Domestic Abuse – IDVA supporting 13-25 year olds
JAMES has been given the opportunity to employ an IDVA specifically for children and young people. This funding has been provided to help implement more IDVA’s to support young people at risk of domestic abuse or who have experienced domestic abuse.
What we do
The Young Person’s IDVA helps and provides client led, person centred support to children and young people who have witnessed or suffered domestic abuse. You can suffer domestic abuse from a partner, parent, siblings or another family member.
We offer age appropriate domestic abuse awareness and safety planning to incorporate the very different risks posed to children and young people in today’s multi-media society.
IDVAs provide emotional and practical advice, guidance and support to help the client and their family to become and remain safe. They will seek ways to empower the individual to make positive, safe choices and they will liaise with other professionals on a person’s behalf. These are a few things we can do:
- Advice and support to young victims around their safety
- Support around emotional wellbeing
- Support with accessing housing, financial support.
- Advocacy and support for young people around their understanding of domestic abuse and healthy relationships.
- Risk assessment and expert safety planning and advice
- Information giving and signposting
- Support in mediating and engaging with other services
- Attending court for both civil and criminal matters and legal appointments and liaising with the criminal justice system
- Support around understanding domestic abuse and healthy relationships. This can be 1:1 or a group setting.
The support is usually 1:1 support. The IDVA will contact the client and meet with them either in school, college or in another safe place to discuss what is happening. The support lasts, on average, 3 months and enables clients to progress towards their long term goals and become empowered.
Who is eligible
The role of the CYP IDVA is to work with young people aged 13-25 years who has been or is in an abusive relationship. This also includes someone living in a household where there has been domestic abuse.
Who can refer
Referrals can be made by the client themselves or by a professional on their behalf. We can be contacted by telephone or email.
Contact details
A referral requires consent from the individual: verbal or written before making a referral to the service.
Contact Shelly Brummitt for more information or a referral form – shelly.brummitt@jamesuk.org