Domestic and sexual abuse support worker / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

Key information

Status: Approved for delivery (available for starts)
Reference: ST0862
Version: 1.0
Level: 4
Options: Independent domestic violence advisor IDVA, Children and young people domestic abuse support worker CYPDASW, Independent sexual violence advisor ISVA
Typical duration to gateway: 18 months
Typical EPA period: 3 months
Maximum funding: £8000
Route: Care services
Integration: None
Date updated: 23/04/2024
Approved for delivery: 19 April 2024
Lars code: 758
EQA provider: Ofqual
Review: this apprenticeship will be reviewed in accordance with our change request policy.

This apprenticeship has options. This document is currently showing the following option:

Occupation summary
Typical job titles
Entry requirements
Core occupation duties
Option duties
Independent domestic violence advisor IDVA duties
Children and young people domestic abuse support worker CYPDASW duties
Independent sexual violence advisor ISVA duties
Knowledge
Skills
Behaviours
Qualifications
Version log

Details of the occupational standard

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in voluntary and statutory social care and protective services, to provide advocacy and support to those experiencing, at risk of, and recovering from, domestic abuse and or sexual violence This includes the provision of information and advice, raising awareness, signposting and referrals.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide early intervention, specialist advocacy, emotional and practical support to those who are experiencing and recovering from domestic abuse and or sexual violence at all levels of risk. This includes the provision of information and advice, emergency accommodation, awareness raising, signposting and referral.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, and their children, as well as professionals in social care and protective services such as police, housing providers, local authorities, social workers, medical providers, education providers, legal professionals, civil and criminal court staff, and probation and prison staff. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for working as part of a co-ordinated community response, applying specialist knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts to provide advocacy and support to those facing or at risk from domestic and sexual violence and abuse to ensure safety, wellbeing, and recovery. They will carry out risk and needs assessments and undertake safety planning with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, and work within a multi-agency framework to ensure the safety of adult and child survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, is prioritised. This may include supporting on a one-to-one or group level with survivors and perpetrators, updating and collating information from a range of service providers, updating own knowledge regarding legal, health, housing, finances and safety requirements related to domestic and sexual violence and abuse, recording case work and progressing case work through the application of knowledge and skills. There are many different job titles used for occupations in the domestic and sexual violence sector and it would be impossible to include all, especially as there are different job titles for those that carry out the same roles in different organisations. However, there are clear distinctions made between those that support adults, those that support children and those that only support victims of sexual violence. The options offered in this standard reflect this and enables all apprentices to gain an apprenticeship for their given job role.

Typical job titles include:

Black and minoritised specialist advocacy worker Black and minoritised specialist support worker Children and young people's domestic violence abuse idva support worker Children, young people and families domestic abuse support worker Domestic abuse prevention advocate dapa Domestic abuse support worker Domestic violence helpline worker Domestic violence outreach community support worker Independent domestic violence adviser idva Independent domestic violence advocate idva Independent sexual violence adviser isva Refuge support worker Specialist isva

Entry requirements

A satisfactory enhanced DBS check will be an entry requirement for the programme.

Core occupation duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 1 Respond to and manage information from survivors and supply information to external agencies.	K7 K8 K9 S3 S4 S32 B4
Duty 2 Respond to and manage crisis situations whilst adhering to lone working policies and other relevant procedures.	K1 K2 K8 K9 K10 S1 S2 S32 B4
Duty 3 Carry out risk assessment and safety planning with survivors whilst considering safeguarding issues and individual support needs.	K2 K9 K10 K11 S2 S3 S4 S32 B4 B7
Duty 4 Commit to equality and challenge inequality and discrimination in all aspects of practice.	K3 K4 K10 S3 S4 S6 S32 B1 B3 B5 B6
Duty 5 Use different communication methods and adapt your style to achieve the desired outcomes for survivors.	K9 K10 K11 K12 S10 S11 S12 S32 S33 B2 B7
Duty 6 Create a safe and appropriate environment for survivors within the context of your service using trauma informed approaches.	K2 K3 K4 K9 K11 S2 S3 S4 B1 B7
Duty 7 Manage and maintain casework and information sharing in line with legal requirements and organisational policy and procedures.	K4 K5 K12 S7 S17 S18 S32 B4
Duty 8 Raise awareness of the nature, prevalence, and consequences of all forms of domestic and sexual abuse and violence.	K3 K10 K15 K16 S3 S15 B3 B5
Duty 9 Support survivors through criminal and or civil court processes.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K16 S2 S4 S8 S9 S12 B2 B7
Duty 10 Support and engage with survivors to inform them of local and regional services.	K3 K9 K10 K11 K14 S5 S11 S13 S14
Duty 11 Advocate for survivors and their families within multi-agency settings and processes.	K3 K4 K9 K10 K11 K13 S3 S4 S6 S10 S41 B1 B7
Duty 12 Provide information and support to enable survivors to make their own informed choices towards recovery.	K3 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K13 S2 S3 S4 S8 S11 S16 S41 B2 B5 B7
Duty 13 Maintain own wellbeing and personal development via training or supervision	K12 K42 S40

Option duties

Independent domestic violence advisor IDVA duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 14 Demonstrate an understanding of trauma and apply trauma informed approaches in support interventions.	K3 K9 K10 K11 K13 K41 S2 S4 S13 S14 S41
Duty 15 Contribute to and promote local and national initiatives including consultations and campaigns.	K3 K6 K11 K13 K14 K15 K16 S3 S15 S36 S39
Duty 16 Support survivors to explore appropriate accommodation and access appropriate health, welfare and financial support using local and national provisions.	K8 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K23 K24 K41 S19 S20 S21 S23 S24
Duty 17 Support survivors who are not British citizens, including asylum-seekers, refugees, individuals from the European Economic Area (EEA) and other migrants, to access safe housing, financial support and other services using local and statutory provisions that meet cultural and religious needs.	K3 K4 K8 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 K41 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 B1 B6
Duty 18 Support survivors to understand the nature and impact of the abuse on their family and assist them in accessing relevant resources.	K8 K11 K17 K20 K36 K41 S6 S24 S25 B2 B7

Children and young people domestic abuse support worker CYPDASW duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 19 Support children, young people and their parent or carer with their emotional and practical needs.	K25 K26 K28 K31 K32 S25 S26 S28 B2 B7
Duty 20 Provide engagement activities appropriate to the child or young person’s individual experience of abuse.	K8 K13 K27 K28 S26 S27 S29
Duty 21 Empower and support survivors with tools to maintain and strengthen their relationships with their children.	K27 K28 K29 S28 B1
Duty 22 Carry out early intervention and preventative work with children and young people.	K26 K30 S26 S29 S30
Duty 23 Contribute to initiatives to educate children and young people around consent, healthy relationships, gender inequality and all forms of domestic and sexual abuse and violence.	K26 K30 K32 S26 S29 S30 S31 B2

Independent sexual violence advisor ISVA duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 24 Act as an advocate to challenge institutional discrimination.	K3 K7 K15 K16 S4 S5 S6 S10 S41 B3 B6
Duty 25 Deliver a specialist advocacy service for survivors and co-survivors of sexual violence that focuses on meeting the individual needs of the client, recognises and responds to intersecting causes of oppression.	K33 K37 K38 K39 K40 S32 S36 S42 S43 S44 B1 B7
Duty 26 Identify and challenge myths and stereotypes surrounding sexual violence.	K16 K21 K35 K39 K40 S3 S10 S42 S43 S44 B3 B6
Duty 27 Provide trauma informed, strengths-based, client led support to survivors of sexual violence.	K33 K34 K36 K37 K38 K39 K40 S34 S35 S39 S42 S43 S44 B2 B7
Duty 28 Support clients in understanding their reactions in the immediacy of sexual violence and recognising and managing the longer-term impacts they might experience.	K36 K37 K38 K39 K40 S37 S38 S39 S42 S43 S44 B2

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: Organisational policies and procedures for responding to crisis situations. Back to Duty

K2: Organisational policies and procedures for risk assessment, safeguarding and safety planning and the tools which can be used. Back to Duty

K3: Gendered, historical, social, and intersectional contexts of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

K4: Legislation and organisational policies and procedures relevant to the sector including those relating to anti-discrimination and equality. Back to Duty

K5: Case management systems used by own organisation, how they operate and monitor outcomes, and how they should be used within own role and in line with organisational policies and procedures. Back to Duty

K6: Organisational policies and procedures for supporting survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, through police and court processes. Back to Duty

K7: Civil and criminal sanctions, remedies and orders available to hold perpetrators accountable and promote the safety of victims. Back to Duty

K8: Types of information available from external organisations and how to obtain it. Back to Duty

K9: Different communication aids that can be used when working remotely or face to face. Back to Duty

K10: The importance of communicating with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, considering their individual backgrounds and experiences of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

K11: Professional boundaries and responsibilities of the role and the importance of maintaining independence. Back to Duty

K12: Models of reflective practice and how reflection can be used to improve own practice. Back to Duty

K13: Programmes that are available to aid recovery and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence and or how to deliver the programmes. Back to Duty

K14: Ways in which survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence can input into own organisation’s and national processes and governance. Back to Duty

K15: Sources of secondary and institutional abuse and ways of addressing these including through complaints procedures to promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

K16: The importance of raising awareness of accountability of perpetrators of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

K17: Options available to survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to access safe accommodation and secure a permanent address. Back to Duty

K18: Ways that survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence can access legal, financial, voluntary and statutory support services. Back to Duty

K19: How statutory homelessness duties apply, and local and regional policies on obtaining social housing. Back to Duty

K20: How to support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence with child maintenance services applications. Back to Duty

K21: How immigration status can affect statutory access to healthcare and other services and support. Back to Duty

K22: Ways to support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence who are not British citizens with accessing help and support. Back to Duty

K23: The availability and priorities of other agencies and support services for survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

K24: What constitutes a needs-led approach to safety. Back to Duty

K25: The impacts of domestic abuse on children and young people and how to support them. Back to Duty

K26: Ways to communicate with children and young people using technologies adapted to individual needs. Back to Duty

K27: How to design appropriate activities for children and young people. Back to Duty

K28: Ways to support and involve survivors who are parents when working with their children. Back to Duty

K29: Techniques to support and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence when dealing with contact from children and young people and family court processes. Back to Duty

K30: The importance of carrying out preventative work and activities for children and young people, and the different programmes available. Back to Duty

K31: The rights, entitlements and support options available to children and young people, and how to access services. Back to Duty

K32: Agencies that support children and young people, and their referral and information requirements. Back to Duty

K33: Core values and empowerment models to adopt when supporting and working with survivors of sexual violence. Back to Duty

K34: Agencies that support survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) and child sexual exploitation (CSE), and how to make referrals to these. Back to Duty

K35: When and how to challenge myths and stereotypes about survivors of sexual abuse. Back to Duty

K36: Impacts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation on children, young people, and adult survivors. Back to Duty

K37: Different ways that survivors of sexual abuse and violence may be impacted by their experiences, including cognitive, practical, emotional and behavioural responses and how to adapt provision of support to meet their needs. Back to Duty

K38: Barriers to disclosure and how to identify and overcome them. Back to Duty

K39: The rights, entitlements and support options available to survivors of sexual violence, and how to access services and specialist advice. Back to Duty

K40: The agencies and support services in place for survivors of sexual violence and how priorities may affect their availability. Back to Duty

K41: The range of impacts domestic abuse and or sexual violence can have on survivors and how to adapt service provision to support them. Back to Duty

K42: The importance of self-care and available support structures. Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Recognise crisis situations and respond within the required timescales in line with organisational policies and procedures. Back to Duty

S2: Carry out risk assessments, safeguarding and safety planning using risk assessment tools. Back to Duty

S3: Assist and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence who may have experienced inequality, discrimination and or forms of injustice. Back to Duty

S4: Engage with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence from marginalised and disadvantaged groups and diverse social backgrounds and identities in ways that respond to their individual identities. Back to Duty

S5: Challenge intersectional gaps in service provision and or redress them. Back to Duty

S6: Raise awareness about the intersections of multiple forms of disadvantage and their relevance to domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

S7: Use own organisation’s case management systems in line with organisational policies and procedures. Back to Duty

S8: Use information sources to advise survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence on protective sanctions, orders and remedies they can access through court processes and or refer them to appropriate specialist advice. Back to Duty

S9: Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence through police investigations and or court processes within the context of own role. Back to Duty

S10: Act as an independent advocate for survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

S11: Adapt your communication method and style to meet the needs of the survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

S12: Use communication aids to meet survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence’ specific needs. Back to Duty

S13: Facilitate or assist in running programmes to aid recovery and promote the empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

S14: Use trauma-informed and needs-led approaches when assisting survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to participate in service provision activities. Back to Duty

S15: Raise awareness of the importance of accountability of perpetrators’ actions. Back to Duty

S16: Refer and signpost survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to other relevant voluntary or statutory multi-agency partners. Back to Duty

S17: Reflect on own practice and access available supervision and case management support. Back to Duty

S18: Maintain own continuous professional development and revise practice based on feedback received. Back to Duty

S19: Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to access safe and permanent accommodation and advocate for their rights. Back to Duty

S20: Secure specialist legal and financial advice for survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

S21: Support survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence to be more aware of their rights and options and support with applications through child maintenance services when required. Back to Duty

S22: Work with survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence who are not British citizens to access relevant help and support for themselves and or their families including those with no recourse to public funds. Back to Duty

S23: Advocate for healthcare provision for all survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence, including those with no recourse to public funds. Back to Duty

S24: Use a range of interventions to support and promote the safety and wellbeing of survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

S25: Explore the emotional and practical needs of children and young people to support and help them to recover. Back to Duty

S26: Communicate with children and young people using technology to meet their needs and situations. Back to Duty

S27: Enable children and young people to co-design and adapt activities in a safe environment. Back to Duty

S28: Support and involve survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence in their role as parents when undertaking work with their children and young people. Back to Duty

S29: Develop and carry out preventative work and activities to support other professionals who work with children and young people in different contexts. Back to Duty

S30: Support and empower survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence and their children and or young people to ensure their voices are included within local and national responses and or processes related to domestic violence and or sexual abuse. Back to Duty

S31: Collaborate with different agencies when dealing with safeguarding children and young people. Back to Duty

S32: Work within the boundaries of legislation and organisational policies and procedures and apply these to the responsibilities of own role. Back to Duty

S33: Establish, develop and manage professional relationships with survivors of sexual violence, setting out the boundaries of the relationship within own area of competence. Back to Duty

S34: Work within the empowerment model to ensure that the service is client-led and recognises the impact of the victims and or survivors’ experiences of sexual abuse. Back to Duty

S35: Provide client-led practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence. Back to Duty

S36: Act as an institutional advocate for survivors of different forms of sexual abuse. Back to Duty

S37: Recognise the impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation on children and or young people and the longer-term impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation on adult survivors. Back to Duty

S38: Provide emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and or sexual violence experiencing impacts of child sexual abuse and or child sexual exploitation. Back to Duty

S39: Promote the empowerment of survivors of sexual abuse to identify barriers to disclosure and work with them to over-come the barriers. Back to Duty

S40: Recognise the importance of self-care, taking appropriate action when required. Back to Duty

S41: Empower survivors to contribute to the co-design of services and provide them with a safe environment to do so. Back to Duty

S42: Provide services that reflect the specific needs of both children and young people and adult survivors of sexual violence. Back to Duty

S43: Assist survivors of sexual violence with the referral processes of external support agencies. Back to Duty

S44: Support survivors to access specialist information to raise their awareness of their rights and options. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Treat people with dignity and respect. Back to Duty

B2: Be caring and compassionate.   Back to Duty

B3: Speak up and challenge. Back to Duty

B4: Be competent, reliable and committed. Back to Duty

B5: Be honest and accountable. Back to Duty

B6: Be non-discriminating anti-oppressive and anti-racist. Back to Duty

B7: Be survivor-centred. Back to Duty

Qualifications

English and Maths

Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

Find an apprenticeship

Employers involved in creating the standard: Birmingham Women's aid England, IDAS, My sisters place, Pankhurst Trust (incorporating Manchester Women's aid), Respect, Rape crisis, Skills for Justice, Solace, West Mercia rape and sexual abuse centre, Women's aid Federation of England, Workforce development trust

Version log

Version	Change detail	Earliest start date	Latest start date
1.0	Approved for delivery	19/04/2024	Not set

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Domestic and sexual abuse support worker