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How the LD ISVA adapted the service to meet needs
A key message from the LD ISVA service was that with the right tools, people with LD can be supported to report sexual violence and take up options such as going through the CJS. The responsibility is on the service, not the survivor, to adapt.
LD ISVA: What people don’t
understand about LD is
that people do have capacity to understand complex information if someone spends the time to work out how that person understands things, what they need to do to explain it, and what kind of setting they need to provide.
The LD ISVA developed and collated resources suitable for people with LD, including leaflets, posters, and publicity.
LD ISVA: When I first do an appointment, I take a rucksack
with different communication tools, including leaflets and sensory tools to relax people and to feel at ease when talking. It’s not just about easy-read leaflets, it’s about all sorts of different tools for helping people stay engaged.
The LD ISVA reported multiple ways in which she adapted the service to meet needs:
• Working with Social Services LD teams to access training and seek advice
• Online information about easy-read symbols
• Online information about how to assess needs around imagery and objects
• Speaking to intermediaries around how to adapt ideas into understandable formats
• Guidance from CPS, BILD (the British Institute of Learning Disabilities), and Mencap
• and Co-production: regular meetings to seek feedback from clients on what worked for them
In the first coproduction meeting, service users gave feedback on Rachael’s ‘What is an ISVA’ leaflet, ‘What is a forensic medical examination (FME)’ leaflet and the SAFE Link/Missing Link complaints booklet. Information for people with LD about the CJS when reporting sexual offences is in preparation.
Figure 1: LD resources rucksack
Figure 2: LD leaflet
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