Swindon and Wiltshire Children & Young Peoples Independent Sexual Violence Advisor

First Light; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - GBP 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A community service organization located in Swindon is seeking an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor. The role involves providing crisis intervention and support to children and young people affected by sexual violence, advocating for them throughout the criminal justice process. The ideal candidate will have strong partnership working skills and a thorough understanding of safeguarding practices, providing tailored support plans for clients. The position offers competitive pay and benefits, promoting diversity and inclusion in applications.

Benefits

Comprehensive induction and training programme

Annual pay review

Employer contribution pension scheme

Health and wellbeing resources

Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 helpline

Wellbeing day per financial year

Qualifications

• Valid UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Travel throughout Swindon and Wiltshire to provide support to clients under 18 years of age.
• Manage a caseload of clients aged 0-18, providing tailored support plans.
• Provide face-to-face, telephone, and email support to clients.

Skills

Understanding of Sexual Violence dynamics

Partnership working

Crisis intervention

Advocacy skills

Job description

Swindon and Wiltshire Children & Young Peoples Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (Fixed Term)

Salary: £24,956 per annum rising to £25,350 per annum on successful completion of probation, £26,925 upon successful completion of ISVA accreditation

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri, 09:00-17:00)

Holiday: 25 days annual entitlement, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service plus bank holidays

Base: The Gables, Swindon, remote working where appropriate

Area Covered: Swindon and Wiltshire

Contract: Fixed term (18 months)

About the Role:

To work in a multi-agency setting providing a pro-active crisis intervention service to child victims of sexual violence within and outside of the criminal justice system. The post holder will work pro-actively to risk assess and support client needs and develop a comprehensive support plan to help keep victims safe. This role will use advocacy and partnership working skills to ensure victims are supported throughout the criminal justice system from report to court, and to access services to which they are entitled.

There is a commitment to providing a high quality, victim-focused and inclusive service as outlined in the Victim Code of Practice.

The post holder will manage a busy caseload and have excellent partnership skills and an understanding of Children’s and Vulnerable People Safeguarding procedures. The role will work proactively as part of the ISVA Team and will respect the diversity of the community to ensure the service is accessible to all. The post holder will provide advocacy and information to clients in high risk situations where the safety of the service user and self is prioritised. Appropriate professional record keeping is required using the client information system.

We encourage applications from all genders.

Key responsibilities:

• The Post Holder should have a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of Sexual Violence, and its impact on Victims, Family Members and Wider Society
• Travel throughout Swindon and Wiltshire to provide support to clients under 18 years of age
• Manage a caseload of clients aged 0-18 that may include child sexual abuse/violence and child sexual exploitation cases, providing an individual support care plan to meet their needs
• Provide face-to-face, telephone and email support to clients and their supporters where appropriate
• Ensure a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of sexual violence and child sexual exploitation, and its impact on victims, family members and wider society
• Develop the role of CYP ISVA across First Light
• Be respectful of the diversity of CYPs and prioritise accessibility of service provision
• CYP ISVA will support children and young people through the criminal justice process and liaise with the police
• CYP ISVAs will respond to crisis situations and complete onward safeguarding referrals
• Engage with multi-agency partners (Paediatric SARC, CAMHS, social services, police, counselling services) to provide a joint approach for clients

Essential requirements:

• Valid UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle

Added benefits:

• A comprehensive induction and training programme
• A wellbeing day per financial year
• Access to external supervision to discuss personal or emotional responses to traumatic cases
• Health and wellbeing resources including staff Well-being Group and employee engagement platform
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 helpline
• Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; we encourage applications from all backgrounds. First Light is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and has an LGBTQIA+ Staff Network
• Annual pay review and employer contribution pension scheme

Additional Information: The successful applicant will be subject to a Disclosure & Barring check and a social media check as part of Safer Recruitment. Any offer of employment is contingent on these checks, plus two satisfactory employment references (one from current or most recent employer). Some roles may require home/office base in line with Hybrid Working policy.

Deadline for receipt of applications: 17:00, Tuesday 24 February 2026

Expected date for interviews: Wednesday 4 March 2026

If you do not hear from us within 10 working days of the deadline, please assume you have been unsuccessful. We reserve the right to withdraw this advert early for the right candidate; early applications are encouraged.

To apply: Due to safeguarding requirements we are unable to accept CVs. We also do not employ any candidate who has been a client of First Light within the last two years. Please complete the application form on the top right of the advert on our website and outline your relevant experience against the role profile. Alternatively, you can email [e-mail]