ISVA - Specialist Sex Worker ISVA

We are seeking a Sex Worker Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (SWISVA) to provide appropriate emotional and practical 1-to-1 support to people involved in sex work, who often experience stigma and face barriers to accessing services. Working within a specialist sexual violence approach, you will be enabling people to access support and navigate services, including those directly related to sexual violence. You will support them to navigate criminal justice processes if they wish to do so. You will be working in partnership with other agencies and making appropriate referrals for people to access other services to support their wider needs. You will play a key role in advocating for improved responses to sexual violence, including pathways through the criminal justice processes.  

The post is part of a unique partnership between National Ugly Mugs, Basis Yorkshire and POW (Nottingham) to ensure more specialist support for sex workers who have experienced sexual violence, to develop good practice guidelines, develop and share learning, and to influence change in provisions for sex workers. Each organisation will be employing a SWISVA; the program will be led by a Program Coordinator who will be based with Basis Yorkshire, and who will lead on influencing of policy and sharing of learning to improve outcomes for sex workers who have experienced sexual violence   

The main role responsibilities (further outlined in the job description) are:  

• Oversee a caseload of people who have experienced sexual violence  

• Ensure that sex workers have access to specialist sexual violence services, including access to the SARC and support throughout the criminal justice process  

• Ensure that safeguarding practice is embedded within working practices to effectively support those at risk 

• Work collaboratively with Police, ISVAs and other colleagues to ensure the needs of sex workers are met and their voices are heard within the criminal justice process 

• Advocate for sex workers wishing to access the specialist service, challenging discrimination, exclusion and stigma both for individuals and within the wider community  

• Ensure the service maintains its strict confidentiality and protects the data of those accessing the service 

• Work collaboratively with peers in the SWISVA Partnership Program and the Program Coordinator to enable the Programme to achieve its wider objectives of quality assurance, development of good practice guidelines, learning, evaluating and influencing  

• To work within POW to support the core services including drop-in and outreach, taking the lead and driving as allocated  

Experience of the sex work industry will be looked upon favourably.