What is Stalking?

Across County Durham and Darlington local support for victims of stalking is provided by two services, both services have dedicated Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworkers (ISAC). An ISAC is a trained specialist who provides support to individuals who are victims of criminal conduct involving acts associated with stalking.

Victim Care and Advice Service supports victims of non-domestic stalking crimes; support is available to victims living within County Durham and Darlington.

An Independent Stalking Advocate (ISAC) provides victims of stalking with specialist independent support, advice, and advocacy. The ISAC provides victims with a single point of contact, assess the risk and needs of the victim alongside addressing any support needs. Victims are provided with all the options available to them and what their rights are throughout the Criminal Justice process.

It is very important that the victim is given practical options such as, information about personal safety where this is required. The ISAC will complete a victim safety plan, that explores different areas of their lives, enabling the victim to feel more empowered and confident in safeguarding themselves. The ISAC will also be able to liaise with other agencies on behalf of the victim, if this is something that is required.

Our team are responsible for supporting people that have experienced or been affected by crime to help them cope with the immediate impact of the crime and assist them in their subsequent recovery. To achieve this, they will help victims to identify their coping and recovery needs and subsequently develop a jointly owned recovery plan that is suitable to the victims’ personal situation.

They will provide this support for the victim whether the incident has been reported to the police or not.