Independent Domestic Violence Advocate; IDVA

Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA)

Job title and organisation: Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) - The Bridge Project

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Contract
:
Fixed Term

Closing Date and Time: Monday 26 January 2026 at 9 AM

Join the Drive Project Team at the Bridge Project in Bradford

We are recruiting two full-time Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) to work with a full, multi-disciplinary team to deliver the Drive Project in Bradford — a nationally recognised, evidence-based response to high-harm domestic abuse. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a purpose-built service, bringing together skilled practitioners across roles to work collectively, safely and effectively to reduce serious harm and increase safety for children and adults.

Why Work at The Bridge Project?

As well as offering meaningful and rewarding work, The Bridge Project is a well-established Bradford charity with over 40 years’ experience, employing more than 120 staff across the district. We deliver a wide range of integrated services supporting people affected by domestic abuse, substance use, homelessness, mental health challenges, and complex trauma. Our work is rooted in compassion, partnership, and a strong commitment to reducing harm and creating lasting change.

We are proud to be a Mindful Employer, placing staff wellbeing, reflection, and professional development at the heart of how we work. In return for your commitment, we offer a competitive salary, 4% employer pension contribution, generous annual leave entitlement, and access to a comprehensive learning and development programme. Staff also benefit from an Employee Assistance Programme, life insurance, and a programme of mindfulness and wellbeing activities designed to support resilience in demanding roles.

You will be joining an organisation that values your expertise, invests in your development, and supports you to do your best work as part of a collaborative, values-led team.

About the Drive Project (Bradford)

The Drive Project is not a pilot or test programme, It is a well-established national model, currently being rolled out across England, reflecting sustained national commitment to coordinated, whole-system responses to domestic abuse. In Bradford, the service is being delivered by The Bridge Project in partnership with the Drive Central Team and West Yorkshire Combined Authority and will be fully embedded within local safeguarding and partnership arrangements from the outset.

The Drive Project works with individuals who pose the highest risk of causing serious harm within intimate or family relationships. The programme combines intensive individual case management with a coordinated multi-agency response, creating the conditions for accountability, behaviour change and sustained risk reduction, while keeping victim and survivor safety at the centre of all activity.

The Bradford Drive service will be delivered by a dedicated, multi-disciplinary team, and we are recruiting to all posts comprising of:

• 1 Service Manager (full time), providing operational leadership, safeguarding oversight, model fidelity and day-to-day supervision and management of the service
• 4 full time Case Managers
  , working directly with individuals who cause harm to challenge abusive behaviour, promote responsibility, and sustain engagement over time
• 2 full time Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs), providing specialist, victim-centred advocacy, safety planning and risk management; IDVAs receive additional external clinical supervision alongside in-house specialist support
• 1 full time Panel Coordinator
  , responsible for managing the Drive Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Panel, including intelligence flow, action tracking and multi-agency coordination

The team will operate with fidelity to the Drive model, a trauma-informed, strengths-based framework, balancing challenge and accountability with engagement and support. Staff will work closely a range of systems and service such as police, probation, children’s and adult safeguarding, housing, health and specialist adult and child domestic abuse services to ensure a coordinated and effective response to…