SV2 Secures Temporary COVID Funding

SV2 has recently secured temporary COVID 19 funding from a number of commissioners. Due the impact of COVID 19, it was been recognised that support services within domestic and sexual abuse would face increased demand following the easing of lockdown.

Funding has been secured from Ministry of Justice, NHSE, Children in Need and National Lottery which has enabled for additional support up to March 2021. This has led to the recruitment of a temporary CHISVA (Children’s Sexual Violence Advisor) and therapist, as well as subcontracted therapists.

This means clients will be able to receive therapeutic support around the impact of COVID-19, as well as sexual violence. It provides short term support that will offer 8 sessions to adults and 10 sessions to children.

Fortunately, service users have been able to access support throughout all of lockdown. It has meant a temporary switch from face to face to online or telephone, and a flexible approach with appointments and sessions.

The Head of Therapy, Sukhi Sian, states:

‘We gave our current clients receiving therapy a choice of how they wanted to proceed. Some were eager to continue their sessions via telephone or online, and for those clients who weren’t able to engage in a full one hour therapeutic session were offered weekly check-ins whereby their therapists would call to see how they were.’

SV2 also offers a Support Group Programme, which initially got cut short, but has now re-started virtually over a 6 week period. The focus was around improving self-care during lockdown.

The Therapy Team are also pleased to announce they will be re-opening the waiting list for adults on the 1^st August, which had been put on hold earlier on in the year.