Intersectional Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocate training
Our accredited IDVA and ISVA advocate programme, rooted in Black feminist praxis and designed to support anti-oppressive, survivor-led responses. The first and only one led by Black and Black mixed-heritage women.
OCN London accredited 36 credits Online and in person
All about our training
Our Intersectional Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocacy training is rooted in Black feminist praxis. Our course modules are grounded in real multi-agency practice, authored by Black feminist scholars and aligned to OCN London objectives, and every block carries the same four threads through it.
A mapping of the systemic factors, culture and environment that shape survivor safety, from the individual through to policy.
Deep work on cultural competemility and active anti-racist frontline advocacy, carried through every unit.
Training co-designed with experts in psychology, psychotherapy and academia, alongside frontline practitioners.
Our Intersectional IDSVA programme is accredited IDVA and ISVA training, leading to the OCN London Level 3 Certificate in Domestic Abuse: Prevention and Early Intervention. Learners complete the four mandatory OCN London units alongside the IDVA unit and the ISVA unit, so one programme prepares you for both roles.
An Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) is a specialist advocate for survivors of domestic abuse at high risk of serious harm, who plans for safety with the survivor and advocates for them across agencies such as the police, housing and the courts. An Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) gives independent advice and advocacy to survivors of rape and sexual violence, including support through the police investigation and the court process. You can read more about both roles in our IDVA, ISVA and IIDSVA FAQs.
The IDVA unit, Understanding the Role of an Independent Domestic Violence and Abuse Advisor, covers advocacy with survivors of domestic abuse at high risk of serious harm. The ISVA unit, Responding to Victims of Sexual Violence, covers advocacy with survivors of sexual violence, including the criminal justice process and the role of Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
Based in the West Midlands, we deliver IDVA training online to learners across the UK, and organisations can book a closed cohort in-room or hybrid. The programme is for IDVAs, ISVAs, outreach and advocacy workers, and anyone moving into independent advocacy who wants accredited training rooted in anti-racist, intersectional practice.
Our specialised units
The programme opens with our Foundations block, followed by four mandatory OCN London units and two further accredited units, the IDVA and the ISVA. Our own Intersectional Risk Tracker Tool (IRTT) is taught across all seven blocks.
Anti-racism, intersectionality, cultural competemility, Black feminist praxis and power
Frieda block · not assessed36
Credits
OCN London Level 3, across six accredited units
21
Training days
Three days a month, 10am to 4.30pm
Live
Delivery
Online, hybrid and in-room options
£2,400
Course cost
Standard rate per learner. Discounts apply.
Scroll down to see how the seven blocks run from November to May.
Your programme, November to May
Each block is three training days on a Monday, a Wednesday and the following Monday, from 10am to 4.30pm. The programme opens with our Foundations block, followed by the four mandatory units and then the IDVA and ISVA units. The Intersectional Risk Tracker Tool (IRTT) is taught across all seven blocks, so learners build their practice with the tool throughout the programme.
Block 1 · November 2026
Anti-racism, intersectionality, cultural competemility, Black feminist praxis and power
Mon 2, Wed 4 and Mon 9 November
Frieda block · not assessedBlock 2 · December 2026
Mon 7, Wed 9 and Mon 14 December
Mandatory unit · 6 creditsBlock 3 · January 2027
Mon 4, Wed 6 and Mon 11 January
Mandatory unit · 6 creditsBlock 4 · February 2027
Mon 1, Wed 3 and Mon 8 February
Mandatory unit · 6 creditsBlock 5 · March 2027
Mon 1, Wed 3 and Mon 8 March
Mandatory unit · 6 creditsBlock 6 · April 2027
Mon 5, Wed 7 and Mon 12 April
Accredited unit · 6 creditsBlock 7 · May 2027
Mon 10, Wed 12 and Mon 17 May
Accredited unit · 6 creditsLearners also complete our pre-course e-learning before Block 1 begins.
With thanks to MSB Solicitors, who deliver part of the programme with us.
IIDSVA training FAQs
Our training is grounded in Black feminist praxis, which means we treat domestic abuse and sexual violence as the product of interlocking systems of power rather than isolated individual acts. Every unit asks learners to look at where power sits and what that means for the survivors in front of them.
Yes. Alongside the OCN London unit content, learners work with the frameworks we have developed from our own research and practice, including the Friedom Framework, our Cultural Social-Ecological Framework and the Intersectional Risk Tracker Tool.
Our frameworks come out of research with racialised victim-survivors, including the needs assessment funded by the West Midlands Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. The Intersectional Risk Tracker Tool (IRTT) has been endorsed by the Office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner.
The programme is for people working, or preparing to work, with victim-survivors, including IDVAs, ISVAs, outreach and advocacy workers, and practitioners in related services who hold risk.
The I reflects the thread that runs through every unit, which is an intersectional analysis of how race, gender, class, disability, sexuality and migration shape both the harm survivors experience and the responses they receive.
Learners work towards the OCN London Level 3 Certificate in Domestic Abuse: Prevention and Early Intervention, with the Level 3 Diploma available as an enhancement. Six accredited units, each worth six credits, give 36 credits in total.
The four mandatory units are Understanding Domestic Abuse, The Core Skills of the Domestic Abuse Practitioner, Implementing Best Practice in Service Delivery, and Whole System Response to Client Risks and Needs, followed by the IDVA and ISVA units. The programme opens with our Foundations block, which covers anti-racism, intersectionality, cultural competemility, Black feminist praxis and power.
No. The Intersectional Risk Tracker Tool (IRTT), our own tool for tracking risk across the whole of a survivor’s context, is taught across all seven blocks so that learners apply it to each unit. The IRTT is not assessed.
The IDVA unit covers survivors of domestic abuse at high risk of serious harm. The ISVA unit covers survivors of sexual violence, including the criminal justice process and the role of Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
Yes. Learners complete a short pre-course e-learning module before the first training day, and you will receive access to it with your joining information.
Each accredited unit is assessed against the OCN London criteria through a portfolio of written work and activities, submitted through our learning platform with feedback and support throughout.
The next cohort starts on Monday 2 November 2026 and finishes on Monday 17 May 2027. Training runs over 21 days, with three days each month on a Monday, a Wednesday and the following Monday.
Each training day runs from 10am to 4.30pm.
This cohort is delivered live online, and you will receive your joining link before the first session. We also deliver it in-room and hybrid for organisations booking a closed cohort.
The standard rate is £2,400 per learner. Discounts are available, so please contact us to talk through what applies to you or your organisation.
We understand that frontline work and life do not always fit neatly around a timetable. Let us know as early as you can and we will talk through how you catch up and stay on track with your assessments.
Email us at talkto@wearefrieda.org.uk to register your interest in the next cohort, and we will send the booking details and answer any questions.
If you are weighing up the role itself, we answer the common questions about what IDVAs and ISVAs do and how people come into the work. IDVA and ISVA FAQs →
Voices from the training
I've done a lot of training over the years, but this genuinely made me think differently about my work. I've come away with a much better understanding of how to support the women I work with.
I really valued being able to have honest conversations about things we don't always get to explore in our day-to-day work. I've already found myself applying what I've learnt with the women I support.
The training challenged me in ways I wasn't expecting, particularly around my own practice and assumptions. It's given me a lot to reflect on and, more importantly, practical ways to make changes.
What I appreciated most was that the training didn't just tell us what good practice looks like. It helped us understand why it matters and how we can actually put it into practice.
I've come away feeling much more confident in my role, particularly when advocating for women whose experiences aren't always understood by services. It's been a really valuable learning experience.
The thing that stood out to me was how real and relevant everything felt. We weren't just learning theory; we were talking about the actual challenges we face every day and how we can do things differently.
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