IDVA and ISVA Roles Compared

IDVAs and ISVAs both give independent, survivor-centred advocacy, and the two roles often overlap in practice while keeping distinct specialisms.

The IDVA role

An IDVA supports people harmed by domestic abuse, working with the survivor to understand the risks they face and to build a safety plan.

IDVAs support survivors through the criminal and civil courts, speak up for them at MARACs and link them with housing, health, legal and financial support.

The ISVA role

An ISVA is an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser, supporting people who have experienced rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse at any point in their life.

ISVAs give information about rights and options, including reporting, and support survivors through the criminal justice process from first police contact to court and beyond.

Shared ground

Both roles provide independent, specialist and survivor-centred advocacy, and both support survivors whether or not they choose to report to the police.

The statutory guidance issued under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 covers both roles, with the same Level 3 minimum qualification and expectation of clinical supervision.

Different specialisms

An IDVA specialises in domestic abuse and the risk from an ongoing pattern of coercion and control by a partner, former partner or family member.

An ISVA specialises in sexual violence and abuse, which may be recent or historic and may involve someone the survivor knows or a stranger.

In practice the roles often overlap, because sexual violence is frequently part of domestic abuse and survivors may need both kinds of specialist knowledge.

The IIDSVA

An IIDSVA is an Intersectional Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Advocate, bringing both specialisms together and grounding them in the Friedom Framework.

Alongside casework, an IIDSVA documents and challenges the institutional barriers survivors meet, so the system is less likely to harm the next survivor.

You can read more in Anti-racist practice in IDVA and ISVA work, our IDVA, ISVA and IIDSVA FAQs and the IIDSVA programme.