Domestic Abuse Safety Officer - South Wales Vale

Overview

Working within regional Interventions Teams, the postholder will support clients who meet the DASO Service eligibility criteria. Clients are victims and/or current partners of domestic abuse perpetrators required to attend offending behaviour interventions. The role holder will use their knowledge of domestic abuse, the wider criminal justice system, and related organisations to provide bespoke support to clients, advocating client safety and managing their risk of harm.

• Develop strong professional relationships with clients to support and empower clients to navigate formal and legal processes.
• Initiate timely contact with clients and explain the DASO Service, share the Privacy Notice and seek consent for engagement with the Service as demonstrated by obtaining a signed Agreement to Participate form.
• Provide clients with information about the programme that the person on probation is attending, ensuring compliance with relevant disclosure guidance.
• Request feedback from clients at regular intervals throughout the intervention; manage client’s expectations where needed.
• Carry out safeguarding children and safeguarding adult duties in accordance with HMPPS statutory responsibilities and agency policies.
• Assess the safety of home visiting using available information on the person on probation (e.g., Probation assessments and information from Social Services, the Police, Victim Support etc).
• Identify and assess the safety risks and needs of the client in order to promote the safety of clients, children, and other dependants by working with them to construct and regularly review a realistic Safety Plan.
• Regularly refer, liaise and signpost to local support organisations and multi‑agency forums, using a completed DASH risk assessment and/or safety plan as appropriate (e.g., MARAC, Social Services, Child Protection Conferences, MAPPA, IOM schemes).
• Timely recording of contacts related to the client, using the relevant digital database. Maintain accurate case records within agreed timescales, along with completion of client reports and emails to Probation Practitioners summarising key client issues, as required.
• Develop working knowledge of and good relationships with local networks (specialist police domestic abuse units, Criminal and Family Courts and support organisations, e.g., housing, local refuges, victim services, counselling) to enable effective support, signposting and referrals for clients.
• Ensure that any information relating to risks to a client’s safety is shared promptly (and in a victim‑sensitive manner) with the Probation Practitioner, programmes team and other agencies where relevant, and contribute to the risk management process for People on Probation whilst adhering to all policies in respect of the sensitive and confidential information.
• Support the Programme Manager in delivering presentations and providing information about the DASO service, which includes mentoring new post holders and providing awareness sessions to other Probation Practitioners and professionals from other agencies.
• Demonstrate confidence in spoken aspects of the role in English or Welsh (where specified in Wales).

Flexible working hours may be required, including evenings and weekends, as necessary to accommodate clients. Some travel throughout South Wales is required for this post.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We are a Disability Confident employer and offer adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace.

David Masters, Programme Manager – d