Job Vacancies
Practice & Services Manager
Full time: 35 hours a week (flexible working arrangements may be considered in line with organisational and service needs)
Salary: Band 5 – £41,332 – £46,143
Location: SWA offices in Lerwick, with outreach work across Shetland as required
Are you passionate about excellent, trauma-informed support for women and children affected by domestic abuse?
Shetland Women’s Aid is looking for a compassionate, reflective and values-led Practice & Services Manager to join our Management Team and help us continue to deliver safe, high-quality specialist services for women, children and young people across Shetland. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong frontline experience ready to take the next step in their career, or for an existing manager looking to bring their skills and experience to a specialist domestic abuse service.
About the role
Working closely with our CEO and Office & Finance Manager, you will be part of Shetland Women’s Aid’s Management Team and will take the lead in the day-to-day management and practice oversight of our frontline services. You will support our frontline team to provide safe, consistent and high-quality support to women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse and gender-based violence. The role includes:
— providing first-line management, supervision and practice leadership to frontline staff;
— overseeing referrals, assessments, caseloads and service delivery;
— supporting staff with complex cases, risk assessment, safety planning and safeguarding;
— promoting reflective, trauma-informed practice and supporting staff wellbeing;
— helping to ensure the voices and experiences of women, children and young people shape our services;
— working collaboratively with partner agencies and representing Shetland Women’s Aid where appropriate; and
— contributing to the ongoing development, quality and improvement of our services.
At the heart of the role is supporting our team to do complex and important work, creating a working environment where staff feel supported, practice is reflective and accountable, and the needs and rights of women and children remain central to everything we do.
About you
We are interested in hearing from you if you have experience in domestic abuse, social care, community work, or another relevant frontline support setting, and have experience supporting colleagues, leading aspects of practice, or contributing to service coordination. You will have a strong understanding of trauma-informed and survivor-centred practice, safeguarding, risk and the importance of working collaboratively with other services. Just as importantly, you will share our commitment to feminist, anti-oppressive and rights-based practice and understand domestic abuse within the context of coercive control, power and gender inequality. You will be someone who can build trusting relationships, have difficult conversations when necessary, make sound decisions and support colleagues working within a demanding and sometimes complex environment. Previous formal management experience is welcome, but it is not essential. If you are an experienced practitioner who feels ready to develop into a management role, we would particularly encourage you to consider applying.
Why join Shetland Women’s Aid?
This is an opportunity to play a key role within a small, committed specialist organisation where your contribution can make a genuine difference. You will join a supportive Management Team, have opportunities for professional and leadership development, and help shape services that respond to the needs of women, children and young people in our community. Our work is grounded in feminist values and in trauma-informed, survivor-centred and strengths-based practice. We are committed to equality, inclusion, reflective practice and creating a psychologically safe working environment for our staff.
Closing date: Friday 25th September 2026 (4pm)
For an application pack or an informal conversation about the role, please contact us by email at office@shetlandwa.org or telephone 01595 692070. We are looking for someone with the right values, strong practice experience and the ability to support and bring out the best in others. Training and development in areas of Women’s Aid management provided. If our feminist values resonate with you and you have relevant frontline experience and an interest in developing your management practice, we warmly encourage you to apply.
Come and help us ensure women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse in Shetland receive the safe, skilled and compassionate support they deserve.
If you would like to register your interest to work or volunteer with Shetland Women’s Aid, please get in touch.