INDEPENDENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVISER (ISVA)

2 x INDEPENDENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVISERS (ISVAs)
Postholder must be based in London and hold an ISVA qualification

JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

SALARY: Circa £30,902
HOURS: Full-time. 35 hours/week
LOCATION: Hybrid role with attendance required for office and client appointments in London,
as agreed. The postholder must be based in London.

CONTRACT: Permanent

CONTEXT

An estimated 12,000 men are raped every year and 76,000 sexually abused or assaulted.

Yet just 4% of men will tell someone. Of those who do, it takes on average 26 years to do so.

SurvivorsUK provides specialist support to men and boys, trans* people, and non-binary
people who have been raped, sexually assaulted or abused. Our aim is to help any man,
boy, trans person, or gender non-conforming person, to have the confidence to tell someone
what’s happened to them, and to know that it’s OK to seek help. When they do, we want to
ensure they have access to the right support so they can deal with the impact of their
experiences of criminal harm.

We provide emotional support, information and signposting to survivors and anyone worried

about someone they know, through a national website and webchat service (open till 8pm most

evenings). Last year, 2,600 people contacted us via our webchat services and social media.

In London, we are the only organisation providing specialist services for men and boys,
including individual counselling and therapeutic groupwork. Across London, we provide
the capital’s only Independent Sexual Advisor (ISVA) Service that helps men and boys
through the Criminal Justice System.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

Introduction

As an ISVA, you will play a crucial role in providing emotional, practical and advocacy
support for male and gender non-conforming survivors with multiple disadvantages who
have experienced any form of sexual violence and are engaging (or considering
engaging) with the criminal justice system. Needs may include those relating to substance
use, homelessness, immigration, disability, mental health, sexual and/or gender identity.

This post is subject to a DBS clearance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Delivery – support and advocacy

●  Deliver support in a timely manner, via phone, video calling and face-to-face
●  Provide empowering and empathetic support, information and advocacy that

enables survivors to access their rights and make informed choices

●  Support survivors through the criminal justice process, by providing impartial and
accurate information on reporting to the police and/or civil remedies i.e. Criminal
Injuries Compensation, and acting as the Single Point of Contact when requested
Inform survivors of their rights and entitlements in relation to the criminal justice
system as outlined in the Victims Code and the Witness Charter

●

●  Develop a support plan, together with the survivor, to address their individual needs
●  Regularly review risk and needs to ensure a survivor’s safety and wellbeing
●  Ensure that the survivor understands the limits of the service and support them to

access other services by signposting and referring to other services, where required

●  Operate within legal and professional boundaries and ensure a thorough

understanding of the legal limitations of ISVA support

Case recording, Monitoring, and Feedback

●  Collect, record and maintain accurate and timely data and case notes on our CRM
●  Collect and review outcomes and feedback regularly

Working Collaboratively

●  Maintain good working relationships with other support services
●  Collaborate with colleagues and specialist agencies to share learning & best practices
●  Actively contribute towards the development of the service
●  Participate in all staff meetings and team meetings

Other

●  Adherence to company policies and protocols
●  Participation in regular supervisions
●  Commitment to continued professional development
●  Attend events to promote the service and organisation as a whole

Whilst every endeavour has been made to outline the duties and responsibilities of the post,
these duties are not exhaustive. The post-holder will be required to carry out additional duties
from time to time, and such duties will be commensurate with the role.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Please see the Personal Spec below

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience and qualifications

1)  Experience of working with survivors of sexual violence

2)  Accredited ISVA training or a relevant degree/professional qualification

3)  Experience of working within strict safeguarding and risk assessment processes

4)  Experience of multi-agency partnership working

5)  Experience of managing a busy caseload, prioritising, and working under pressure

Skills, knowledge, and competences

6)  Strong understanding of the impacts of sexual violence on men & non-binary

people

7)  A polite and empathic manner: able to engage sensitively with clients who have

challenging needs and deal with highly emotional and stressful situations

8)  Strong communication skills: able to build trusting relationships and rapport
with clients and interact and engage effectively with external agencies

9)  Ability to write clear and concise casenotes in a timely manner, and obtain

feedback

10)  Strong IT skills, including using Office 365 and case management systems.

11)  High degree of flexibility in approach to working with clients and the wider team

12)  A clear understanding of the barrier’s men and non-binary people face in

disclosing sexual violence and accessing support

13)  Demonstrable commitment to equal opportunities, with a non-

judgemental approach to helping men, non-binary, and trans people

14)  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including IT skills

15)  A flexible approach to work, including limited evening/weekend work as required

16)  Ability and willingness to travel within pan-London boroughs, where required