Specialist Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA)

We are seeking a qualified Specialist ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Advocate) to join our Advocacy team at Respond. The role includes providing pro-active emotional, practical and advocacy support for adults with learning disabilities and autistic people with complex or multiple needs who have experienced any form of sexual violence and are engaging, (or considering engaging) with the criminal justice system.

The ISVA will work across London to provide non-judgmental, trauma-informed emotional support, working in partnership with other London sexual violence support services. Our ideal candidate will have experience in the ISVA role as well as a friendly and relational approach to working with clients. You will have the ability to build trusting relationships, work in an empowering and inclusive way and support clients to heal following sexual abuse and develop coping capacity.

You will be a self-motivated individual who will engage with a wider range of people who have experienced sexual violence, and other barriers to justice. This is an exciting opportunity to join an inclusive and passionate team, and you will be supported by the ISVA Service Manager in your ongoing development.

Respond values and encourages working in a collaborative and compassionate way, as we support each other to address one of the most enduring injustices; of the experience of trauma to autistic people and people with learning disabilities and their families.

We are keen to encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates including people with lived experience, who are both interested in working in partnership to provide advocacy support, as well as supporting people with learning disabilities and autistic people who have experienced trauma. We are committed to the furthering of human rights, equality, and positive social change through our therapeutic and advocacy work and are committed to anti-racism and other forms of anti-discriminatory practice.

We recognise that we need to continually keep this as a focus in our work and as an integral part of our organisational strategy. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement in the person specification, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable for this role. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles within the organisation.

Respond offers a generous and comprehensive package of flexible benefits to all of our staff:

• Hybrid working model, which means that if you are full time you make a commitment to be working in the office at least two days a week, with the remainder working from home.
• Generous paid leave benefits including 28.5 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays), with some to be taken between Christmas and New Year.
• Up to 4 weeks paid sickness leave at full pay and a further 4 weeks at half pay.
• Discretionary study leave to support training relevant to your role.
• Paid leave to employees who may need to take one day off a year when a religious festival falls on a workday.
• Up to 5 days paid time off for dependents per financial year.
• Opportunity to apply for up to 2 days (14 hours) paid leave per year to participate in volunteering activities relevant to the role.
• Access to a workplace pension scheme, administered by NEST, with a minimum 5% employee contribution and 3% employer contribution from commencement of employment.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which includes 24/7 telephone service and counselling.

Note all of the above days per annum stated are pro rata for part time employees. If you would like to find out more about this role, please read through the job description and our person specification. When you apply, please send a CV and address the points in the person specification in an accompanying supporting statement. Your statement should be no more than 2 sides of A4.

Closing date for applications: 17th July 2026.