Crime and victims

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Independent Sexual Violence Advisors

New advisors will offer independent help to victims of violent sexual crimes.

As part of a £3 million government effort to provide targeted professional support to victims of sex crimes, 38 independent sexual violence advisors (ISVAs) will be working across England and Wales offering advice and help to victims.

Help from the very start

The professionally trained specialists will start to work with victims shortly after an attack has been reported - initial contact might take place along with emergency services, for example. They will then continue to offer help throughout the legal process that follows, and beyond.

The advisors will be based in sexual assault referral centres or within volunteer agencies. 

Their own work will link with the work of other essential services such as victim and witness organisations, counsellors and health agencies. The advisors will work with those organisations to ensure the safety of the victim is taken into account throughout the process.

Dozens of locations

The new sexual violence advisors will be located in the following centres and agencies:

East Midlands

• Derbyshire Rape Crisis
• Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre

West Midlands

• Women's Rape & Sexual Violence Service (Hanley)
• Crisis Point Walsall Rowan Centre
• Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre
• Safeline (Warwick)
• Worcestershire Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre
• Rosa Warwickshire
• Rape and Sexual Violence Project (Birmingham)

East

• SERICC (Essex)

London

• Haven Camberwell
• The Haven Paddington
• The Haven Whitechapel
• The Nia Project
• Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre
• Woman's Trust

Yorkshire and Humberside

• Kirklees Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (Huddersfield)
• Barnsley Sexual Abuse & Rape Crisis Helpline
• Doncaster Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre
• Grimsby and Scunthorpe Rape Crisis 
• Yorkshire and Humberside  HALT (Leeds)
• Women's Support Network (Middlesbrough)
• Redcar Rape Crisis Service (Redcar and Cleveland)

Wales

• New Pathways (Gwent)
• New Pathway (Merthyr Tydfil) 
• Women's Safety Unit (Cardiff)

North West

• RASA Merseyside
• Rape and Sexual Abuse support Centre   (Warrington)
• Rape and Sexual Abuse support Centre (St Helen's)
• St Mary SARC (Manchester)
• Lancashire Constabulary (Preston)
• Armistead Centre (Liverpool)
• Blackburn and Darwen District Women's Aid

South West

• Swindon Sanctuary (SARC)
• Twelves Company
• Women's Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre (Cornwall)

South East

• Southampton Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse
• Counselling Service (Southampton)
• Aylesbury Vale Rape Crisis/Wycombe Rape Crisis