implemented due to limited court facilities in outdated buildings.  

The lack of capacity and resources is also proving detrimental to the Qualified Legal Representatives (QLR) scheme, which is intended to prevent an alleged victim being questioned in court by their alleged abuser. In one case, 120 attempts were made to find a QLR. 

This means that tragically survivors continue to describe the court process as leaving them re-traumatised and the presumption of parental involvement allows perpetrators to continue controlling victims through the courts and use the system as a tool for their abuse.  

The legislative scope of the Act 

The Act introduced a statutory definition of abuse, recognising children as victims in their own right, which sits alongside comprehensive statutory guidance that places greater emphasis on non-physical forms of abuse. And yet, whilst the guidance explores abuse in all its forms, the Act pays comparatively little attention to the mental health support needs of survivors. The omission of migrant survivors and additional forms of abuse such as ‘honour’-based abuse in the legislation, also means that countless women from Black and minoritised backgrounds are left without adequate support or understanding of their experiences.  

We know that countless migrant women continue to suffer abuse in silence, for fear of their immigration status being disclosed to the Home Office by police and remain shut out from accessing safety and support.  

To equip professionals and wider society with the knowledge of domestic abuse, in all its forms, to respond effectively to survivors’ needs, it is clear that further guidance and training is needed across the police, court professionals and other statutory agencies.  

Housing 

Women and children escaping domestic abuse need safe refuge and stable housing. Gatekeeping practices and a lack of understanding around the mechanics of domestic abuse unfortunately continue to inhibit the implementation of vital new protections for survivors accessing social housing.  

Despite new provisions under the Act that grant survivors ‘priority need’ status in social housing applications, survivors continue to report being denied access to affordable accommodation or being forced onto year-long waiting lists. We often see cases where housing authorities demand evidence of ‘physical violence’ to qualify for applications to social housing or other forms of support, or to have ‘corroboration’ of the abuse from the police.  

There is also still a desperate need to reform outdated joint tenancy laws, which currently require survivors to obtain consent from their abuser to end a joint tenancy and stay in their own home – a policy that the Government consulted on over two years ago and has yet to publish its response.  

Whereas those who stay within their own homes face significant housing barriers, and are often left ‘trapped’ with their abuser, for women that need to leave, accessing social housing can be very challenging. Currently, social housing allocation policies can often, unfairly, determine whether a woman is able to safely leave an abusive relationship despite guidance to local authorities on the need to disapply ‘local connection’ tests for applications from survivors fleeing abuse.  

The overreliance on the individual will or domestic abuse expertise of staff in local authorities, owing to the significant discretionary powers that they hold in determining who is eligible for local connection or other exemptions, has proven to be ineffective in guaranteeing survivors access to social housing when fleeing to a new area. 

It is of serious concern to Women’s Aid that whilst the Government is yet to publish its response to its consultation – launched over two years ago – on introducing regulations that exempt survivors from local connection requirements for social housing, new measures are being proposed which would further restrict access to safe and suitable accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse.  

Funding 

Part 4 of the Act placed a legal duty on councils to fund domestic abuse in safe accommodation. The duty which was designed to uphold and stabilise a chronically underfunded national network of lifesaving refuges, has had mixed effects. Whilst some councils have assumed their new duties with a commitment to honouring the guidance, much of the funding has been diverted away from the very services we hoped the duty would revive. 

Around a quarter of specialist refuge services, and less than half of those provided ‘by and for’ Black and minoritised women, in England were not commissioned by their local authority in 2022-23 according to our research.  

Whilst there’s been an increase in the funding available for refuge services, we are concerned about trends in the data, indicating a diversion of funds, away from specialist services, and towards large generic organisations, which often have next to no experience in domestic abuse, or the accredited quality standards need to qualify as a form of ‘safe accommodation’. In some cases, the statutory funding is used to set up services ‘in-house’, meaning domestic abuse support is provided by professionals in the council.  

Survivors escaping domestic abuse continue to report serious safety concerns when they can’t access specialist support. Women interviewed by the Office for National Statistics in temporary forms of accommodation were denied access to basic rights, felt isolated and depressed and were frightened for the safety of themselves and their children.  

The severe challenges with local authority budgets – with rising numbers of councils issuing Section 114 notices – are a further huge threat to the future of specialist domestic abuse support services.   

What needs to change? 

With three years to monitor the implementation of the Act, it’s abundantly clear that funding and legislation alone will not suffice in the fight against domestic abuse. Around one in four women have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16 and at least one woman a week is killed by a male partner or ex-partner. The statistics and insights from Women’s Aid’s national datasets, as well as the harrowing stories that continue to punctuate the news, tells us that we need a seismic shift in our approach to domestic abuse. But to do this, we need to coordinate a response that addresses the structural causes of domestic abuse and extends beyond the criminal justice system.  

What do we mean by this?  

Firstly, we need more than prevention programmes to intervene earlier. Currently, ongoing failures in the criminal and family courts to protect survivors; harm posed by police who are tasked with supporting women; alongside a severe lack of funding for specialist support services and prevailing misogynist attitudes means that, we have a system, which effectively, empowers perpetrators to abuse, and a society that tolerates it, which meanwhile dissuades or disempowers survivors from accessing the support they need to leave them.  

To prevent domestic abuse, we need to disarm perpetrators from their armoury of tools. Survivors need to have confidence that they can access the appropriate support they need to leave. And this requires a society that’s ‘levelled up’ in its response to domestic abuse. It also demands increased leadership accountability to address the police, health, and welfare responses to domestic abuse, working in partnership with specialist organisations and backed by sufficient funding and training. And this must unequivocally include migrant survivors.  

Above all, we need a national network of sustainably funded specialist domestic abuse services to help women rebuild their lives and live free from abuse. 

The funding and sustainability of these services remains a severe challenge which leaves women and children fleeing abuse unable to access the life-saving support. Existing funding is not only inadequate and short-term, but it also too often fails to go where it’s needed – sadly, due to poor local commissioning practices, funding can be awarded to large, generic services that are ill-equipped to provide the expert support that survivors urgently need.  

Womens specialist services understand and actually address the needs of survivors. They grew from the feminist movement of the 1970s and they have developed unparalleled experience and expertise in domestic abuse and wider forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG). Specialist services led ‘by and for’ Black and minoritised women, Deaf and disabled women and LGBT+ survivors are uniquely able to meet the needs of the survivors they support, providing a place of true safety and understanding for the groups experiencing additional forms of inequalities.  

These services are incredibly valuable not only to the women and children they support but to the whole of society. Women’s Aid estimates that properly funding, specialist domestic abuse services, in England would cost around £427 million per year which is a drop in the ocean compared to the £78 billion that domestic abuse costs society a year. Our research has also found that for every £1 invested in these services, £9 is generated in benefits to the taxpayer. This means we could save the public purse as much as £23 billion a year if the government stopped the current short-term, piecemeal patchwork of funding and committed to investing in this national infrastructure of support for women and children.    

Ultimately, survivors need a whole-system response – where all parts of society, government departments and agencies work together to increase the safety and freedom of survivors. For the Domestic Abuse Act to help us deliver this, it needs to extend its legislative scope to include all survivors, namely migrant women, and be accompanied by efficient funding and stronger accountability for the agencies tasked with its implementation.  

The post Three years following the passing of the Domestic Abuse Act, how much progress have we made in tackling domestic abuse? appeared first on Women’s Aid.

The post Third anniversary of the Domestic Abuse Act appeared first on Women’s Aid.

Position : Domestic Abuse Specialist Worker {floating support)

Report to : Children and Families Gender-Based Violence Service Manager

Location : London

Salary : £30,000 per annum

Full Time 35 Hours per week

Contract : 1 Years Fixed Term

Holidays : 28 days per annum including bank holidays

Other : Occasionally, you will be required to work on a Saturday. Time off in lieu will be given

Please note: This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Claudia Jones Organisation was established in 1982. Primarily the organisation supports and empowers women and families of African Caribbean heritage. We aim to provide culturally sensitive services to meet the needs of women and families of African Caribbean heritage.

PURPOSE

To foster a therapeutic approach to providing a cohesive specialist service for African Caribbean heritage women and families who present with complex layering of issues that includes domestic abuse and gender-based violence.

To achieve measurable outcomes that reduce risk and increase safety for women and families who access this service.

To work within CJO’s model of `Community-based Approach to Wellbeing’ through volunteer opportunities, training and peer support.

CJO aspires to provide services that are respectful of the trauma service users may have experienced and this role will require a good understanding of how this will permeate the way the services are offered and managed.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

o Provide practical support to increase the safety of women and their children who are victims of gender based violence or complex life situations.

o Undertake support in-house, at their home, or in the community through individual safety planning, advocacy, emotional support and CJO’s Community-based Approach to Well-being.

o Provide a whole family centered approach to supporting families with complex needs in assessing risk in line with CJO’s existing protocol.

o Identify and prioritize high-risk cases that requires immediate short- or medium-term crisis interventions where you need to act.

o Work in partnership with women individually and families to complete risk and needs assessment to increase the safety of women and families who are victims of gender base violence; and or family breakdown.

o Work as part of a team to ensure the best outcomes for women and families.

o Actively always comply with the procedure for Safeguarding of vulnerable children and Adults in your work, participating in meetings to achieve this.

o Build and sustain effective working relationships with service users, colleagues, internal cross-functional teams, volunteers, student social workers on placement and relevant agencies to address presenting issues and make referrals for additional support.

o Manage case load that is sometimes complex in an effective and timely manner to achieve positive outcomes for women and families that meet their individual needs.

o Participate in regular case reviews with manager and team.

o Support service users through the criminal justice system as necessary.

o Undertake crisis intervention when necessary such as emergency house moves, refuge spaces or obtaining civil protection orders.

o Keep accurate records and monitoring data that contributes to the project’s outcomes.

o Degree level education or equivalent experience in gender, social work, public health, community development, family support, IDVA (ideally CADA) or another related field.

o Good knowledge and understanding of access to local resources, community and statutory services to create options and pathways for women and families.

o Attend conferences, meetings, supervision and training as requested.

o To complete an annual work plan and attend year end appraisal.

o Ensure that work is carried out in accordance with CJO’s policies and procedures and to positively promote the principles of these policies amongst colleagues and service users.

o To comply with CJO’s Health and Safety, data protection and to protect your own and other’s health, safety and welfare.

o To work flexibly as will be required by the needs of the service understanding that aspects of your work may change as we strive for continuous improvement.

o To be able to evidence CJO’s values always, which underpin CJO’s mission.

o Demonstrate a high level of competency in using Microsoft office packages, databases/case management system.

o Ability to work on a Saturday from time to time.

o Participate in and attend the AGM.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience:

Direct service delivery to; African Caribbean heritage women and families who live with complex family challenges and or victims and survivors of gender base violence or no recourse to public funds.

Direct experience of working in the voluntary sector within a multiagency and legislative framework.

Using Safelives/DASH risk and needs assessment frameworks.

Direct experience of referrals to and working with MARAC.

Managing a complex caseload.

Experience of keeping accurate records and collecting data for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Working with childhood sexual exploitation, misuse of drugs, alcohol or mental health issues, no recourse to public funds, homelessness.

Experience of advocating on behalf of women and families.

Direct work with women/families whose children may be involved in Social Care proceedings and or at risk of school exclusion as a result of GBV, homelessness, no recourse to public funds, family breakdown.

Experience of working in a therapeutic environment.

Knowledge & Understanding:

Have a good understanding of gender base violence including it’s impact on African Caribbean heritage women and families.

Have knowledge of help-seeking barriers and support needs of African Caribbean heritage women and families (in heterosexual, same-sex, extended family relationships).

Have knowledge and understanding of the impact of intersectionality on African Caribbean Heritage women and families.

Have theoretical, practical and procedural knowledge of civil and criminal justice remedies for women and families.

Understand Safeguarding issues, and the legal responsibilities surrounding these issues.

Understand the principles of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management for victims of gender-based violence and their children.

Understanding of data protection, confidentiality and information sharing and why it is important.

Have an excellent understanding of and be committed to work within the principles of equal opportunity and undertake the work in an anti-discriminatory and empowerment framework.

Understand the remits and resources of relevant statutory bodies and voluntary agencies. Good understanding of Civil and Criminal law court processes.

Skills/Abilities

Demonstrate how you have provided support to vulnerable people, particularly people experiencing gender base violence, no recourse to public funds etc.

Have strong crisis management skills and the ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations.

Have a good awareness of the structures and processes that prevent African Caribbean heritage women and families from seeking support.

Proven ability to plan, prioritize and organise workload and manage a demanding caseload. Show initiative and be proactive when managing your case load and interacting with your clients and agencies you are working with.

Proven ability to keep accurate records and statistics in a form which is accessible and useful to funders and the senior management team.

Working collaboratively with statutory and voluntary partners, whilst balancing competing needs and interests.

Have excellent communication, negotiation advisory skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals.

Compassionate/empathetic with your client’s situation but not collusive.

Working pro-actively and as part of a wider, diverse team.

Ability to work flexible, including evenings and weekends to meet the needs of the service (TOIL will be given).

Having mutual respect for everyone we work with, for and support through our services.

Able to promote the work of the Claudia Jones Organisation.

Demonstrate the ability to use IT applications competently including, Microsoft Word, Excel etc. and Case Management systems.

Degree level education or equivalent experience in gender, social work, health, community development, family support, IDVA/DAPA or another related field.

Foster a flexible approach to the role, understanding that aspects of your work may change as we evaluate and strive for continuous improvement.

Any other activities that may be required from time to time.

Applications should be emailed to: director@claudiajones.org with the subject line: CJO 2024 – 01 FT Application. If you have not received a response to your application within 21 days of the closing date you can assume your application has not been successful on this occasion. All posts are subject to satisfactory references and Enhanced DBS checks. CJO is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

The post Domestic Abuse Specialist Worker {floating support) appeared first on Women’s Aid.

When it comes to responding to crime, it can be said with certainty that data matters – it matters when it comes to establishing who is most vulnerable, who the likely perpetrators are, what the underlying causes are and what can be gleaned from the data to keep those who are vulnerable, safe. While data on domestic abuse is available, it contains gaps which leave us with questions about the women’s lived experiences, while also often concealing the gendered nature of this abominable crime. What we must remember is that each week, a woman is still being murdered by her abuser and children left motherless because of this heinous crime.  

At the end of last year, the Office for National Statistics published its annual domestic abuse data bulletin, with figures for the year ending March 2023 showing that one in four women (27%) experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. For men, this figure is around one in seven (13.9%). When looking only at partner abuse, the figures are 22.7% for women and 10.2% for men.  

The latest figures also found that an estimated 1.4m women experienced domestic abuse in the previous year, an apparent decrease from 1.7m in the year before, but this is not a statistically significant change. The survey for the most recent year contained an error, which resulted in missing data, and the data comes on the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the ONS did report a significant decrease in the proportion of women aged 16 to 59 years who experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023 (6.5%) compared with the year ending March 2020 (8.1%). This comparison only relates to women up to the age of 59 years because the upper age limit was only removed in October 2021. This was following successful campaigning from Women’s Aid and others, finally demonstrating that domestic abuse can be suffered by anyone – daughters, mothers, grandmothers. Whilst the ONS reports that this is a statistically significant change with 95% confidence, they do note caution around the data, due to the caveats with data collection in the year ending March 2023. This period also covers the period of the Covid pandemic, which is likely to have had an impact on the figures, although this requires longer term analysis. 

We have previously spoken about the ‘hidden’ gender asymmetry when looking at the statistics. First, it is important to remember that the estimates published by the ONS are taken from the Crime Survey for England and Wales and are not based on reporting to the police. They are therefore the best available statistics on prevalence. However, in our blog we set out how these figures do not capture context, impact and repeat victimisation – whether these behaviours were experienced as a pattern of abuse in a context of coercive control, how they made the victims feel and whether the abuse formed part of a series of incidents. Extensive research shows that these factors are important in understanding the gendered dynamics of domestic abuse, as women are not only more likely to experience domestic abuse, but are also more likely to be subjected to coercive control, and to being seriously physically and mentally harmed or killed. 

Since bringing this to the fore, we worked with a team of leading researchers led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, to develop a measure of prevalence that incorporates coercive control and the impact of abuse. These questions were added to the Crime Survey in April 2023 as part of a split-sample trial until March 2025, and we look forward to seeing the impact this has on the figures that are being reported.  

The latest ONS bulletin also contains data on domestic homicides, which do clearly show the gendered nature of domestic abuse. Homicide Index data from the year ending March 2020 to the year ending March 2022 shows that 67.3% of domestic homicide victims were female. Of the 249 female domestic homicide victims, the suspect was male in a staggering 241 cases. In the majority of female domestic homicides, the suspect was a male partner or ex-partner (74.7%), whereas in the majority of male domestic homicides, the suspect was a male family member (66.1%). 

Furthermore, the total number of women killed by a partner/ex-partner over this three-year period was 186. All of the suspects were male. This is an average of 1.2 women per week killed by a male partner/ex-partner. In previous years, this average has been around 1.5 women per week, but homicide data changes year-on-year, so a longer-term analysis would be needed to establish a trend. Similarly, regardless of whether there is a trend or not, the stark reality remains that each week, a woman is killed by a man – the grief and devastation this leaves is unimaginable, as each woman is someone’s daughter, mother, sister, or cherished friend and each loss is an immense tragedy.  

One glaring gap in this data is victim suicides in the context of domestic abuse, and this is one area that new research is shedding more light on, including the Domestic Homicide Project, which has been looking at deaths in the context of domestic abuse since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Another critical gap is in the experiences of Black and minoritised women. In November 2023, Imkaan and the Centre for Women’s Justice launched a groundbreaking report into the deaths of Black and minoritised women due to domestic abuse. The report highlighted that there is currently no data available on the breakdown of intimate partner killings of Black and minoritised women by men. There are therefore many unanswered questions about the deaths of women experiencing domestic abuse, and particularly those women subject to additional inequalities. 

Since 2020, large scale changes including the Covid-19 pandemic, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the rising cost-of-living pose further questions about changes to perpetration, experiences of abuse and access to support. The need for more and better data on domestic abuse has therefore never been more critical.  

It is also vital to remember that every data point behind every trend relating to domestic abuse should not exist. Women and children should be safe in their homes – that is a basic human right. As long as this data exists, criminals abusing these rights are committing crimes with impunity. We must come together to end this epidemic, once and for all. 

The post Who is missing in the data? What the available data on domestic abuse does and doesn’t tell us about women’s experiences  appeared first on Women’s Aid.

The post Women’s Aid responds to the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation National Expert Steering Group Annual Progress Report appeared first on Women’s Aid.

For a full Job Description & Person Specification CLICK HERE

For FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about vacancies and recruitment, please CLICK HERE

If you still have unanswered questions about the role, please email us at hr@bcwa.org.uk

Job Title: Volunteer Manager

Hours: Part-time 17.5 hours per week during normal office hours 9.00am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, exact days and hours negotiable

Contract Type: Fixed term contract to 20^th October 2026

Salary: £17,500.00 per annum (this is £35,000 FTE)

Application Deadline: 21^st February 2024

Interviews: (via Zoom) week beginning 26^th February 2024

Location: Working at least 14 hours per week from BCWA’s central office in SE20

Employee benefits we offer:

– A friendly, flexible and values-led organisation

– Competitive salary

– 25 days of annual holiday, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time)

– Contributory pension scheme (5%)

– Training to help you perform your role and support your professional development

– Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support

Who we are: Bromley & Croydon Women’s Aid is a well-established, innovative and forward-thinking local domestic abuse service. We are seeking a self-motivated, flexible and experienced individual to join our dynamic team to help us deliver excellent services to vulnerable women who have experienced domestic abuse and be committed to working in a non-discriminatory manner.

About the role: You will develop, expand and improve our volunteer opportunities, policies and procedures, quality standards and assurance processes to ensure we have an exceptional volunteer programme.   You will line manage and support the Senior Volunteer Coordinator. You will assist with volunteer recruitment, interviewing candidates and matching them with appropriate roles.  You will deliver the necessary induction and training and ensure that appropriate support and supervision is in place for volunteers at all times.  You will monitor, collate data and statistics and produce quarterly reports.   BCWA is aiming to achieve accreditation with “Investing in Volunteers” which is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management and you will take the lead on this project.

All staff have access to hot-desking at our offices as needed. Flexible working is welcomed at BCWA. We are all women with busy lives and families, and we understand that flexibility can be crucial in supporting women in the workplace.

Location: You will work from BCWA’s central office in SE20 for at least 14 hours per week.

Wellbeing: As a trauma-informed charity we take mental health and wellbeing seriously. We offer clinical supervision to our frontline team, regular staff wellbeing sessions, use of our Employee Assistance Programme and an additional wellbeing platform which offers a range of advice and support.

Notifying candidates: We apologise in advance that we will not be able to notify candidates who are not shortlisted.   If you haven’t heard from us within two weeks from application deadline, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.

We reserve the right to terminate this recruitment process should we receive a large number of applications.

Female applicants only: In light of the nature of work, the candidate’s gender is considered to be an occupational requirement in accordance with Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: BCWA is committed to supporting and promoting equality & diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. To achieve this, we seek to employ a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds to better represent the communities we serve.

BCWA are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Reg. Charity No.1068007.

The post Volunteer Manager appeared first on Women’s Aid.

Executive Assistant

Bromley & Croydon Women’s Aid is seeking to recruit an Executive Assistant, a person who will help our senior leadership team to run high-quality services for survivors of domestic abuse, and who is passionate about working to improve women and children’s lives. 

As an Executive Assistant you will offer confidential and high-quality administrative support to the CEO and Director of Operations alongside coordinating projects for the senior leadership team.  You will undertake key tasks to support the senior leadership team including researching and preparing briefings and reports, collating internal and external statistics, helping to streamline governance and any other key tasks to support the CEO and Director of Operations in the running of the organisation. 

You will aid in implementing BCWA’s strategy and develop and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of partner agencies and assist in facilitating partnership work.  This is an incredibly varied opportunity where no two days are alike.  We’re looking for someone with executive support or project management experience. Knowledge of domestic abuse and experience of working in the charity sector would be an advantage. 

All staff have access to hot-desking at our offices as needed. Flexible working is welcomed at BCWA, with a mix of home and location-based working across our friendly and supportive team. We are all women with busy lives and families, and we understand that flexibility can be crucial in supporting women in the workplace.

BCWA is a well-established, innovative and forward-thinking local domestic abuse service. We are seeking a self-motivated, flexible and experienced individual to join our dynamic team to help us deliver excellent services to vulnerable women who have experienced domestic abuse. You must be committed to working in a non-discriminatory manner. 

As a trauma-informed charity we take mental health and wellbeing seriously. We offer clinical supervision to our frontline team, monthly staff wellbeing sessions, use of our Employee Assistance Programme and an additional wellbeing platform which offers a range of advice and support. 

Job Title: Executive Assistant 

Hours: Full time (35 hours) 

Contract Type: Full time, permanent contract 

Salary: £32,250.00  

Application Deadline: Monday 22nd May 2023 

Interviews: (via Zoom) conducted on a rolling basis 

Location: Hybrid working

Employee benefits we offer: 

– A friendly, flexible and values-led organisation 

– Competitive salary 

– 25 days of annual holiday, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time) 

– Contributory pension scheme (5%) 

– Training to help you perform your role and support your professional development 

– Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support 

– Two Wellbeing Days and day off on birthdays  

How to apply

To learn more and download the Job Description from our website.

To upload your CV and apply, please complete the Screening & Equal Opportunities Form.

If you haven’t heard from us within two weeks of application submission, please assume your application has been unsuccessful. 

We reserve the right to terminate this recruitment process should we receive a large number of applications. 

If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact Melanie at BCWA on 020 8313 9303.

Female applicants only. In light of the nature of work, the candidate’s gender is considered to be an occupational requirement in accordance with Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010. 

BCWA is committed to supporting and promoting equality & diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. To achieve this, we seek to employ a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds to better represent the communities we serve. 

BCWA are an Equal Opportunities Employer. 

Reg. Charity No.1068007. 

Comments are closed.

The post Executive Assistant appeared first on Women’s Aid.