Spotlight on: Independent Domestic Violence Advisors

FORCEWIDE

The Blue Door currently have 15 Independent Domestic Violence Advisors across three sites in Scunthorpe, Hull, and Grimsby, as well as four IDVAs who actually sit within our Force Control Room. We caught up with one of them who explains what it means to be an IDVA and how they can support victim and survivors of rape, serious sexual offences, domestic abuse, and other crimes of this nature:

“Also known as IDVAs, who offer advice, information, safety planning, risk management, guidance and support through the criminal court and the family court processes, as well as offering access and liaison to other services.

“Upon receipt of a referral, which can be from a professional or from the person at risk, an IDVA will make contact to assess the risk and safety of the client and complete an Individual Safety and Support plan with them.

“This is the start of what can be a long-term relationship with the client who will receive an allocated IDVA to work closely with, continually safety planning and helping them manage the risk. 

“IDVAs will encourage engagement by being flexible to the client’s wishes, i.e., seeing them in the community, at home or at one of the three The Blue Door offices, whatever suits the client’s needs.  Through regular engagement, the client learns to trust the IDVA and may disclose abuse which they possibly have not disclosed to anyone else.

“There may be clients who do not initially trust the police and/or other agencies and therefore be difficult to first engage. In these cases, the IDVA will build on the relationship, offering holistic support to the client whilst focusing on the risk to them.  They will support them with meeting other professionals such as police, social services, housing and health services to provide that multi-agency approach for the client.  Our IDVAs are co-located with the above services and have drop-in sessions with other agencies to be available for the clients that use these services.

“The IDVA can be the voice of the client when they need to be, helping other agencies to understand the challenges that a DA victim can be faced with.

“By working in this way with clients they can feel empowered and become independent, with the knowledge that they have been heard and understood.  This can have a ripple effect, and other victims reach out for support.”

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