Over four thousand domestic violence incidents and crimes were reported to the Brighton & Hove police in 2015/6. However, substantial numbers of people don't report such violence to the police and so the actual number of crimes is likely to be higher.

IDVAs can play a crucial support role in these scenarios, representing the voice of survivors at the highest risk of domestic abuse. For example, the Health IDVA with Brighton’s RISE organisation works with the A&E, Maternity and Sexual Health Departments of the Royal Sussex County Hospital - you can request a referral to her if you attend any of these departments. RISE’s Criminal Justice IDVA works at John Street Police station and can give advice and support on the court process. Overall, for the last full year for which data is available, 635 people were referred to RISE’s IDVA service.

Importantly, IDVAs are still independent from organisations such as hospitals and the police. This means that they work on survivors' behalf to address their needs and ensure that organisations fulfil their duty of care.

IDVAs make a difference: they’ve been proven to contribute towards safety and quality of life and they do crucial work with people who are survivors and who now seek support and justice. They have my backing all the way.

For more on IDVAs in Brighton see http://www.riseuk.org.uk/documents/IDVAS_Booklet_Web.pdf or contact RISE on 0300 323 9985.