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Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs)
IDVAs work closely with other agencies to reduce risk for victims of domestic abuse and their children.
GDASS IDVAs are trained to work with people who have been assessed as being at high risk of serious harm from domestic abuse. This may be from a partner, ex-partner, or family member such as mother, father, sibling, child, or grandchild.
IDVAs specialise in assessing and reducing risk of harm. They work very closely with partner agencies (such as the police, social services, probation, and housing etc) to create safety plans that support their clients to keep them safe. IDVAs are an integral part of the MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) process.
IDVAs can support people with:
- Safety planning
- Legal orders, such as non-molestation orders and occupation orders
- Securing safe accommodation, e.g. safety measures, refuge, Places of Safety, etc.
- Making sure their voice is heard at MARAC
- Advocating for them with the police and other services
- And much more.
The GDASS IDVA team have specialist training in BME (Black and minority ethnic) issues, sexual abuse, stalking and harassment, and many other forms of abuse.
Find out more about our IDVA specialists
Health IDVAs
Our Health IDVAs work across Gloucester Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals. They work with patients experiencing domestic abuse by working closely with health professionals. They also provide training to staff on domestic abuse.
Response IDVAs
Our Response IDVAs work closely with police to help them engage victims and survivors of domestic abuse in a trauma informed way. They try to build bridges between the police and victims and survivors to help them engage with the criminal justice system.
Older Person's IDVA (OPVA)
Our Older Person's IDVA works with older people who are experiencing domestic abuse, this may be from a partner, child, grandchild, or extended family. They work closely with the victim and support agencies.
Young Person's IDVA (YPVA)
Our Young Person's IDVA works with victims and survivors who are 16-19 years old. They work closely with the victim and agencies, such as schools, colleges, and social care, to reduce the risk of domestic abuse.
Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC)
Our ISAC supports victims of high-risk stalking following domestic abuse. They work closely with the police to ensure risk from the perpetrator is being managed. They attend the monthly Stalking Clinic meetings with police and other agencies.
What is MARAC?
MARAC stands for Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference. The primary focus of the MARAC is to safeguard the adult victim. The victim does not attend the meeting but is represented by an IDVA who speaks on their behalf. At MARACs, representatives from relevant agencies (e.g. IDVAs, police, housing, social workers, health etc.) discuss high risk domestic abuse cases. This is to ensure that vital information about the case is shared to discuss options for increasing the safety of the victim and turn these into a co-ordinated action plan.
Need help?
Contact our helpdesk for immediate advice and support. Call 01452 726570 or email support@gdass.org.uk. We're open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.