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Domestic and sexual abuse support worker - Independent sexual violence advisor ISVA

Domestic and sexual abuse support worker - Independent sexual violence advisor ISVA

Care services

Level 4 - Higher Technical Occupation

Provide early intervention, specialist advocacy, emotional and practical support to those who are experiencing and recovering from domestic abuse and or sexual violence.

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Reference: OCC0862C

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Average (median) salary: £26,432 per year

SOC 2020 code: 3229 Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c.

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 3229/01 Advocates (excludes Barrister advocates)

Technical Education Products

ST0862:

Domestic and sexual abuse support worker - Independent sexual violence advisor ISVA

(Level 4)

Approved for delivery

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Birmingham Women's aid England, IDAS, My sisters place, Pankhurst Trust (incorporating Manchester Women's aid), Respect, Rape crisis, Skills for Justice, Solace, West Mercia rape and sexual abuse centre, Women's aid Federation of England, Workforce development trust

Summary

This occupation is found in voluntary and statutory social care and protective services, to provide advocacy and support to those experiencing, at risk of, and recovering from, domestic abuse and or sexual violence This includes the provision of information and advice, raising awareness, signposting and referrals.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide early intervention, specialist advocacy, emotional and practical support to those who are experiencing and recovering from domestic abuse and or sexual violence at all levels of risk. This includes the provision of information and advice, emergency accommodation, awareness raising, signposting and referral.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, and their children, as well as professionals in social care and protective services such as police, housing providers, local authorities, social workers, medical providers, education providers, legal professionals, civil and criminal court staff, and probation and prison staff. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for working as part of a co-ordinated community response, applying specialist knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts to provide advocacy and support to those facing or at risk from domestic and sexual violence and abuse to ensure safety, wellbeing, and recovery. They will carry out risk and needs assessments and undertake safety planning with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, and work within a multi-agency framework to ensure the safety of adult and child survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, is prioritised. This may include supporting on a one-to-one or group level with survivors and perpetrators, updating and collating information from a range of service providers, updating own knowledge regarding legal, health, housing, finances and safety requirements related to domestic and sexual violence and abuse, recording case work and progressing case work through the application of knowledge and skills. There are many different job titles used for occupations in the domestic and sexual violence sector and it would be impossible to include all, especially as there are different job titles for those that carry out the same roles in different organisations. However, there are clear distinctions made between those that support adults, those that support children and those that only support victims of sexual violence. The options offered in this standard reflect this and enables all apprentices to gain an apprenticeship for their given job role.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Birmingham Women's aid England, IDAS, My sisters place, Pankhurst Trust (incorporating Manchester Women's aid), Respect, Rape crisis, Skills for Justice, Solace, West Mercia rape and sexual abuse centre, Women's aid Federation of England, Workforce development trust

Typical job titles include:

Black and minoritised specialist advocacy worker
Black and minoritised specialist support worker
Children and young people's domestic violence abuse IDVA support worker
Children, young people and families domestic abuse support worker
Domestic abuse prevention advocate DAPA
Domestic abuse support worker
Domestic violence helpline worker
Domestic violence outreach community support worker
Independent domestic violence adviser IDVA
Independent domestic violence advocate IDVA
Independent sexual violence adviser ISVA
Refuge support worker
Specialist ISVA

Keywords:

Domestic Abuse Support Worker
Domestic And Sexual Abuse Support Worker
Domestic Violence
Recovery
Sexual Violence

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Organisational policies and procedures for responding to crisis situations.
K2: Organisational policies and procedures for risk assessment, safeguarding and safety planning and the tools which can be used.
K3: Gendered, historical, social, and intersectional contexts of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
K4: Legislation and organisational policies and procedures relevant to the sector including those relating to anti-discrimination and equality.
K5: Case management systems used by own organisation, how they operate and monitor outcomes, and how they should be used within own role and in line with organisational policies and procedures.
K6: Organisational policies and procedures for supporting survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, through police and court processes.
K7: Civil and criminal sanctions, remedies and orders available to hold perpetrators accountable and promote the safety of victims.
K8: Types of information available from external organisations and how to obtain it.
K9: Different communication aids that can be used when working remotely or face to face.
K10: The importance of communicating with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, considering their individual backgrounds and experiences of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
K11: Professional boundaries and responsibilities of the role and the importance of maintaining independence.
K12: Models of reflective practice and how reflection can be used to improve own practice.
K13: Programmes that are available to aid recovery and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence and or how to deliver the programmes.
K14: Ways in which survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence can input into own organisation’s and national processes and governance.
K15: Sources of secondary and institutional abuse and ways of addressing these including through complaints procedures to promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
K16: The importance of raising awareness of accountability of perpetrators of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
K21: How immigration status can affect statutory access to healthcare and other services and support.
K33: Core values and empowerment models to adopt when supporting and working with survivors of sexual violence.
K34: Agencies that support survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) and child sexual exploitation (CSE), and how to make referrals to these.
K35: When and how to challenge myths and stereotypes about survivors of sexual abuse.
K36: Impacts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation on children, young people, and adult survivors.
K37: Different ways that survivors of sexual abuse and violence may be impacted by their experiences, including cognitive, practical, emotional and behavioural responses and how to adapt provision of support to meet their needs.
K38: Barriers to disclosure and how to identify and overcome them.
K39: The rights, entitlements and support options available to survivors of sexual violence, and how to access services and specialist advice.
K40: The agencies and support services in place for survivors of sexual violence and how priorities may affect their availability.
K42: The importance of self-care and available support structures.

S1: Recognise crisis situations and respond within the required timescales in line with organisational policies and procedures.
S2: Carry out risk assessments, safeguarding and safety planning using risk assessment tools.
S3: Assist and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence who may have experienced inequality, discrimination and or forms of injustice.
S4: Engage with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence from marginalised and disadvantaged groups and diverse social backgrounds and identities in ways that respond to their individual identities.
S5: Challenge intersectional gaps in service provision and or redress them.
S6: Raise awareness about the intersections of multiple forms of disadvantage and their relevance to domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
S7: Use own organisation’s case management systems in line with organisational policies and procedures.
S8: Use information sources to advise survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence on protective sanctions, orders and remedies they can access through court processes and or refer them to appropriate specialist advice.
S9: Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence through police investigations and or court processes within the context of own role.
S10: Act as an independent advocate for survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
S11: Adapt your communication method and style to meet the needs of the survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
S12: Use communication aids to meet survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence’ specific needs.
S13: Facilitate or assist in running programmes to aid recovery and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
S14: Use trauma-informed and needs-led approaches when assisting survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to participate in service provision activities.
S15: Raise awareness of the importance of accountability of perpetrators’ actions.
S16: Refer and signpost survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to other relevant voluntary or statutory multi-agency partners.
S17: Reflect on own practice and access available supervision and case management support.
S18: Maintain own continuous professional development and revise practice based on feedback received.
S32: Work within the boundaries of legislation and organisational policies and procedures and apply these to the responsibilities of own role.
S33: Establish, develop and manage professional relationships with survivors of sexual violence, setting out the boundaries of the relationship within own area of competence.
S34: Work within the empowerment model to ensure that the service is client-led and recognises the impact of the victims and or survivors’ experiences of sexual abuse.
S35: Provide client-led practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence.
S36: Act as an institutional advocate for survivors of different forms of sexual abuse.
S37: Recognise the impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation on children and or young people and the longer-term impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation on adult survivors.
S38: Provide emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence experiencing impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation.
S39: Promote the empowerment of survivors of sexual abuse to identify barriers to disclosure and work with them to over-come the barriers.
S40: Recognise the importance of self-care, taking appropriate action when required.
S41: Empower survivors to contribute to the co-design of services and provide them with a safe environment to do so.
S42: Provide services that reflect the specific needs of both children and young people and adult survivors of sexual violence.
S43: Assist survivors of sexual violence with the referral processes of external support agencies.
S44: Support survivors to access specialist information to raise their awareness of their rights and options.

B1: Treat people with dignity and respect.
B2: Be caring and compassionate.  
B3: Speak up and challenge.
B4: Be competent, reliable and committed.
B5: Be honest and accountable.
B6: Be non-discriminating anti-oppressive and anti-racist.
B7: Be survivor-centred.

Duties

Duty D1

Respond to and manage information from survivors and supply information to external agencies.

Duty D2

Respond to and manage crisis situations whilst adhering to lone working policies and other relevant procedures.

Duty D3

Carry out risk assessment and safety planning with survivors whilst considering safeguarding issues and individual support needs.

Duty D4

Commit to equality and challenge inequality and discrimination in all aspects of practice.

Duty D5

Use different communication methods and adapt your style to achieve the desired outcomes for survivors.

Duty D6

Create a safe and appropriate environment for survivors within the context of your service using trauma informed approaches.

Duty D7

Manage and maintain casework and information sharing in line with legal requirements and organisational policy and procedures.

Duty D8

Raise awareness of the nature, prevalence, and consequences of all forms of domestic and sexual abuse and violence.

Duty D9

Support survivors through criminal and or civil court processes.

Duty D10

Support and engage with survivors to inform them of local and regional services.

Duty D11

Advocate for survivors and their families within multi-agency settings and processes.

Duty D12

Provide information and support to enable survivors to make their own informed choices towards recovery.

Duty D13

Maintain own wellbeing and personal development via training or supervision

Duty D24

Act as an advocate to challenge institutional discrimination.

Duty D25

Deliver a specialist advocacy service for survivors and co-survivors of sexual violence that focuses on meeting the individual needs of the client, recognises and responds to intersecting causes of oppression.

Duty D26

Identify and challenge myths and stereotypes surrounding sexual violence. 

Duty D27

Provide trauma informed, strengths-based, client led support to survivors of sexual violence.  

Duty D28

Support clients in understanding their reactions in the immediacy of sexual violence and recognising and managing the longer-term impacts they might experience.