LimeCulture has published new guidance for higher education institutions (HEIs) seeking to develop and embed Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO) support.
The guidance aims to support HEIs considering how best to embed SVLO support by clarifying the key roles and responsibilities of the SVLO role, setting out important considerations for ensuring the safe and effective SVLO provision, and capturing learning and insights from HEIs that have already successfully embedded SVLO models.
It also seeks to support HEIs that have already introduced SVLO support by sharing good practice and identifying further steps that can be taken to ensure SVLO provision is fully embedded in the institutional response to sexual violence.
The SVLO model was first developed by LimeCulture in 2016 in partnership with Keele University and the University of Greenwich, and today SVLOs are working within HEIs all across the UK to provide support, information and help to students and staff affected by sexual violence. LimeCulture has trained over 500 SVLOs across more than 80 HEIs, and those in SVLO roles increasingly play a critical role in transforming their institution’s response to sexual violence and creating a safe and inclusive culture.
Sam Whyte, Director of Sexual Violence and Education Services at LimeCulture, said:
“LimeCulture is privileged to work within higher education to transform the sexual violence response, and we believe that embedding specialist SVLO support is an essential lynchpin in an effective whole-institution response to sexual violence.
“We’re delighted to be able to publish this new guidance in response to the many HEIs that have sought our advice on how to successfully embed the SVLO model of support. It was fantastic to collaborate with so many SVLOs, SVLO managers and senior university leaders in developing the guidance, and to be able to capture their considerable insights from delivering SVLO support alongside our own experience and learning. We hope that this guidance will show what is possible, and encourage more institutions to commit the time, resources and effort needed to put in place the best possible SVLO support for those affected by sexual violence.”
Download Embedding Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO) Support: Guidance for Higher Education Institutions
Contact the LimeCulture Team at universities@limeculture.co.uk to discuss how we can support you.