New services for survivors of rape and sexual assault

The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) for Cheshire and Merseyside have been awarded a £330,000 contract to provide support for victims of rape and sexual abuse.

The Charity provides help for survivors of sexual abuse whether or not they report the crime to the police; for recent and old cases. Women, men and young people can access support to help them to cope and recover from their ordeal. The service is also extended to children under 13 and their families to get support, such as local counselling at one of the Charity′s centres, rather than attending the Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester. Further enhancements of the service see the charity continuing to raise awareness of the service which will help more victims get directed to the right help and support.

The contract was awarded after an alliance was formed between the funding partners: the Police & Crime Commissioner, Cheshire Constabulary, NHS England and the four local councils, who had the aim to jointly commission a new ageless aftercare service for all survivors of rape and sexual assault.

John Dwyer, Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire said: “I want to put victims at the heart of policing, and this includes ensuring they get the right help and support they need from the Constabulary and other agencies. In order to inform my decision when awarding the contract I consulted survivors who told me how the support services they had received could be improved. In the unfortunate circumstance that an individual is subjected to a sexual assault or rape, I want them to rest assure that they will dealt with professionally here in Cheshire. I encourage people to come forward and report this crime.

“It’s important that victims get the wrap around service they deserve which supports them from the start to the end of the process. The fact that this aftercare has included an additional element which helps victims in their local community, rather than having them travel to the Referral Centre in Manchester is great progress.”

Julie Evans, Operations Manager at RASASC said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded the contract and feel the collaboration between all of the partners ensures that all victims of sexual violence in Cheshire can have access to support.  Our service aims to deliver a high quality accessible service that is responsive to the needs of people who have experienced sexual violence, whether it happened recently or a while ago. We will be adding to our staff team to deliver the service and we are very excited to be involved in ensuring that all victims of rape/sexual assault will have access to support across Cheshire East, Cheshire West, Halton and Warrington.”

More information about RASASC can be found www.rapecentre.org.uk