Children and Young People’s Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ChISVA)
STAFFORDSHIRE WOMEN'S AID
26,738 - 29,519 per year
Stafford
Full-time
Listed 2 weeks ago
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S INDEPENDENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVISOR (CHISVA) JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title Children and Young People’s Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ChISVA) Salary: Salary Scale: £26,738 - £29,519 per annum FTE (Salary will be set dependent upon qualifications and experience) Hours: 37 hours per week 12-month contract (with possibility of extension, subject to further funding) Position base: Stafford Responsible to: Team Leader, SV & Therapeutic Services Manager and CEO Job Purpose Survive Sexual Assault & Abuse Service offers a free, non-judgmental and confidential service for adults, children over the age of 4, and close family members/significant others who have been affected by sexual assault or abuse at any point during their lives across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent. As part of Survive, you will deliver a high-quality ChISVA (Children’s Independent Sexual Violence Advisor) service to children and young people who have experienced sexual violence, sexual abuse, or sexual coercion. This will help meet the needs of victims, providing accurate information on criminal justice processes, victims’ rights under the Victim’s Code of Practice and referring to other services as appropriate ensuring that survivors have access to a range of specialist support. You will work closely with, but independently from, the Police, Victim Gateway, Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Witness Care, Sexual Health and NHS services as well as other voluntary sector organisations. This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010. January 2026 1 JOB DETAILS Core Functions, Duties & Responsibilities Core Functions: • To work as a committed member of the Staffordshire Women's Aid team. • To support the aims, values and working principles of Staffordshire Women's Aid, and to work in alignment with Staffordshire Women’s Aid’s Policies and Procedures. • To take all possible steps to ensure the safety and confidentiality of service users, staff, volunteers, and management of Staffordshire Women's Aid. Specific Duties: • Provide support to children and young people, using a range of channels as appropriate, including face to face support, video, text and telephone. • Travel to schools and community venues to offer support as required by caseload. • Contact young people or parents / carers of child service users who have been allocated to you in a timely and professional manner. • Work with children and young people who are survivors of sexual abuse to promote their emotional and physical wellbeing. • Listen to the needs of the service user, offering a trauma informed approach to develop a support plan accordingly. • Undertake risk and needs assessments and continue to support and advise with on-going risk management. • Support the service user through reporting and at each stage of the criminal justice system, explaining the procedures and their legal entitlements and rights within the system and within the Victim’s Code. • Support service users to make informed choices about their future options. • Help service users to access services they need, and to which they are entitled. • Help service users to meet their personal goals and ambitions. • Work within Data Protection, GDPR and confidentiality legislation whilst working within multi- agency working protocols. • Consider child and adult safeguarding issues when engaging with all service users and follow relevant safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures. January 2026 2 • Advocate and challenge on behalf of service users. • Develop and maintain effective communication systems with key partners including the police, CPS, court services, education and schools, mental health and sexual health services, Victim Gateway, Witness Service and other voluntary sector organisations etc. • Highlight the needs of child survivors of sexual abuse and promote the service to other agencies and local communities. • Manage a caseload. • Maintain and monitor the notes and records of all service users in accordance with SWAs GDPR regulations. • Contribute to the development of service policies, protocols, guidelines and strategies within area of practice as necessary. • Attend and contribute to supervision sessions. • Work with a clear understanding of the myths and facts of sexual violence and trauma, and the long-term mental health effects of sexual violence. • Be aware of how to access resources available, regarding interpreters, signers, etc. • Contribute accurate information, case studies and quantitative data to help monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the Survive service. • To undertake ChISVA training (if this hasn’t been completed already) and on-going training as directed throughout the duration of the role. General Responsibilities: • To assist the team to inform and educate the public, media, schools and other statutory agencies via networking, talks, training, and presentations. • Work flexibly to allow us to offer the best service possible to service users, this will involve working some evening/ weekend sessions. • To share responsibility for covering the Helpline during office hours as required and needed, helping SWA to ensure there is cover all day, every day • Attend team and service meetings as required and collaborate with colleagues in achieving team and organisational objectives. • Attend relevant training/ conferences / workshops in line with identified professional objectives. January 2026 3 Variation Clause Staffordshire Women’s Aid reserves the right, following consultation with the member of staff, to vary, add or alter any of the terms and conditions of employment attached to this post. This job description will be review annually and may need to be revised according to the priorities of current workload with the agreement of the Board of Trustees and the CEO. The performance of the post holder will be monitored through regular supervision by the line manager and reviewed at each annual appraisal. It is in the nature of the work of Staffordshire Women's Aid that tasks and responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises so that tasks which are not specifically covered in their job description are undertaken. These additional duties will normally be to cover unforeseen circumstances or changes in work and will normally be compatible with the regular type of work. Please be aware that you will be required to undertake a DBS check and may be required to undertake additional security checks to work in some settings. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential requirements of the post. General Information and Conditions of Service • 28 days holiday (pro rata for part time) per year, plus statutory holidays. • Staffordshire Women’s Aid contributes a sum equivalent to 3% of the annual salary to the company pension scheme following successful completion of 3 months probationary period, and subject to staff contribution as part of auto-enrolment. • Overtime is unpaid; time of in lieu is to be taken in consultation with line manager. January 2026 4 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S INDEPENDENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVISOR (CHISVA) PERSON SPECIFICATION Criteria Essential Desirable Qualifications • Good standard of education - graduate level or Experience equivalent experience ISVA trained or prepared to attend training • • Child related qualification • Extensive knowledge and understanding of the nature of sexual violence, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and sexual coercion • Experience of working with a range of statutory, non-statutory and voluntary agencies • Experience of working with vulnerable adults or children Knowledge & Understanding • Knowledge of adult and child safeguarding issues, legislation, and best practice • Understanding of the need and ability to maintain professional notes and records of your interactions and interventions with service users • Understanding of the effects of abuse on children ISVA training • Trauma informed training • Safeguarding training • • Domestic abuse training • Sexual Abuse training • Experience of working with Staffordshire Women’s Aid • Experience of working within the violence against women and girls’ sector • Specialised knowledge of the immediate and longer-term impacts of sexual violence, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and sexual coercion. • An understanding of the need for accurate monitoring • Proficient at using Information Technology • Knowledge of the Victim’s Code of including Windows, Microsoft Office, email and the Internet • Understanding the need for professional confidentiality and its boundaries, in relation to service delivery, legal, ethical, and safeguarding issues Practice. • Experience of working pro-actively, using advocacy to represent the voices and needs of service users. Skills • Able to prioritise own workload and deal with competing demands • Ability to use line management and supervision. • Good communication skills; verbal, nonverbal and written • An ability to put the service user central to all processes • An understanding of inequality and a dedication to anti-oppressive working. • Willingness to be creative in approach to working with children and young people. • Ability to work on own initiative, in partnership and as part of a team. Other • Will be required to work some evenings, and occasional weekends. • A sense of humour • Will be expected to travel to meet service user needs and a driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential January 2026 5