Specialist and Expert Advocate for Children

Title: Specialist and Expert Advocate for Children – supporting children bereaved by fatal domestic abuse in Scotland

Reports to: Operations Manager

Location: Remote working – with potential travel, therefore a requirement for residence in Scotland

Contract: Full time – 12 months, with potential extension to 36 months dependent on funding

Salary: £33,000 pa

Role

AAFDA is a growing charity, and we are looking for a specialist Children’s Advocate to be based in Scotland. Although home based, travel will be required across Scotland. We welcome applications from candidates who are registered social workers and who have professional experience of working with people who have experienced domestic abuse.

We are also committed to diversity and strongly encourage applications from those with Black and/or Minoritised backgrounds.

AAFDA was founded by Frank Mullane in memory of his sister Julia Pemberton and her son Will who were both killed by her ex-partner in 2003.

Scotland is expected to introduce Domestic Homicide and Suicide Reviews (DHSRs) in 2026. We are looking for a candidate with a good understanding of the Scottish legislative system and good understanding around domestic abuse and how it impacts on children to join our growing charity. Each year, in Scotland, around 25 families lose a loved one to fatal domestic abuse, perhaps one third of this number being domestic homicides and the others being suicides following domestic abuse. The actual number of domestic abuse related suicides remains unknown.

Many of these families suffer significant problems including relationship breakdown, job difficulties/loss and mental and physical health issues. The Children’s advocate will provide expert advocacy, specialist peer support to children, and other services, helping them practically and emotionally. This may include helping them to contribute to DHSRs and providing opportunities to recover from harm for example via trauma therapy and other services.

Through trauma-informed approaches, you will help the children bereaved by fatal domestic abuse:

• To enhance their voice after fatal domestic abuse including by helping them to contribute to domestic homicide and suicide reviews and formal / informal meetings with various professionals.
• By providing residential peer support events, or access to these events for both the children and their carers.
• Via virtual support tools and other resources.
• By developing pathways into groupwork programmes for carers of bereaved children.
• Cope and recover by direct support and by linking into other services, for example, specialist trauma therapy.

Job Description and Person Specification

This is a specialist role providing the opportunity to support children bereaved by fatal domestic abuse and contribute to Scotland's forthcoming Domestic Homicide and Suicide Review process. The postholder will help children be heard, understood and safely involved in the systems and reviews that affect them, while helping AAFDA strengthen a growing children and young people’s specialism.

Job Description

• Support our expanding development of a children and young person’s specialism, working with both external and internal partners to enhance the voice of the child after fatal domestic abuse.
• Build and establish networks to ensure referrals are received.
• Advocate for and on behalf of children bereaved by fatal domestic abuse in Scotland, helping ensure their experiences, needs and wishes are recognised in decisions and processes that affect them.
• Listen to children and establish relationships with them and their families or carers based on mutual respect, empathy, trust and honesty, creating the conditions for children to feel heard and safely supported.
• Liaise with a range of statutory and non-statutory service providers where there is to be a domestic homicide or suicide review (e.g. justice services, social services, police, health, housing etc) and work to build good relations between all parties.
• Support children to increase awareness and understanding of domestic abuse based on their experience, and how to verbalise this in a safe environment.
• Develop resources and virtual support tools that help children access information, support and advocacy in ways that feel safe and appropriate for them.
• Develop a groupwork programme for carers of bereaved children.
• Provide residential peer support events for children and their carers.
• Identify relevant information and signpost to other sources of information.
• Discuss additional support and signpost to other organisations which are best placed to provide that support, making formal referrals where necessary. Such as referral to a specialist service providing trauma therapy.
• To assist, where required, with training, development and delivery within AAFDA.

Domestic Homicide and Suicide Reviews, Criminal Justice System and wider systems and processes

• To provide specialist advocacy to help children to understand, influence and contribute to Domestic Homicide & Suicide Reviews (DHSRs).
• Explain and provide written information to children on the nature of the review process and criminal justice system processes where relevant and appropriate. Explain the importance of the role of children in these reviews.
• Work directly with professionals, Chairs and panel members to help their understanding of the impact on children, and how they can support involvement of children.
• Liaise with and influence DHSR chairs.
• Ensure that children are enabled to have a voice in the review. To operate within AAFDA’s policy of confidentiality when working with families, ensuring informed consent before acting on their behalf.

Person Specification

• A registered social worker with active accreditation and relevant experience.
• Able to express empathy, have excellent listening skills and build trust with children and their families, working in a trauma informed way that is sensitive, respectful and child-centred.
• Be very organised around administrative management of caseloads.
• Understanding of domestic homicide and suicide reviews after fatal domestic abuse, including other relevant review processes and operating systems in Scotland. A knowledge of the Scottish legal system around domestic abuse and domestic homicide and suicide reviews is essential.
• Capable of advocating for children in complex scenarios.
• Enhanced understanding of domestic abuse and fatal domestic abuse. Particularly the impact on children.
• Understanding the sensitivity required to provide advocacy and support to people bereaved following fatal domestic abuse.
• Able to communicate effectively - verbally and in written form.
• Ability to comply with principles of confidentiality including data protection.
• Experience of developing and maintaining administrative systems.
• Experience of working independently and remotely, with the confidence to manage sensitive work, maintain strong communication and seek support when needed.
• Experience of the voluntary sector or support agency environment.
• Used to managing sensitive communications confidentially, efficiently, and effectively.
• Be able to use IT applications including Microsoft Office and other bespoke systems.
• Be able to gather, analyse, and use information and evidence from different sources.
• Able to balance competing needs and interests.
• Capable of promoting the organisation’s interests and values.
• The ability to build and sustain relationships, use problem solving skills and work constructively with children, families, carers, colleagues and partner agencies.

Partnership Work

• To maintain good links and contacts with other key voluntary sector partners who provide support services to bereaved families, making referrals where appropriate.
• Attend external meetings on behalf of AAFDA, representing the interests and values of the organisation and the opinions of family members.
• To provide written summaries of meetings where this is requested by management.

Policies and Procedures

• To maintain and update case files for each case, completing required monitoring information in a timely manner, and adhering to data protection requirements.
• Adhere to all AAFDA working policies.
• Provide required information in a timely manner to allow us to undertake/update Disclosure Barring Service checks.
• To participate in regular clinical supervision, supporting reflective practice, wellbeing and safe, effective work with children and families

Training and Development

• Maintain an excellent knowledge of research and current trends within the field of domestic abuse and fatal domestic abuse prevention.
• To participate in professional development training as required, maintaining and strengthening specialist knowledge and practice in domestic abuse, fatal domestic abuse and advocacy for children.
• Liaise and work with AAFDA volunteers where appropriate.

In return for joining us, we will offer you:

• 25 days annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays
• Excellent development and training opportunities
• Pension Scheme
• Healthcare Scheme
• Employee Assist Scheme

Application notes

To apply for this role, please submit a supporting statement along with your CV to recruit@aafda.org.uk

Please ensure the essential criteria below is met prior to applying.

• A qualified registered social worker
• Knowledge of Domestic Abuse and learning reviews
• Based in Scotland

Applicants will be shortlisted according to how well they meet the criteria in the person specification. Please highlight and explain how you meet these in your supporting statement.

If you have been shortlisted for interview, you will be informed by email. Regrettably, we are normally unable to acknowledge unsuccessful applicants. Please note that we will not progress applications where the supporting statement does not address the criteria for the role being applied for.