Adult Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA)

About Us

We are the largest sexual violence support provider in Wales, with 30 years’ experience of delivering specialist therapeutic support to adults and children affected by the trauma of rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse.

As a charitable organisation, we offer a full range of free specialist crisis, advocacy, wellbeing and counselling services. We are widely regarded throughout the UK as a leading organisation in our field. We support nearly 4,000 people each year.

Beyond that, we use our experience and expertise to train and educate others on the wide-ranging impact of rape and sexual abuse, and use our voice to advocate for those who are often silenced by stigma.

Main Tasks and Duties

• Provide face to face and telephone, practical and emotional, support to clients and their supporter where appropriate.
• To carry out a prompt, and ongoing, risk and needs assessment using the SAS tool to develop individual service plans to address the risk/needs of the client.
• Support the client through the criminal justice system, if that is what they wish, explaining the procedures and professionals’ roles and their rights within the system, liaising with the police and the crown prosecution service (CPS) and all other associated professionals up to and including attending trial with them and supporting their needs afterwards.
• Advocate for special measures and attend pre-trial visits and CPS meetings as required.
• Support the client, if they do not wish to report to the police, with understanding their options and helping them to provide intelligence to the police if they choose, as well as then supporting them to get any other help they may need.
• To identify and respond, as appropriate, to issues relating to safeguarding, child protection and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA)
• To work within a multi-agency framework, representing the needs of clients and promoting New Pathways as appropriate.

Please see full job description for full tasks and duties

Essential Experience

• Good knowledge and understanding of SARC services or experience of working in a SARC or related area of work.
• Experience of client face to face and telephone support work, excellent communication skills.
• Experience of conducting needs assessments and risk assessments.
• Good knowledge of safeguarding, Child Protection and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) procedures.
• Previous experience of working in a multi-agency setting.
• Experience of working with IT programmes such as Microsoft Word & Excel.