Lincolnshire Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) and Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) provides a victim and outcome focussed specialist service for high risk female and male victims of domestic abuse and victims of serious sexual violence, including intimate partner, familial or stranger violence. It is a pro-active service aiming to make positive differences to the lives of abused women and men.

The Lincolnshire IDVA & ISVA Service (LIIS) provide expert advice, information, advocacy and support to increase the safety of victims. The service works closely with the three MARACs (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) and SARC (Sexual Abuse Referral Centre) in Lincolnshire.

Lincolnshire IDVA and ISVA Service is a joint initiative between Lincoln Women’s Aid and Victim Support

What’s on Offer?

• Help you develop your own safety plan.
• Signpost you to other specialist services to increase your safety – counselling, housing, legal and refuge services.
• Give advice on criminal and civil remedies available to you.
• Keep you up to date with court proceedings
• Attend court with you
• Explain some of the legal jargon and processes
• Work with other agencies to help increase your safety.
• Inform you of your options if a case does not proceed to court.
• Ensure agencies work together to help to keep you safe.

There are a number of elements present within an IDVA service. These are:

• Crisis Intervention: advisors work from the point of crisis with a survivor and offer intensive support to help assure their short and long term safety.
• Risk: the service is based on assessment and understanding of risk and its management. IDVAs must be trained to assess risk and respond in a way that is appropriate to the level of risk that the victim is experiencing. IDVAs have to be willing to involve other agencies when the victim or the children of the victim are in danger.
• Independent: from both the justice system and local government, in order to focus on safety and not other targets which statutory agencies must bear in mind when providing a service. Victims need support from someone who can give impartial advice on their safety options.
• Professional: this service is not suited to volunteers because the service involves supporting a victim with a trained caseworker and because IDVAs work with people who are at medium or high risk of serious harm. IDVAs should be trained to meet specific accredited learning outcomes. Currently, CAADA  delivers an accredited training course for IDVAs which meets those standards and has been endorsed by Government. Women’s Aid is also developing training. The IDVA service should be provided in such a way as to be sensitive to all cultural and other differences and needs and be fully accessible to victims with complex needs and all those who face additional barriers to seeking help and support.
• Multi-agency working: IDVAs are trained to understand the value and legal requirements of information-sharing. While developing safety plans that are tailored to the individual’s safety needs and goals, they are trained to approach individuals’ situations with the expectation that the agencies involved will each take their responsibility for reducing the risk that the victim faces, whether that is the police arresting an offender who has breached bail or a health visitor reporting to other agencies that a perpetrator who had been reportedly to have left the house has since returned.
• Measurable Outcomes: IDVAs can contribute to increased victim safety and satisfaction, reductions in repeat victimisation, maintaining victim engagement with the CJS and increased reporting and support for children at risk of harm from domestic violence.

Research shows that abused women consistently cite the need for there to be one point of contact they can approach for help. The confusion of different policies and practices is a minefield for most professionals in this field to negotiate successfully, let alone for abused women. Having one point of contact who can provide information and support, who maintains an overview of her progress within various systems and agencies and who can advocates on her behalf where necessary to ensure policies are being adhered to properly, can make all the difference.