Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA)

MALE INDEPENDENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVISOR (ISVA)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title

Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA)

Salary:

£27,817 - £29,520 per annum

(dependent upon qualifications/experience)

Hours:

37 Hours per week

12-month contract (with possibility of extension, subject to further
funding)

Position base:

Stoke-on-Trent (office based, requirement to travel across
Staffordshire)

Responsible to:

Team Leader, Service Manager and CEO

Job Purpose

Staffordshire Survive 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 provide a high quality, victim/survivor-focused
and trauma informed advocacy and support service to survivors who
have been subjected to sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and/or sexual
coercion who reside in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.

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 etc. to help victims cope and
recover from their experiences.

You will have experience and understanding of the traumatic effects and
impacts of sexual violence, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and sexual
coercion and knowledge of criminal justice processes.

This post is open to male applicants only as being male is deemed to be a genuine
occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010

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JOB DETAILS
Core Functions, Duties & Responsibilities

Core Requirements:

•  To work as part of the Staffordshire Survive team in providing information, support and

advice to all victims of sexual assault and abuse.

•  To support the aims and principles of Staffordshire Women's Aid in empowering and

supporting survivors who have experienced sexual abuse to make their own decisions and
take control of their lives.

•  Take all possible steps to ensure the safety and confidentiality of the users, staff, volunteers

and management of Staffordshire Survive and Staffordshire Women's Aid.

Specific Duties:

•  Provide  face  to  face,  telephone,  text  and  email-based  support  to  service  users  across

Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.

•  To travel throughout Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent to provide individual support to service

users, to meet with agencies and to attend court as required.

•  Contact service users who have been allocated to you in a timely and professional manner.

•  Listen to the needs of the Service User, offering a trauma informed approach and developing

a support plan accordingly.

•  Undertake  risk  assessments  and  continue  to  support  and  advise  with  on-going  risk

management.

•  Support service users to make informed choices about their future options.

•  Help  service  users  to  access  services  they  need,  including  Mental  Health  teams,  Sexual

Health services, etc.

•  Help service users to meet their personal goals and ambitions.

•  Explain criminal, legal and if relevant, civil remedies and housing options, to service users.

•  Work  within  Data  Protection,  GDPR  and  confidentiality  legislation  while  operating  across

multi-agency settings, ensuring the delivery of an independent and confidential service

•  Consider child and adult safeguarding issues when engaging with all service users and follow

relevant safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures.

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•  Advocate and challenge on behalf of service users.

•  Where  directed  provide  independent  support  for  affected  Family  members,  partners  or
significant  others  of  those  who  have  experienced  abuse  and  are  navigating  the  Criminal
Justice system.

•  Support  service  users  through  reporting  and  at  each  stage  of  the  Criminal  Justice  system,

explaining the procedures and their legal entitlements and rights within the system.

•  Develop  and  maintain  effective  communication  systems  with  key  partners  including  the
police,  CPS,  court  services,  education,  mental  health  and  sexual  health  services,  Victim
Gateway, Witness Service and other voluntary sector organisations etc.

•  Highlight the needs of survivors and promote the professionalism of Staffordshire Survive.

•  Manage a caseload.

•  Accurately update and maintain case notes and records.

•  Follow procedures, policies and protocols with other services so that the safety of the service

user is always kept central.

•  Advocate on behalf of service users, supporting them to access other agencies and support

networks.

•  Contribute to the development of service policies, protocols, guidelines and strategies within

area of practice as necessary.

•  To participate in organisational and Staffordshire Survive team meetings.

•  To attend and contribute to supervision sessions.

•  To provide specialist advice to other workers and agencies, including participation in delivery

of training sessions where required.

•  To  have  a  clear  understanding  of  the  myths  and  facts  of  sexual  violence,  trauma  and  the

long-term mental health effects of sexual violence.

•  To be aware of how to access resources available, regarding interpreters, signers, etc.

•  To  contribute  accurate  information,  case  studies  and  support  figures  to  help  monitor  and

evaluate the effectiveness of the Staffordshire Survive service.

•  To be familiar with all aspects of the work of Staffordshire Women’s Aid.

•  Work flexibly as a member of the team and be responsive to changing needs.

•  To  undertake  training  at  induction,  and  specialised  training  throughout  the  duration  of  the

role.

•  Work  within  the  policies  and  procedures  of  the  Staffordshire  Survive  Service  and
Staffordshire  Women’s  Aid  and  demonstrate  a  commitment  to  their  values,  mission
statement, aims, principles and ethos.

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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  reviewed  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 Survive and 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 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.

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MALE INDEPENDENT SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVISOR (ISVA)

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications and
Training

•  Good standard of education to graduate

level or equivalent experience
ISVA trained or prepared to attend training

•

Experience

•  Extensive knowledge and understanding of

Knowledge &
Understanding

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 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

•  Proficient at using Information Technology
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

IDVA trained
ISAC trained

•  Trauma informed training
•
•
•  Sexual Abuse training
•  Safeguarding training
•  Domestic Abuse training

•  Experience of working with
survivors of sexual assault
and abuse

•  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

Skills

•  Ability to prioritise own workload and deal

•  One year experience of

with competing demands

•  Ability to use line management and

supervision

•  Good communication skills; verbal,

nonverbal and written

working within advocacy to
represent the voices and
needs of service users

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•  An ability to put the service user central to

all processes

•  An understanding of inequality and a
dedication to anti-oppressive working

•  Ability to work on own initiative, in
partnership and as part of a team

•  Professionalism
•  Good sense of humour
•  Compassionate
•  Flexible and adaptable
•  Full, clean driving licence and use of a car
•  Ability and willingness to travel throughout

Staffordshire

•  Must be prepared to carry out any duties

that help Staffordshire Survive to deliver a
compassionate and professional service.

•  May be required to work unsocial hours

and occasional weekends

Other

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