Apprentice Family Independent Domestic Violence Advisor

FIRST LIGHT SOUTH WEST LTD

Penzance (TR18 2DQ)

Closes in 7 days (Friday 29 May 2026)

Posted on 18 May 2026

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Summary

A Family Independent Domestic Violence Advisor role in West Cornwall working directly with families where there is a risk of harm due to domestic abuse. You will be based in Cornwall Council’s social work teams offering direct case work to whole families where domestic abuse is identified working in partnership with social care staff.

• Wage:

  £29,594 a year

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Upon successful completion of a probationary period the salary will increase to £26,364.

  Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship the salary will increase to £28,002

• Training course: Domestic and sexual abuse support worker (level 4)
• Hours: Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00

  37 hours 30 minutes a week

• Start date:

  Monday 6 July 2026

• Duration:

  1 year 6 months

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Work in partnership with children’s social care staff and parents to ensure that children and young people are supported to have a voice in families where they impacted by domestic abuse. As a result, there is an improvement in their health, well being and feelings of safety
• Will be undertaking apprenticeship training to achieve a Level 4 Domestic Abuse and Sexual Abuse Support Worker Apprenticeship
• Provide direct casework with families where there is domestic abuse, including advice, information, and advocacy to all genders experiencing domestic abuse through telephone contact, and/or meetings at the relevant venues/hubs
• Support families that are currently being supported through a child in need assessment, child in need or child support plan, and will be expected to contribute to the support through the assessment and/or plan
• Build and maintain effective relationships with teams across Together for Families and the Integrated Domestic Abuse service
• Ensure that the parent/carer feels supported, listened to and believed

Where you'll work

Penzance Family Hub
Penzance
TR18 2DQ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

PIER TECHNOLOGY LTD

Training course

Domestic and sexual abuse support worker (level 4)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Recognise crisis situations and respond within the required timescales in line with organisational policies and procedures.
• Carry out risk assessments, safeguarding and safety planning using risk assessment tools.
• Assist and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence who may have experienced inequality, discrimination and or forms of injustice.
• Engage with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence from marginalised and disadvantaged groups and diverse social backgrounds and identities in ways that respond to their individual identities.
• Challenge intersectional gaps in service provision and or redress them.
• Raise awareness about the intersections of multiple forms of disadvantage and their relevance to domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Use own organisation’s case management systems in line with organisational policies and procedures.
• Use information sources to advise survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence on protective sanctions, orders and remedies they can access through court processes and or refer them to appropriate specialist advice.
• Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence through police investigations and or court processes within the context of own role.
• Act as an independent advocate for survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Adapt your communication method and style to meet the needs of the survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Use communication aids to meet survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence’ specific needs.
• Facilitate or assist in running programmes to aid recovery and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Use trauma-informed and needs-led approaches when assisting survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to participate in service provision activities.
• Raise awareness of the importance of accountability of perpetrators’ actions.
• Refer and signpost survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to other relevant voluntary or statutory multi-agency partners.
• Reflect on own practice and access available supervision and case management support.
• Maintain own continuous professional development and revise practice based on feedback received.
• Work within the boundaries of legislation and organisational policies and procedures and apply these to the responsibilities of own role.
• Establish, develop and manage professional relationships with survivors of sexual violence, setting out the boundaries of the relationship within own area of competence.
• Recognise the importance of self-care, taking appropriate action when required.
• Empower survivors to contribute to the co-design of services and provide them with a safe environment to do so.
• Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to access safe and permanent accommodation and advocate for their rights.
• Secure specialist legal and financial advice for survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to be more aware of their rights and options and support with applications through child maintenance services when required.
• Work with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence who are not British citizens to access relevant help and support for themselves and or their families including those with no recourse to public funds.
• Advocate for healthcare provision for all survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, including those with no recourse to public funds.
• Use a range of interventions to support and promote the safety and wellbeing of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Explore the emotional and practical needs of children and young people to support and help them to recover.
• Act as an institutional advocate for survivors of different forms of sexual abuse.
• Promote the empowerment of survivors of sexual abuse to identify barriers to disclosure and work with them to over-come the barriers.
• Communicate with children and young people using technology to meet their needs and situations.
• Enable children and young people to co-design and adapt activities in a safe environment.
• Support and involve survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence in their role as parents when undertaking work with their children and young people.
• Develop and carry out preventative work and activities to support other professionals who work with children and young people in different contexts.
• Support and empower survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence and their children and or young people to ensure their voices are included within local and national responses and or processes related to domestic violence and or sexual abuse.
• Collaborate with different agencies when dealing with safeguarding children and young people.
• Work within the empowerment model to ensure that the service is client-led and recognises the impact of the victims and or survivors’ experiences of sexual abuse.
• Provide client-led practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Recognise the impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation on children and or young people and the longer-term impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation on adult survivors.
• Provide emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence experiencing impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation.
• Provide services that reflect the specific needs of both children and young people and adult survivors of sexual violence.
• Assist survivors of sexual violence with the referral processes of external support agencies.
• Support survivors to access specialist information to raise their awareness of their rights and options.
• Recognise crisis situations and respond within the required timescales in line with organisational policies and procedures.
• Carry out risk assessments, safeguarding and safety planning using risk assessment tools.
• Assist and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence who may have experienced inequality, discrimination and or forms of injustice.
• Engage with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence from marginalised and disadvantaged groups and diverse social backgrounds and identities in ways that respond to their individual identities.
• Challenge intersectional gaps in service provision and or redress them.
• Raise awareness about the intersections of multiple forms of disadvantage and their relevance to domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Use own organisation’s case management systems in line with organisational policies and procedures.
• Use information sources to advise survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence on protective sanctions, orders and remedies they can access through court processes and or refer them to appropriate specialist advice.
• Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence through police investigations and or court processes within the context of own role.
• Act as an independent advocate for survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Adapt your communication method and style to meet the needs of the survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Use communication aids to meet survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence’ specific needs.
• Facilitate or assist in running programmes to aid recovery and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
• Use trauma-informed and needs-led approaches when assisting survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to participate in service provision activities.
• Raise awareness of the importance of accountability of perpetrators’ actions.
• Refer and signpost survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to other relevant voluntary or statutory multi-agency partners.
• Reflect on own practice and access available supervision and case management support.
• Maintain own continuous professional development and revise practice based on feedback received.
• Work within the boundaries of legislation and organisational policies and procedures and apply these to the responsibilities of own role.
• Establish, develop and manage professional relationships with survivors of sexual violence, setting out the boundaries of the relationship within own area of competence.
• Recognise the importance of self-care, taking appropriate action when required.
• Empower survivors to contribute to the co-design of services and provide them with a safe environment to do so.

Training schedule

• Training will be provided remotely, with six hours of protected time per week provided
• Cohorts start monthly, so dependent on your start date will depend on when you will be enrolled, and the specific training schedule for your cohort will be provided to you at the earliest opportunity

More training information

• The training will be delivered remotely across 15 taught sessions (one per month)
• There will be regular meetings with your tutor and additional regular meetings with your tutor and line manager to ensure you are getting all the support you need
• Additional support will be provided by Pier Training (the training provider) should you have any additional support needs including dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions
• Pier Training have been delivering apprenticeships since 2011, and put the learner at the heart of all they do. They are rated Good by Ofsted and Excellent in External Quality Assurance reports. They are also a finalist in the 2026 apprenticeships awards for Excellent in Training Delivery against the Level 4 Domestic Abuse and Sexual Abuse Support Worker apprenticeship

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Team working
• Non judgemental
• Patience
• Empathy

Other requirements

Successful candidates will need to pass an Enhanced DBS check before commencing the role.

Successful candidates will need to pass a social media check conducted by a third party organisation

Successful candidates will need to have a full driving licence and access to their own vehicle. They must have or be willing to get business insurance on this vehicle.

Successful candidates will need to provide two referees, one of whom must be from their current or most recent employer

About this employer

At First Light, we believe that everyone deserves to live free from abuse and fear. We support anyone who is experiencing or has experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence, regardless of age, gender, background, or identity.

We provide compassionate, confidential, and specialist support to:

• Adults and children affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence
• People of all genders, including men, women, and non-binary individuals
• Members of the LGBTQ+ community
• People with disabilities
• Survivors of church-related abuse
• Individuals across diverse communities 

At First Light, we don’t just offer jobs. We offer purpose, growth, and a community of passionate people working together to make a difference.

Working at First Light means being part of a team that supports survivors, innovates services, and builds safer communities. Every day is different, and every role contributes to meaningful change.

If you’re ready to make a difference and grow in a supportive, values-driven organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

Whether you’re new to the sector or looking for a fresh start, First Light is a place where your values, wellbeing, and career aspirations are supported every step of the way. In the past year alone, 20% of our team changed roles internally, and 38% of our senior and team leaders started as practitioners. We believe in nurturing talent and helping people grow.

https://www.firstlight.org.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

• 25 days annual leave per year
• A wellbeing day each year
• External supervision
• Employee Assistance Programme & GP Helpline
• We are committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

• During the course of the apprenticeship the candidate will be supporting clients in a Family Domestic Abuse Support Advisor capacity
• After the apprenticeship the candidate will be able to support clients in their capacity as a qualified Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA). Potential moves to other IDVA roles may be a possibility, as well as moving to roles which support people who have experienced sexual violence
• Over 1/3 of First Light's managerial team have been recruited to their positions internally, so opportunities are provided for progression into management roles

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

FIRST LIGHT SOUTH WEST LTD

Steve Neal

hr@firstlight.org.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000032231.

Apply now

Closes in 7 days (Friday 29 May 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.