Imara CIO

Imara is a specialist service that supports children, young people and their family following a disclosure or discovery of child sexual abuse. Our referrals are received directly from the local paediatric sexual assault referral centre, the East Midlands Children and Young People's Sexual Assault Service. We are the chosen provider of therapy for all children under 12 and some young people aged 13-18 in Nottingham City, and we specialise in familial abuse. We also support our clients from a legal and advocacy perspective with our CHISVA service (Children and Young People's Independent Sexual Violence Advisor). Imara aims to empower and promote the recovery of children, young people and their families affected by child sexual abuse, by offering early intervention in the form of: Access to pre-trial therapy (specialising in creative arts therapies including play, art, and movement and dance) Specialist risk and needs assessment, and referral to appropriate support and services Information, advice and consistent contact throughout the judicial process Support with education, health, housing and financial concern In line with specialising in familial abuse, wherever appropriate we work with children and young people within their family unit, empowering them to access and use the resources they have within themselves and their family in order to overcome the trauma and thrive going forward. This includes working not only with the children and young people we are referred, but also their safe family members, including parents, carers, siblings and grandparents for whom a disclosure or discovery that sexual abuse has been occurring within their family and home can have profound and severe impacts and so support is understandably often required.