LimeCulture was commissioned by the Hydrant Programme to deliver the National ISVA Co-ordinator (NISVAC) Service from September 2020 to March 2023. The project aimed to provide victims/survivors of sexual violence from specific ‘seldom heard’ client groups with a pathway into ISVA support and/or the criminal justice system.
The project was established in recognition of the barriers certain client groups may face in engaging with support services and/or reporting to the police.
The NISVAC Service sought to:
- Raise awareness of ISVA services among professionals and advocates
- Upskill ISVA services to support victims/survivors from seldom heard groups
- Enable victims/survivors from seldom heard groups to seek ISVA support
LimeCulture would like to thank all the community advocates, grassroots organisations, national and local charities/projects, academics, government bodies and ISVA services that worked in partnership with the National ISVA Co-ordinator to strengthen support pathways through this project.
During the project, LimeCulture has
- created dedicated resources for ISVAs and other professionals
- hosted lunchtime briefings for ISVAs/ISVA managers
- developed an advanced ISVA training course on working with clients with learning disabilities
- established a Professional Network for ISVAs working with clients with learning disabilities.
Read our briefing summarising the learnings from the NISVAC service.
All the NISVAC resources are available for download from our website. To discuss any of the resources in more detail, contact us at info@limeculture.org.uk
Resources
- Guidance for professionals working with people with Learning Disabilities
- Working with victims and survivors from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities
- Working with victims and survivors of sexual violence who are homeless: Guidance for ISVAs
- Supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence: Guidance for professionals working with people who are homeless
- The Service Justice System and working with victims and survivors in the Armed Forces (April 2023)
The NISVAC Service worked in partnership with people from Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities, professionals working with these communities, academics and ISVA services to develop a new resource (March 2022) to support ISVAs to better understand the unique barriers Gypsy, Roma or Traveller people may face in engaging with support, and to consider how ISVA services can be adapted to support these clients.
This resource:
- Provides a brief background of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities including issues such as discrimination, marginalisation, and hate
- Highlights specific barriers for people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in accessing ISVA support
- Equips ISVAs with accurate information to inform practice and provides practical suggestions to support ISVA services to become more accessible for people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
Holli Waterson, the National ISVA Co-ordinator, said:
“Engaging with sexual violence victims and survivors from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities can be particularly challenging due to a long history of genocide, discrimination and hate which has resulted in their exclusion from mainstream support services. Sadly, low rates of engagement with people from Travelling communities has become an unacceptable norm for many services. Given how critical specialist support is following sexual violence, access to an ISVA is vital to ensure the needs of sexual violence victims/survivors from these communities are met.
We had a fantastic response from Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities, academics and professionals in the development of this resource, which is a testament to the shared commitment to improving support access and life outcomes for victims/survivors of sexual violence. I would like to extend a very special thank you to all who engaged with us and shared their knowledge and experiences.
Being aware of the barriers these communities face and demonstrating sensitivity to their unique cultures and traditions is key to enabling victims/survivors of sexual violence from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to engage with ISVA services. We hope this resource supports ISVA services to do just that.”
Download the resource Working with victims and survivors from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities
To find out more about this work, contact us at info@limeculture.co.uk
The NISVAC Service worked in partnership with former members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Community, advocates, professionals and the police to better understand the unique barriers Jehovah’s Witnesses may face in engaging with ISVA support, and to consider how ISVA services can be adapted to support these clients.
To find out more about this work, contact us at info@limeculture.co.uk
The NISVAC Service worked in partnership with national learning disability organisations, local projects, professionals and ISVA services to identify the practical challenges and barriers for victims/survivors of sexual violence with learning disabilities in accessing sexual violence support services.
Building on existing research, we found that many victims/survivors of sexual violence with learning disabilities are not being referred to, or are not readily able to access specialist sexual violence services.
ISVAs also told us that they often feel they lack the experience, confidence and skills to respond to the needs of victims/survivors with learning disabilities.
LimeCulture therefore published guidance for professionals working with people with Learning Disabilities who have experienced sexual violence and abuse
This pathway resource aims to:
- Raise awareness of local ISVA services among disability organisations
- Support disability organisations to strengthen their internal processes to ensure appropriate referrals are made for the individuals they support.
Attended by more than 30 different ISVA services across the country, LimeCulture’s ISVA Professional Network on Learning Disabilities and Neurodiversity provides a space for ISVAs to come to come together to share ideas, discuss challenges and identify solutions to better support clients with learning disabilities.
To join the network or for more information, contact nisvac@limeculture.co.uk
The National ISVA Co-ordinator Service has worked in partnership with homelessness organisations, support services, academics and ISVA services to develop practical resources that seek to improve access to specialist sexual violence support for people who are homeless.
A resource for ISVAs: Working with victims and survivors of sexual violence who are homeless offers insight into the barriers to accessing support faced by people who are homeless. It includes key practice considerations for ISVAs and ISVA services to improve their engagement with victims/survivors who are homeless.
Supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence: Guidance for professionals working with people who are homeless considers how wider professionals can appropriately respond to, and support, victims/survivors of sexual violence.
It aims to strengthen partnerships and referral pathways between homelessness organisations and sexual violence support services.
To find out more about this work, contact us at info@limeculture.co.uk
The NISVAC identified a need to upskill prison staff operating in supportive roles and strengthen partnerships and pathways between prisons and ISVA services. LimeCulture designed a sexual violence awareness e-learning package for prison professionals that aims to:
- Develop prison professionals’ understanding of sexual violence
- Increase their knowledge and awareness of myths and misconceptions
- Develop professional confidence in responding to disclosures of sexual violence
- Promote and strengthen pathways of support to sexual violence services (including the role of ISVAs).
The NISVAC also delivered a briefing for ISVA services where ISVA services working in prisons were able to share with their peers across the country how they have overcome and adapted to various access and engagement challenges to ensure the critical support of ISVAs is accessible to victims/survivors who are in Prison.
To find out more about this work, contact us at info@limeculture.co.uk
The NISVAC worked with charity professionals, support organisations and ISVA services who support serving/ex-serving personnel victims/survivors of sexual violence, and academics from the Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research at Anglia Ruskin University to explore the barriers to disclosure for service personnel and better understand victims/survivors’ experiences of reporting and accessing support.
LimeCulture’s new resource for ISVAs on victims/survivors in the Armed Forces seeks to support ISVAs to better understand the Service Justice System and how they can support their clients within it.
We heard from ISVAs that due to seeing so few Armed Forces cases, they felt inexperienced in supporting victims/survivors within the Service Justice System and unfamiliar with internal processes and internal support services such as welfare, family, or chaplaincy support.
The NISVAC facilitated an ISVA briefing event in March 2023 to explore the additional barriers victims/survivors of sexual violence in the Armed Forces may face when disclosing, reporting or seeking support. The Ministry of Defence RASSO Lead attended the briefing to support ISVAs with their understanding of the Court Martial and Service Justice System. Participants also heard from Aurora New Dawn who have built strong relationships with the Forces and developed specialist ISVA roles to meet the unique needs of serving personnel.
To find out more about this work, contact us at info@limeculture.co.uk
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