The main purpose of Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVA's) is to address the safety of victims at high risk of harm from intimate partners, ex-partners or family members to secure their safety and the safety of their children. Serving as a victim’s primary point of contact, IDVA’s work with their clients to assess the level of risk, discuss the range of suitable options and develop safet
y plans. They are pro-active in implementing the plans, which address immediate safety, including practical steps to protect themselves and their children, as well as longer-term solutions such as housing options and remedies available from the civil and criminal courts. IDVA’s support clients from a point of crisis, and work over the short to medium term, to put them on the path to long-term safety. They receive specialist accredited training and hold a nationally recognised qualification. Since they work with the highest risk cases, IDVA’s are most effective as part of an IDVA team and within a multi-agency framework. The IDVA’s role in all multi-agency settings, e.g. Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC’s) and Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVC’s), is to keep the client’s perspective and safety at the centre of proceedings. Studies have shown that when high risk clients engage with an IDVA, there are clear and measurable improvements in safety, including a reduction in the escalation and severity of abuse and a reduction or even cessation in repeat incidents of abuse.
