Aurora New Dawn is pleased to announce the following job vacancy:

Victim Advocacy Caseworker – Female^*

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting survivors of stalking and who has a caring and empathetic nature.

What we offer:

• Flexible working.
• Birthday day off.
• Trivial benefits system.
• Competitive annual leave plus all bank holidays.
• Ad Hoc bonus opportunities.
• Enhanced maternity pay.
• Team days/lunches.
• Opportunities for additional paid work.
• Ongoing Training and Development.
• External clinical supervision.

Hours of work

Full-time:	37 Hours per week
Salary	Non Accredited – £24,000 p.a Accredited* – £27,000 p.a *on completion of a role-specific accreditation
Location:	Thames Valley** & home-based. NB: Aurora operates a flexible, hybrid working model.
Contract:	Until March 2026 – continuation subject to funding.

* PLEASE NOTE: This post is restricted to female applicants in accordance with Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010

**Thames Valley runs across three counties, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire. The Aurora Office is based in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Aurora offers a hybrid, flexible way of working and this post will be a combination of home-based working and office based at a police station in the Thames Valley area with the requirement for occasional visits to our Head Office in Portsmouth.

Induction will be at our Portsmouth office.

If you have any questions on travel remuneration, please call the Senior Stalking Advocate on 02392 479254.

This post is within a team of four advocates working across Thames Valley.

NB: This post operates across the Thames Valley Area and therefore flexibility of location and an ability to travel are essential.

Responsible to: Senior Victim Advocacy Caseworker

The Role

Aurora New Dawn is a registered charity providing support and advocacy to survivors of domestic abuse, stalking, and sexual violence.

We are looking for a Victim Advocacy Caseworker to join our Victim Advocacy team.

The successful candidate will:

• Provide a high-quality frontline service to individuals experiencing stalking, through both face to face and telephone support.
• Support victims throughout the criminal and civil courts.
• Offer information and signposting on a risk and needs-led basis.
• Provide advocacy, practical and emotional support, empowering victims to act for themselves and engage with services that can help them, thereby increasing self-esteem and reducing isolation.
• A significant part of this role will involve working alongside Thames Valley Constabulary to ensure that the voice of the victim is heard throughout the process of evidence capture and investigation.

How to apply for the job:

Applications should be in the form of a letter, sent by email to recruitment@aurorand.org.uk, detailing why you think you are suitable for the post. Please put ‘Victim Advocacy Caseworker’ in the subject line.

You are advised to read the job description and person specification carefully as the decision to shortlist you for interview will be based on the information you provide in your letter.

NB: We do not accept CV’s as an application method.

For an informal discussion about the role, or for any other queries, please contact Lyn Tiller (Director of Operations, Services and Innovation) on 023 92 479254.

We encourage applications from women of all backgrounds and communities and are committed to having a team that is diverse in terms of skills, experiences and abilities. We particularly encourage applications from disabled and Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic women, as these groups are currently underrepresented in our organisation.

To save on administration costs we are not able to contact you if your application is unsuccessful, but I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your interest in our work.

The deadline for all applications is open ended we will recruit the first suitable candidate.

Interviews will be held on TBC.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early.

Important documents:

To download a copy of the Victim Advocacy Caseworker job description, click here.

To download a copy of the Aurora New Dawn Diversity Questionnaire, click here.

Next step…

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Feedback from a client:

I was stalked on and off for 9 years by the same person. During those years I reported it twice to the police and on the second time, he was finally charged. Unfortunately not for stalking, but the highest count of harassment. This is because mine is not the textbook classic case of stalking.

He did not follow me, or phone me, or message me in any way. He used Facebook to message my friends and acquaintances to monitor what I was doing and to gather more information on me. He even messaged a previous employer to ask about my current employment. I found this all very disturbing and frightening. I just wanted it to stop. As this was not a case of me being followed or threatened, it has been very difficult for people to understand the impact this has had on me as its “only online”. This made me very alone and when I went to the police a second time, I was worried nothing would come from it.

The police took it very seriously and it was not long before I was put in touch with Anna from Aurora New Dawn. With Anna, I always had someone in my corner, someone who I could just vent everything to without them becoming bored or thinking I should just get over it. Although all our contact was through emails and phone calls, it was still amazing support. During the preparation for the court case, nothing was too much trouble for Anna, and she was able to keep me updated and would take my questions to the police and ask them for me. The support was amazing because while all this was going on, I still had to work and carry on with my normal life.

My advice to anyone who is getting unwanted communication, is to keep a log of it and report it!

Need help too?

If you are concerned that you are being stalked or would like to speak to anyone about these issues please do not hesitate to contact us at Aurora New Dawn. We are here to offer support to all victims of stalking. We are here and we believe you.

Contact Number – 02392 479 254

24 hour helpline – 02394 216 816

We are also available via all social media outlets – just DM us.

• Facebook
• Twitter

As Aurora’s Digital media Investigations and stalking advocate, it has been my job to support victims of stalking with a large tech element. In my experience, it is extremely rare for a stalking case to be completely without a cyber-element. Stalking has always existed, but the rise of the internet and technological advances have provided stalkers with new avenues to get to their victims in increasingly alarming ways.

Cyber stalking can be best described as a set of behaviours that entail persistent use of unwanted electronic communications and tactics to cause alarm and distress to a victim.

Behaviours that you may typically see include:

• Constant unwanted messaging on social media platforms
• Hacking
• Creating fake accounts or impersonating a victim online
• Submitting online complaints or bad reviews about the victim’s work
• Installing spyware on devices
• Contacting family and friends of the victim
• Harvesting information about a victim using online resources

Of course, it is important to remember that stalking behaviours are not limited and can encompass a whole range of techniques!

Cyber stalking crimes are increasing, particularly throughout the pandemic as people are having to turn to more technological means to facilitate their crimes. Clients describe cyber stalking as intrusive. This is as our devices are how we communicate with the outside world. Whether it’s that fourth friend request of the day from another fake account, or the 20th message alerting you to their presence, cyber stalking gives the perpetrator the unique capability of sitting in their victim’s pocket.

Because of this ever-changing technological world, it is becoming increasingly important to equip ourselves with the knowledge of how to share the information we want to share online. For these reasons, we at Aurora have put together a simple guide about how to protect yourself online.

First steps to online safety

It is first important to think about what accounts you have, how you use them and what could potentially be linked with someone else. Creating a list of all your online accounts is the best way to start. Then ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does anyone know the password?
2. What information is this account sharing? For example do your social media accounts share all of your photos/the area you are living/where you work etc.?
3. Is this account linked to anyone else in any way? For example online banking or joint Facebook accounts.
4. Don’t forget accounts such as Amazon, Just eat, Deliveroo as these store your current address and where you get things delivered. Also keep in mind your Icloud.

Googling yourself can also help to see what information is online about yourself – you may be very surprised at what comes up!

Increasing online safety:

Once you have created your list of online accounts, the next steps are to think of the ways to increase your online safety. A good starting place would be the following steps:

1. Change your passwords to something no one can guess. Downloading a password manager off any app store can help with creating and storing difficult passwords so you don’t need to remember them.
2. Consider changing your personal questions linked to your account to ones no one will not be able to answer. For example a perpetrator may know your mother’s maiden name.
3. Set up 2 factor authentication. This ensures that any new device trying to access your account will need to be confirmed by yourself to have access. Linking your phone number is the best option as you will receive a text alert. You can set up 2 factor authentication in the settings of all accounts. If you aren’t sure, google can offer step by step guides for each account.
4. Look at your privacy settings. What would you like to share? Remember your cover photo on Facebook can be seen by everyone regardless of your privacy settings. You will need to manually go through your profile pictures and old cover photos to make those private.
5. If you would like to keep your profiles open consider going through your friends list? Do you know everybody?

Of course we completely understand that you may not want to keep everything on social media private! If you do need to share things or would like to share things it is always best to do this as safely as possible. For example, if you post where you are going or somewhere you are, it may be best to post about it after you have left.

Other Safety Considerations:

1. Look at your location sharing options in the settings of your phone. Consider whether you use snap maps on Snapchat or Find my Iphone.
2. Be careful when posting running routes from apps like Strava. It may help to build a picture of where you like to go running and your routines.
3. Change the password for your Wifi if the perpetrator ever had access and the passwords for your Amazon account if you use an Amazon Alexa or something similar.
4. Always try to update your phone and apps when your phone/device offers an update.
5. If you believe that you have any spyware or software on your device I would recommend completing a factory reset. In most cases this eradicates the issues however you should be aware this will delete any evidence. If you aren’t sure I would always recommend taking your phone to a specialist phone professional.

If you are concerned that you are being stalked or would like to speak to anyone about these issues please do not hesitate to contact us at Aurora New Dawn. We are here to offer support to all victims of stalking. We are here and we believe you.

Contact Number – 02392 479 254

24 hour helpline – 02394 216 816

We are also available via all social media outlets – just DM us.

• Facebook
• Twitter

Helpful websites:

Aurora New Dawn	https://www.aurorand.org.uk
South East Regional Organised Crime Unit	https://serocu.police.uk/individuals
National Cyber Security Centre	https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home

It is currently National Stalking Week, a yearly event which aims to put the spotlight on and raise awareness of stalking behaviours and the impact that such behaviours can have on those who experience them.

My role as a Stalking Advocate

My role as a Stalking Advocate is to provide victims of stalking with specialist independent support, advice and advocacy. I provide victims with a main point of contact and support throughout their journey, a stable point for them in the midst of a storm. As the job title suggests, I am there to ensure that their voices are heard, that they are aware of all options available to them and their rights throughout the support we offer. I am here to provide both practical and emotional support for every victim.

There is no general typical working day in the role of a Stalking Advocate. Every day is unique and things do not always end up going according to plan. I can sit down and plan my day out only to find myself having to reshuffle things a few hours later after a client contacts me in crisis and I have to respond to this in order to ensure they are safe.

A day in the life of a Stalking Advocate

Generally, a large part of my day-to-day work involves telephone support with clients. This may sometimes be a simple check-in call to ensure the client is doing well and check if there have been any further incidents or progress with the police if involved. It also involves making initial contact with new clients who have recently been referred to the service. Upon these initial calls, we will discuss their current situation and their experiences. I will explore whether there are other professionals involved or if they have reported their experiences to the police. Together, we will discuss and identify ways in which I can support them. As every individual’s experiences and needs will be different, we offer individualised packages of support to each.

I will complete various bits of paperwork with new clients, including risk assessments which help us to ascertain the nature of the stalking behaviour and respond appropriately. I also complete a safety plan with each client during which we will explore different areas of their lives, such as their home, workplace, and online safety to see how their safety can be improved in these areas and how I can ensure that the clients feel confident in their knowledge and ability to safeguard themselves and their families. Throughout our time working together, both the risk assessments and safety plan will be reviewed and updated as appropriate and will develop through their journey with us.

Another aspect of my day-to-day work involves liaison with other professionals and agencies. This often takes many different forms, including:

• Linking in with the police around ongoing investigations, getting updates and voicing any concerns the client may have
• Linking in with other support services the victim has in place, such as domestic abuse support workers, to ensure that we are both updated and providing a collaborative response
• Liaison with housing associations/councils to support with the client being moved to a new property for safety
• Liaison with the client’s workplace to discuss safeguarding for them in order to help them attend work safely

Additional Stalking Services

I also provide consultancy and advice to other agencies and professionals where needed. This may be for support workers who have concerns around a client potentially being stalked and who are looking for some advice and guidance to pass along to them. Or it might be a discussion about the support we might be able to offer a client and guidance on how a referral for them can be made into our service.

As a Stalking team, we also offer training to organisations in order to raise awareness of what stalking is, its impact, how we can help, and how a referral can be made to us. We are also available to provide consultancy and guidance for organisations and workplaces around stalking. This is something that is often not written into organisational policies and so we can offer advice and guidance around this.

Hampshire Multi-Agency Stalking Project

The Stalking Service is also part of the Hampshire MASP (Multi-Agency Stalking Project) team and so every Wednesday morning I attend a Triage meeting with individuals from other agencies, such as the police, probation, and Southern Health, where we discuss stalking cases and how we can offer a collective response to these.

Every month I also attend the monthly Clinic meetings, which is where we refer on some of the more complex cases from our weekly Triage meetings, for a longer, more thorough discussion. These Clinic meetings are attended by numerous additional professionals, such as the Crown Prosecution Service and the Investigating Officer for the case who will present it and the investigation so far. We then collectively discuss the case, providing investigative advice and potential actions as well as identifying opportunities for the victim to be safeguarded. If the client is already being supported by myself, I am able to voice any concerns they have during these meetings and to ensure that their wishes and voice remains heard throughout the meetings.

If you have concerns that you are being stalked, or you know you are being stalked and would like to have a discussion about your options or would like some support please don’t hesitate to contact us:

Aurora’s stalking advocacy team phone number: 02392 479 254Aurora’s stalking advocacy team e-mail: stalking@aurorand.org.uk

When many people think of the word stalking, they envision the image of the scary man hiding in bushes watching a young woman. In fact stalking is so much more than this. Stalking is often described by our clients as terrifying, intrusive. Often victims feel a sense of loss of control and privacy, something that very often has a long term negative impact in many areas of their lives.

What is stalking?

At Aurora, we use the definition from our colleagues at the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, who run the National Stalking Helpline:

“A pattern of fixated and obsessive behaviour which is repeated, persistent, intrusive and causes fear of violence or engenders alarm and distress in the victim.”

We also think of it this way – An imposition of a relationship where one would not otherwise exist.

Stalking is a very unique crime which occurs outside of the context of a relationship. It is driven by a fixation and obsession of the stalker on their victim.

Whilst we do often see similar behaviour in abusive relationships where digital and physical monitoring behaviours are present, stalking occurs where there is no relationship. Stalking can start after the end of a relationship, however for the victim the relationship is no longer there – the stalker is trying to impose that relationship and contact on their victim regardless of whether they want it. It is also important to understand that not all stalking is perpetrated by ex-partners. There are many reasons why someone may stalk someone else. A stalker could be an ex-partner, a previous friend, a colleague, a neighbour, an acquaintance or a stranger.

Due to the nature of stalking, all stalking incidents are different and create a long term pattern of behaviour. This behaviour can last for a number of weeks, months and unfortunately even years. In place since 2012, Stalking legislation in England and Wales outlines examples of behaviours that we often see throughout stalking conduct. The behaviours include, but are not limited to, watching or spying on someone, following them, contacting them directly or via other people, loitering and interfering with property.

What can you do if you think you are being stalked?

If you think you are being stalked:

• Keep a record of what is happening, including screenshots/copies of all messages, texts, pictures sent etc.
• Keep a timeline of the conduct and how it makes you feel. Write down if you have had to change any of your routines and how the behaviour has affected your day to day life.
• Consider backing up emails and messages by using Dropbox or setting up a completely separate, secure email address to forward information on to so that it is safely stored. You can take screenshots and store these too.
• Take photos of any physical evidence and keep them as well to give to the police if needed.
• Consider reporting to the police. We understand that the idea of reporting to the police can be a scary thought and may not be right for everyone. Our stalking advocates at Aurora New Dawn are available to discuss this process and support you if you do decide to report at any time.
• Consider your online privacy settings and devices. We have also written a cyber-stalking blog that provides some great tips of ways to ensure that you have the knowledge to keep safe online should you be afraid that you are being stalked.
• Talk to those you trust about the situation. We know it can be difficult to open up to those around you about what you are going through and you may have concerns around this. Your trusted ones will be able to provide you with a support network and may be able to help come up with ideas to keep you safe.
• If you are concerned about your safety at work, have a discussion with your workplace to make them aware of the situation. There may be extra safeguarding that your workplace can assist with, such as car park space closer to the building or an escort to your car after work. Not everyone feels comfortable beginning this conversation so this is something we can support with or can even have the conversation with your workplace on your behalf.
• You may wish to consider buying a Ring doorbell camera or CCTV for your property.
• Download the Hollie Guard app – the app can be downloaded directly from your phone’s app store.
• Register your number with the emergency SMS service which means you can contact 999 via text message. More information on how this works and how to set this up can be found here

Where can you get help?

If you are concerned that you are being stalked or would like to speak to anyone about these issues please do not hesitate to contact us at Aurora New Dawn. We are here to offer support to all victims of supporting. We are here and we believe you.

Contact Number – 02392 479 254

24 hour helpline – 02394 216 816

We are also available via all social media outlets – just DM us.

• Facebook
• Twitter

Helpful websites for stalking issues:

Aurora’s Stalking Service	https://www.aurorand.org.uk/services/help-stalker
Paladin – National Stalking Advocacy Service	https://paladinservice.co.uk/
Cyber Stalking Helpline	https://www.thecyberhelpline.com/cyberstalking-action-plan
National Stalking Helpline	https://www.suzylamplugh.org/refer-someone-to-us
South East Regional Organised Crime Unit	https://serocu.police.uk/individuals/