ISVA

Who is the ISVA?

Our Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) is employed by Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC) and is seconded to the University to exclusively support students. They are completely independent from the University, your college or any other agencies, and will tailor their support according to your needs. They are the expert on all matters of the criminal justice process and are able to support students through this process.

How can the ISVA support you?

The ISVA provides emotional and practical support and advice to any student who has experienced sexual violence, recently or in the past. 

An ISVA can:

• Provide information about the criminal justice process if you're considering reporting, and help you to make informed choices about what is right for you;
• Explain the University’s policies and procedures relating to sexual misconduct;
• Support you throughout the process of reporting;
• Provide information about your rights;
• Liaise with the police, the University, your college, the Crown Prosecution Service and/or other relevant agencies;
• Accompany you to meetings relating to the sexual violence you have experienced;
• Give you practical support and advocacy with regards to other services (e.g. studies, sexual and physical health, mental health, etc.);
• Help you plan your safety and access appropriate support at the University or in your local area (e.g. counselling).

They work in a non-directive and non-judgemental way. This means that they can give you information about legal processes and services that are there to support you, will support you to explore your options, but will not tell you what to do. They will support the decisions you make.

Confidentiality

The ISVA service is confidential and everything you tell the ISVA will be kept within OSARCC, unless you give explicit consent to share information with another agency or individual. OSARCC has an organisational confidentiality policy, which means that other OSARCC staff may be able to access these records in exceptional circumstances.

There are some instances in which the ISVA may be obliged to pass on certain information to other organisations, even without your approval. These instances include if you give the ISVA identifying information about a child or at-risk adult who is currently or imminently at risk of harm, or if you disclose information that leads the ISVA to believe that you or someone else may be at risk of harm.

How do I get in touch?

The ISVA accepts referrals directly from students via this self-referral form.

Third parties, including other University organisations, can also make referrals as long as they are sent with the student's permission via this third-party referral form. 

Upon receipt of your referral, the ISVA will contact you to arrange a time to meet you either virtually, via phone or face-to-face in a location that's convenient for you.
For other enquiries, they can also be contacted via [email protected].