Child Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy
Our CHISVA service offers practical help, advice & information for victims of rape and sexual abuse who are aged under 18, and non-offending family members
Who is the CHISVA service for?
The CHISVA service helps anyone who has been the victim of unwanted sexual contact. If you have been raped or sexually abused at any time in your life, we can offer you practical support to deal with your circumstances. Our aim is to help give you the confidence, support and information you need to take control of your situation and move forward. A CHISVA has received specialist training to support families, parents and children has Police Vetting clearance and DBS checks.
In order to ensure safety, if anything is disclosed to us by someone aged under 18 that is not known to the Police or Social Services, we are duty bound to report this (see safeguarding flowchart)
What does the CHISVA do?
Your individual worker will listen to you and find out what your needs are. He or she will then help you to access support from other agencies, such as:
- Health services & Emotional wellbeing
- Liaising with schools & education
- Housing
- Counselling
If you are under 13 we may require a parent/guardian to consent to support and both service agreements are available here: Parent/Guardian consent & CHISVA Client consent.
If you decide to report the matter your worker will help you through the whole process, including working with the Police and the rest of the criminal justice system. Examples of the type of support we will provide include:
- Liaising with the police, courts, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and other public agencies
- Keeping you informed of developments in your case
- Advocating on your behalf
- Supporting you before and during any court case
Making a referral:
If you would like to refer someone or yourself into the service, please complete the secure form (link below) and the details will be passed securely to a CHISVA who will make contact within 48 hours:
Make a Referral
