At Women's Support Network and Jigsaw we offer free one to one confidential counselling to anyone who has been affected by rape or sexual abuse at anytime in their life. You have a choice of male or female counsellor, seeing the same counsellor every time. Being listened to in confidence without fear of being judged can be the first step to dealing with your problems. Counselling is held in safe, private comfortable rooms.
Jigsaw is the equivalent service we offer to men and boys, and have the same choices to counselling as the women and girls. We are the only agency in the area who is offering this service.
Initially an assessment lasting no longer than 30 minutes will be made for you, after which further sessions of 50 minutes can be made on a weekly basis or to suit both you and your counsellor. We do not have a strict rule as to the amount of sessions offered this could be anywhere from one or two sessions to many, the sessions will be tailor made to your individual needs.
When a person has experienced Rape or Sexual Abuse they may come into contact with a number of agencies including the Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, or the Witness Care Unit, The ISVA will liaise on the your behalf with these agencies and make appropriate referrals to other agencies regarding housing issues, debt or benefits. Whatever the issue, the ISVA is there to ensure that your rights are met and that you are fully supported emotionally and practically.
An ISVA is someone who is there to represent you and enable you to represent yourself. That means that you will have someone who has no agenda other than to see that your rights are met and you have all the relevant information about your individual case. If you have reported to the Police, then the ISVA will work closely with them to make sure that your voice and your opinion about the investigation is heard. The ISVA will give you emotional support as well as practical help; she will support you throughout the Court Process, so that you feel included and kept informed about everything.
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