Groupwork Practitioner - Parent Advocate

📍 Location: Agile (After probation period)

⏳ Contract: Fixed-term until 31 March 2026

💷 Salary: £24,054 - £27,344 (pro-rata)

🕒 Hours: 21 hours per week

📌 Due to the nature of our work, this role is open to women only, as permitted under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Do you believe in the power of group work to create connection, learning, and healing? Are you confident in facilitating group discussions while providing trauma-informed support?

If so, we’d love to hear from you.

At Vale Domestic Abuse Services (Vale DAS), we provide specialist support to women and children affected by violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence (VAWDASV). We know that group work can be a powerful tool in helping survivors build confidence, share experiences, and develop skills to support themselves and their children.

Join us in delivering group programmes that empower parents to rebuild their lives and strengthen their family relationships.

The Role

As a Groupwork Practitioner – Parent Advocate, you will lead group work programmes for parents who have experienced domestic abuse and are now safe. Your work will help survivors:

✔ Develop confidence in their parenting role

✔ Strengthen relationships with their children

✔ Understand the impact of domestic abuse on themselves and their families

✔ Build strategies for emotional regulation and resilience

✔ Reduce isolation by building a peer support network

While group work will be your primary focus, you will also provide one-to-one support to parents who may need additional guidance outside of group sessions.

Key Responsibilities

🔹 Facilitate group work programmes for parents, creating a safe and inclusive space for discussion and learning.

🔹 Support parents in strengthening relationships with their children.

🔹 Provide individual emotional and practical support to group participants as needed.

🔹 Identify and address barriers that may prevent parents from engaging in support.

🔹 Maintain accurate case records and contribute to programme evaluation.

🔹 Work within a multi-agency framework, collaborating with partners to enhance support.

About You

You’ll bring:

✅ Experience facilitating group work or workshops in a support or therapeutic setting.

✅ At least one year of experience providing emotional and practical support to survivors.

✅ A strong understanding of domestic abuse and its impact on parenting and child development.

✅ Experience in managing group dynamics and fostering peer support within groups.

✅ Knowledge of trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches.

✅ Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to create a safe and supportive group environment.

✅ Experience in case recording and using case management systems.

✅ A commitment to our core values: curiosity, kindness, collaboration, and integrity.

A driving licence, access to a car, and business-use insurance (or the ability to travel effectively) are required for this role.

✨ Employer pension contributions

✨ 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays, pro-rata), increasing with service

✨ Birthday leave – because your special day matters!

✨ Enhanced sick pay

✨ Health cash plan

✨ Ongoing training and clinical supervision

✨ Agile working options after probation

How to Apply

At Vale Domestic Abuse Services, we are committed to fair and unbiased recruitment. We use Applied, a platform designed to remove unconscious bias from hiring. Instead of submitting a CV, you will answer skills-based questions, which are anonymised and reviewed impartially.

As part of the process, you will also be asked to provide your work history and qualifications in line with safer recruitment requirements.

💬 If you have any questions about the role, please contact Vicky Friis at vicky.friis@valedas.org.