Our Support Services
Our specialist team provides practical help and advice and tailored support for victim-survivors of stalking in West Yorkshire. Learn more about the support we offer below.
The Safer Steps Team
Independent Stalking Advocates
We are a team of Independent Stalking Advocates (ISA’s) who support adults and children who are victims of stalking in the West Yorkshire area.
Our experienced team of ISA’s work one-to-one with victim-survivors. Please fill out our self-referral form and tell us the best and safest way to contact you. We will call you, talk through what is happening and carry out a risk assessment. We aim to contact you within 3 working days.
What Can We Do?
- Help you to manage and cope with the situation and to recover from the abuse you are experiencing
- Focus on your needs and your safety
- Carry out a specialist risk assessment and ensure a safety plan is in place
- Inform you of your rights and empower you to take the next steps
- Represent your voice with other agencies, like the Police and Housing to ensure that your experience is being taken seriously
- Help you understand and navigate the Criminal Justice System
- May attend court hearings with you
- Connect you to other forms of support
What Can't We Do?
- We cannot provide legal advice; however we can signpost you to your relevant options
- We cannot act as a legal representative or conduct litigation
- We will not be able to sit with you during police interviews as ISA’s must remain independent from legal and criminal proceedings
- We cannot speak on your behalf in the courtroom, interrupt the hearings or discuss the evidence
- We cannot provide specialist mental health support or counselling, but we can signpost you to support
Cyberstalking and tech abuse training and Support Officer
A core aim of our service is to address the growing prevalence of cyberstalking and support victim-survivors with digital interventions that reduce risk and increase safety and confidence.
Our team helps victim-survivors to understand and secure their technology, helping them to spot digital risks in order to stay safe from stalking.
Resources for victim/survivors
Our cyberstalking support officer designed a safety checklist to help see if your technology is safe. It covers things like location trackers, Bluetooth devices and passwords.
Here is a guide on what you should and shouldn’t do if you are experiencing cyberstalking. It includes how to collate evidence and where to turn to for support.
Our cyberstalking support officer has created a online guide on how to be safe on the internet, including some top tips.
Here is some additional information on what to do if you think you are a victim of cyberstalking.