Plans for more SARCs welcomed in Portsmouth
Posted on October 15, 2008
Filed Under Press Releases
Portsmouth today welcomed government plans to pump £1.6m into creating ten new sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) across Britain.
The south’s first SARC – The Treetops Centre at Cosham – will celebrate its second birthday next month.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today pledged the extra funding to help other areas increase the support offered to victims of sexual assault and rape.
Mary Bridgman, who manages Treetops, which serves Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said the £1.6m would be money well spent.
She said: “Since we opened on November 22, 2006, we’ve seen around 750 people. The number of referrals has increased over that two-year period, with an 11% rise in the first six months of this year compared to last year.
I feel that our clients have benefited enormously from this centre and I welcome the fact that more other people across Britain could benefit from similar resources soon.
Treetops provides a professional client focused service, with on site crisis intervention, specialist forensic medical examinations and referral to appropriate medical and specialist counselling services.
Some 77% of clients have received forensic examinations, 93% have been female and 11% self referrals.
Portsmouth City Council’s Early Intervention Project provides advocacy and support and works closely with the Crystal Unit, a new initiative dedicated to the investigation rape and serious sexual assaults in the area. The unit is the first scheme of its kind outside London.
A young person’s worker is also available working from the centre to work with victims aged 13 to 18.
Treetops has been made possible by a partnership between the Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust, Hampshire police, the council, with support from the Rape Crisis services across Hampshire.
In 2007, it won two awards for partnership working – one from the Strategic Health Authority and one from the Portsmouth Operational Command Unit of the police.
Treetops has referrals from the police and self referrals. If someone is undecided about whether to report a rape or serious sexual offence to the police, they have the option of contacting the SARC direct for support from the Early Intervention Project team and the young person’s worker. Forensic samples can be taken to secure evidence in the event they do decide to report to the police in the future.
Partnership working is integral to a service which is available to the police 24/7.
The government eventually aims to double the number of SARCs from 19 to 38.
Issued by Mark Wingham on (023) 9283 5070.
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