Road Victim Adviser service supporting people regionwide

Girl during session with psychotherapist

This July marks York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Month, where the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority highlights some of the work being done by key partners to support people regionwide.

Funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Brake’s Independent Road Victim Adviser (IRVA) service for York and North Yorkshire supports people who are injured or bereaved in road crashes.

The service provides road victims with specialist emotional and practical support, helping people to understand and navigate the complex, unfamiliar procedures that often follow a collision.

It is available to all residents of York and North Yorkshire, regardless of where the collision took place, and provides a dedicated point of contact for the people it supports.

The IRVA service offers trauma informed support for victims via:

Immediate contact and practical support following referral.

Emotional support and advocacy for victims and bereaved families.

Assistance with understanding police investigations, criminal justice processes, coronial proceedings.

Support to make informed decisions, access specialist services and build resilience.

Working closely with police, victim support organisations and local services.

Support from the Combined Authority helps the IRVA service to help victims during what is often the most traumatic point in their lives.

Advisers help people to:

Regain confidence and stability following life-changing events.

Reduce feelings of isolation through coordinated support and referrals

Achieve measurable improvements in wellbeing.

Develop an understanding of trauma and its impact

IRVA advisers have helped people at some of the most difficult moments of their lives, from supporting a bereaved parent following the death of their adult child in a collision, to helping a seriously injured victim regain confidence and independence after life-changing injuries.

They have provided emotional support, guidance through the criminal justice processes, and access to specialist services, helping victims and families feel more informed and better able to cope.

Advisers have also acted as trusted single points of contact for families dealing with multiple organisations, such as the police, coordinating support and ensuring they can access the information and assistance they needed while focusing on their recovery.

The service delivers highly specialised support for a vulnerable cohort of victims with unique needs.

Brake CEO Ross Moorlock said:

“It’s never nice to hear, but five people die on UK roads every day. Many more suffer serious, life-changing injuries. In the Yorkshire and the Humber region alone, 3,114 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes in 2024.

“These are not just statistics. Behind every number is a grieving family, whose lives have changed beyond all recognition in an instant.

“The Independent Road Victim Adviser service provides a lifeline for people in York and North Yorkshire at their very darkest times.

“We know this type of specialist, trauma-informed support, delivered at the right time for victims for as long as they need it, is pivotal in helping people to come to terms with what’s happened and find their way through the very complicated practical matters that unfold in the aftermath of a crash.

“The service, and the funding behind it, empowers individuals and families to cope with their grief and move forward with their lives.”