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Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVA)
Specialist professional independent, practical, and emotional support and information to victims of sexual violence crimes.
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National Male Survivor
Helpline
0808 800 5005
My ISVA was incredibly supportive throughout my whole case. Her knowledge was exceptional and her emotional support and empathy helped me through the process. I can not imagine going through something like this without the help of an ISVA. The work Safeline do is incredible and I would like to thank everybody for the support they gave me.”
What is an ISVA?
Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVAs) are here to provide independent practical support and assistance to people in Warwickshire who have experienced sexual violence or abuse whether a crime has been reported to the police or not.
ISVAs make sure you have the best possible advice, information, access to services and support that you need and can act as an advocate for you when dealing with other agencies
How to contact an ISVA
Your ISVA can:
Provide impartial advice and support
They will help you to make informed decisions about the care and support you need, including reporting rape or sexual abuse to the police
Act as an advocate for you
They can talk to an employer or teacher or support you with housing and benefits
Attend meetings with you
Police interviews/court, health appointments (GP, mental health, sexual health), social services conferences and more
Help with claiming compensation
They will discuss your rights with you and assist with a compensation application when appropriate. Safeline is proud to work in partnership with Jordans Solicitors to strengthen the support and advice given to survivors of abuse who are claiming compensation. To find out more click on the link below:
Provide information and support
The ISVA will liaise with other professionals. If you are going through the criminal justice process, they will keep you up to date with information about your case and can be by your side throughout the investigation and during court hearings
How an ISVA can help you
Your ISVA will be approachable and empathic and listen to you without judgement. They are completely independent of all other agencies you may be working with, so will give you impartial advice and help you make informed decisions.
If you choose to report a crime to the police, they will be there every step of the way. If you choose not to report, they can still support you with other issues you may be having and help you access the right support through Safeline or other agencies.
Specially trained to help
Safeline’s ISVAs all receive specialist ISVA accredited training as well as accredited training to work with survivors of sexual abuse to enable them to support clients effectively. This means our ISVA’s are able to support all survivors of sexual violence ages 3+, of any gender, and we have a specially trained Children’s ISVA (chISVA) to support children and young people age 3-18 and their families.
If you would like further information about staff training or qualifications please get in touch:
Email SafelineOur ISVA says…
For many people who have had crimes perpetrated against them, they are unsure about where to turn and can feel overwhelmed. They may feel that they ought to talk to the police about what has happened to them but this can be hard. For example, sometimes the person that hurt them is a family member; sometimes a person thinks that they will be blamed or judged.
Talking to an ISVA is a way of talking through different options, knowing that whatever action they choose, it will be their decision without any coercion and that there will be ongoing support from Safeline.
Children’s Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ChISVA)
A ChISVA is a qualified ISVA who has received specialist training to support children from age 3.
CHISVALegal Compensation (Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme)
If you are the survivor of a violent crime, and you have made a report to the police, you may be entitled to compensation via the Government funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICA).
Through the CICA scheme, survivors can claim for acts of abuse and psychological injuries suffered as well as loss of earnings.
Claims are made to the Government scheme and do not involve the perpetrator of the crime, so claims can be made in confidence without the worry of having further contact with the perpetrator/s.
You can apply for compensation yourself but the process is complex and it is usually recommended that you seek legal advice before submitting your application.
Safeline works in partnership with Jordans Solicitors to strengthen the support available to the survivors of abuse that we help. To find out more about Jordans Solicitors and their dedicated abuse team, please click on the links below:
Jordans Solicitors and CICA Claims
Have your say
We really appreciate your feedback about our ISVA service and you can give us feedback at any time during your support to enable us to give you the best possible experience.
You can complete our feedback form anonymously through Survey Monkey. If you are a parent/guardian of a child that has used the chISVA service we would also like to hear from you and we welcome your feedback.
You can speak to a member of the ISVA team during an appointment or get in touch: