South Yorkshire Independent Sexual Violence Service
The South Yorkshire Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy Service (ISVA) is funded by the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner to offer independent confidential practical help and emotional support to adults and children who have experienced sexual harm at any time in their lives.
Further information on the partnership can be found here
We are an inclusive service and support all ages and genders; support is available whether or not you have chosen to report to the police and seek justice for the abuse.
For those that are considering reporting, we know that the idea of talking to the Police about what happened to you or giving evidence in court can be frightening and overwhelming, but we also know that survivors of sexual violence want and deserve justice.
ISVAs are specially trained to provide this support and will stay with you throughout your journey through the criminal justice system and beyond
The ISVA can:
- Give you emotional support and help you develop ways of coping
- Help you to put together a support network (a group of people or organisations that can give you help and support) in a way that works best for you
- Helping you to understand what choices you have about reporting your incident to the Police
- Help you get other practical and specialist support when the time is right for you e.g. benefits advice or housing, counselling, mental health, sexual health, substance and alcohol misuse
- Help you communicate with the Police and keep you informed about the case
- Give you information and support around the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and make sure you get the services you are entitled to by liaising with the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
- Be there with you at court.
The South Yorkshire Sexual Violence Partnership
The South Yorkshire Sexual Violence Partnership provides ISVA services across Rotherham, Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley. All referrals are received centrally by the Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (SRASAC) and then directed on to the relevant local service.
The first step to access ISVA Support is to complete our referral form which asks for personal information about you and how best to contact you. It would help us to help you, if you list as many ways as possible that we can contact you.
Once we receive a referral the ISVA team in your area will make contact within two working days. if you have any difficulties completing the form, please call SRASAC on 0114 2412766
To make a referral to the South Yorkshire Sexual Violence Partnership ISVA service please continue to complete our referral form.
GDPR – Your data
The ISVA/CHISVA support service is delivered as part of the South Yorkshire Sexual Violence Partnership (SYSVP) made up of SRASAC, Rothacs, DRASACS and BSARCS. Some information sharing between these parties is essential for effective service delivery.
We are required to collect and retain personal and sensitive information about service users under legal and contractual obligations. Data will be used for monitoring, income generation, and quality assurance which will include statistical analysis and reporting.
Data will be securely stored, archived and destroyed following general data protection guidelines and we will not share personal or identifiable information about service users unless there are legitimate reasons for doing so.
As a service user, you can request to see what information we hold about you, our local data policies and request to have the information removed.
Making a referral (18+):
If you would like to refer yourself or someone into the ISVA service, please complete the secure form (link below) and the details will be passed securely to an ISVA who will make contact within 48 hours:
Making a referral (under 18s):
BSARCS also has a specialist ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Advocate) service for children, aged from 0 up to 17.
If you’re the parent or carer of a child who you think might benefit from this service, you can call us on 01226 320140 to talk about referring them or use the referral form below.
Other Support
Please find the below list of contact details of organisations who can provide support.
Hackenthorpe Lodge
Hackenthorpe Lodge is the local Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for all of South Yorkshire. It offers free immediate healthcare, support and practical help for anyone aged 16 or above: tel: 0330 223 0938 email: hackenthorpelodge.sarc@nhs.net
At the SARC, individuals will be offered support and guidance, a medical assessment/ treatment, a forensic examination, and the opportunity of aftercare referrals for support services. Clients will be offered these services based on their individual needs, and can choose to use as much or as little of our service as they wish.
Rape Crisis & Wales 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line
The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line free phone and online chat service for people aged 16 +
You can contact our 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line and speak to a specialist at any time of the day or night.
Call free on 0808 500 2222 or go to the website to start a free online chat.
Samaritans
Whatever you’re going through, you can call them any time, from any phone for FREE.
Call 116 123
Childline
Childline is a free, confidential service for children and young people up to the age of 19. You can call them on
0800 1111 or visit their website.
Emergency Support
If you need immediate support after rape or sexual assault, you might be experiencing lots of different feelings. Many people feel scared, numb, shocked, confused, or angry. There is no right or wrong way to feel or be.
- Try to get somewhere that feels safe.
- Try to stay warm (you could be in shock).
- See if a friend or someone you trust can be with you.
