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Sexual Violence Liaison Officers

Our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) are specialist staff who provide support to students who have experienced sexual violence at any time in their lives.

Our SVLOs can work with you one-to-one to talk you through your options in relation to the support you may like to receive, either from within the University or from external partner organisations, as well as explaining your reporting options.

They will support you through whatever choices are right for you right now and can provide ongoing support if needed. 

Support is confidential and you will not be pressured into taking any particular course of action.

You can access support from an SVLO whether something has happened recently or some time ago.

Need Immediate help? 

  • If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured in the UK, call the police on 999 (or 112 from a mobile).
  • Acer House is our local Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). They offer free and confidential medical, practical and emotional support to anyone who has experienced sexual violence. Telephone: 0330 223 0099 is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call to speak with a nurse for support and to discuss your options for making an in-person appointment. A taxi can be arranged via Campus Safety or a team member in the Student Life and Wellbeing Team.  
  • If you are on campus, call Campus Safety, who are available 365 days a year on  +44 (0)1904 32 3333 if it's urgent but not dangerous. Call +44 (0)1904 32 4444 for general security and safety questions or use the SafeZone App.
  • If an incident has just happened, try to find somewhere you feel safe and talk to someone you trust.

What can I expect from SARC?

  • Immediate over-the-phone rape and sexual assault support and signposting to specialist services.
  • In-person rape or sexual assault crisis support and healthcare, including access to medicine.
  • Forensic medical examinations.
  • Holistic examinations and care for non-recent cases.
  • Collection and storage of forensic samples.
  • Referrals to specialist counselling and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA) support.
  • You will be offered these services based on your individual needs, and you can choose to use as much or as little of our service as you wish.
  • Visitors need an appointment before attending the SARC in person. 

You can find out more about the Acer House Sexual Assault Referral Centre on their webpage. 

A virtual tour of the SARC is available if you would like to understand more about what will happen if you attend.

How can I access this support from SVLOs?

To get in touch with the team, complete our contact form (link below), and we will do our best to contact you within two working days.

If you feel unable to complete the form please contact us by email svlo@york.ac.uk.

Contact our SVLOs

What happens when I submit the contact form?

Your form will be sent directly to the SVLO team, and they will get in touch with you within two working days wherever possible.

If you need more immediate help, and are on campus, you can call Campus Safety on 01904 32 3333.

If you are in immediate danger elsewhere within the UK, please call the police on 999.

An SVLO will contact you for an initial conversation, and may ask you some questions to establish how they can best support you, but will not ask you to describe what has happened in detail, and there is no obligation to engage in continued support.

Student feedback about SVLO support

We understand that you might feel anxious about taking the step of contacting us. Please be reassured that you won't be the first to do so, and that other students have found the support from the team really helpful.

"It is an amazing service and I'm so glad I found it..."

"I think the SVLO has been amazing over the year, she understands my situation and how I’m feeling a lot more than most and gives relevant advice to help with any issues I have. I've definitely become more confident and been able to cope a lot better after talking with her for a year." 

"If I didn't have the SVLO to talk to or this place to go to I would have struggled with this for much much longer and it would have affected my studies even more. I wouldn't have had the bravery to talk to someone outside of the uni to get help about it. I like that it's within the University still, I really think this is the most vital service that the University could provide."

"I felt very comfortable talking to my SVLO and she has helped me in many areas such as [applying for] exceptional circumstances."

"I found that my SLVO really played a huge role in the improvement of my mental health and has been super helpful with teaching me how to cope and really listened to me. There’s nothing I would improve personally."

"The SVLO has been the most useful support I have received."