Nest Advocate - Young Women and Girls

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for two Nest Advocates to join a specialist service for young women and girls in London (aged 14 to 25) at risk of domestic abuse, school exclusion, exploitation, gang involvement and contact with the criminal justice system.

These roles are fixed term contract positions until September 2027.

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.  

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending.  We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community. 

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies. 

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability. 

About the role

In recognition of the distinct challenges facing young women and girls, Advance has joined Together Women to develop a specialist provision for young women and girls in the Nest programme.

The Nest Service is designed to enable young women and girls to escape harm and to thrive in their lives and aspirations, by supporting them to build confidence, self-esteem and resilience, manage their health and wellbeing and access and engage with other support services. In addition to dedicated advocacy support, they will be able to access a programme of prevention and awareness-raising groups and workshops run out of Advance Women’s Centres.

As an Advocate you will work one-to-one with each participant over an extended period. You will build trusted relationships and coordinate practical support across the areas that most affect young women’s stability and future prospects - including education, housing, health, employment and interaction with justice services.

About You

To be successful as the Nest Advocate you will need the below experience and skills: 

• A strong understanding of the challenges facing young women and girls, including the impacts of gang involvement, exploitation, mental health, domestic abuse and contact with the criminal justice system, and of the practical and emotional support needs specific to this group, including education, confidence and relationship-building.
• Knowledge of trauma informed, gendered approaches in supporting young women facing multiple forms of disadvantage.
• Current knowledge of legislation, guidance and regulations relating to safeguarding, child protection and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSE).
• Experience of using motivational interviewing and coaching techniques with young women and girls, using a woman-centred approach to build trust and rapport.
• Experience of risk management, needs assessment, safety and support planning, particularly with young women and girls with complex/multiple needs.

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits

• An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!) 
• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
• Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee eye-care scheme
• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
• Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation
• Organisation wide away days
• Thorough induction and training
• Career development pathways

Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe.  We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.