Independent sexual violence advisers (ISVAs) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: a study of impacts, effects, coping mechanisms and effective support systems for people working as ISVAs and ISVA Managers

This study is the first of its kind in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and was carried out to gather information about the impact of working as Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) or ISVA Managers. The ISVA role is relatively new, and as such, little is known about this difficult and emotionally charged work. Although some literature looks at the impact of working in the sexual violence field, there is little from England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and even less focused on the direct, ongoing, face-to-face work ISVAs do. This report focuses on the impacts, effects, coping mechanisms and effective support systems for people working as ISVAs and ISVA Managers in supporting victim-survivors of sexual violence across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since its introduction in 2005, the ISVA role has been invaluable in providing continuous support to victim-survivors of sexual violence and working to meet their emotional and practical needs during the criminal justice process. As conviction rates are at an all-time low, ISVAs can also provide support to people who may otherwise feel let down by the Criminal Justice System. ISVAs can also support people who do not want to report the crime to the police – helping people at, potentially, the lowest point of their life. This survey focused on providing an overview of the ISVA role (e.g. context they work in, caseloads, supervision and support available) and determining which factors predict the likelihood of experiencing negative and positive impacts as a result of the work they do.

The research has been conducted by Canterbury Christ Church University and Middlesex University London, with support from LimeCulture.