Salary: Band 6 – £30,276 to £32,613 per annum (Please note it is Northumbria Police policy to appoint at the beginning of the salary band)
Location: Forth Banks, with agile home working
Hours/Contract: 37 hours per week, 2 year fixed term contract / secondment
Working for #TeamNP
Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.
As one of the largest police forces in England we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities. From mentoring and coaching schemes and online soft skills courses to leadership development programmes; we’ll give you the support, training and time to carve out the career you always wanted.
As a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.
Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.
Above all else, here at Team NP, we can offer you a career that is so much more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something that really matters.
Learn about our full benefits package
The role
Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Criminal Justice Department as an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA).
This exciting opportunity enables you to support and advise all victims of rape and serious sexual offences who are identified as having needs. Based on their personal situation, circumstances and needs, you will develop personalised coping and recovery plans, co-ordinating support for victims in accordance with the Victims Code of Practice.
What you’ll do
- Support victims of sexual crime by creating, developing and updating personal care and recovery plans ultimately helping them cope and recover from the impact of the crime. This includes attending court, monitoring crime progress and maintaining effective communication with them to build trust and confidence.
- Liaise with internal and external stakeholders such as specialist staff, victim care partners, volunteer services and third-party service providers, referring victims and co-ordinating services to ensure a victim receives the practical and emotional support they need to cope and recover.
- Provide impartial advice and information to any victims thinking of reporting crimes to the police.
- Maintain and further improve services by supporting the research of local and national working practices and initiatives in relation to victims of sexual offences. This will also be assessing the outcome of NVWS services to ensure victim satisfaction.
- Maintain records of contact, information received, and action taken to ensure accurate and up to date information and statistics are available.
Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please view the job description.
What you’ll bring
- Experience and knowledge of working with and supporting victims of sexual crimes and violence including support throughout the criminal justice setting or court proceedings.
- Passionate about delivering the highest standard of care and service, remaining resilient whilst dealing with difficult circumstances.
- Excellent communications skills adapting your communication style to deal with a range of individuals and partners both internal and external.
- Experience of managing high caseloads, prioritising when needed, ensuring all systems and records are maintained accurately.
- Demonstrable ability to coordinate effective end to end case management experience including assessing risk, managing plans, accurate recording, professional judgement, and working to deadlines and timescales.
- Ability to demonstrate initiative and innovative solutions to ensure victim satisfaction.
We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.
Interested to learn more? For further information about the role please contact Deborah Maddison, Talent Acquisition Adviser via email at [email protected]
What we offer
- 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
- NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
- Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
- Flexi time - allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs
- Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
- Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force
- Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
- Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
- Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
- Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
- We’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support
- Access to gyms in some stations
- Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
- Cycle to work scheme
- Opportunity to volunteer in local community
We are committed to building a dynamic, agile workplace where meaningful connection are key. For roles designated as agile or home-based, employees will work from a Force site at least once a week, with two days recommended. Hiring managers will be happy to discuss how this works in practice at interview stage. This approach helps build strong relationships, supports wellbeing, and fosters collaboration across teams.
Just so you know
Candidates with priority status will be given precedence for this role over other applicants.
Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of an ISVA with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.
The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by a face-to-face interview. Interviews are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 23rd and Wednesday, 23rd September. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.
We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, working together to improve the lives of disabled employees. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. In cases of very high application volumes, we may prioritise those who most closely meet the criteria, applying the same fair approach for all candidates.
If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter) You can get in touch with us via [email protected] for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly.
Use of AI in Applications: At Northumbria Police, we embrace innovative technologies to enhance our recruitment process. We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While AI can be a valuable resource, we encourage applicants to ensure their submissions accurately reflect their personal qualifications, experiences, and skills. Our selection process includes thorough evaluations to verify the authenticity and suitability of all applications. We value genuine and thoughtful responses that showcase your unique strengths and perspectives.
If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Management Vetting (MV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 5 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.
Terms of appointment
This is a fixed term role subject to a six-month probationary period.
If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.
Please note if you are interested in applying for this secondment opportunity, please discuss this with your Line Manager and gain agreement prior to applying.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
