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Improving care for victims and survivors of sexual assault
The Police and Crime Commissioners, the Police service and NHS England are working together to plan and buy Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) services in the South West of England. SARCs are a special service where victims and survivors of rape or sexual assault can receive immediate help and support.
These services will go live on 1st October 2018 and replace existing provision.
Why is this happening?
The contracts for the existing SARCs are coming to an end and so arrangements are being made to buy new services. This is an opportunity to further improve services for adult and paediatric victims and survivors of sexual assault. Additional funding has been received for the new services and will be used to support SARCs that:
- are victim/survivor focused
- provide equality of access across the region
- offer extended opening times
- meet national quality and clinical standards
- have caring, skilled and well-supported staff
- offer better access to self-referrals
- are based on fair and equitable funding
- work in partnership with other sexual violence services, including counselling, sexual health and the criminal justice system (where appropriate).
What is being proposed?
The proposal is for adult SARCs to be located in Swindon, Gloucester, Bristol, Exeter and Truro. It is also proposed that there will be an adult SARC in Plymouth, which would operate as an acute response facility, opened up when needed, but not permanently staffed. In relation to paediatric care, it is proposed that there are two centres of excellence in Exeter and Bristol, which would offer child sexual abuse care and expertise to children and young people across the South West. This would be broadly the same as the current provision, but with the addition of a second paediatric service for Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.
What type of care will be provided?
Under the new proposals, SARCs would offer quality healthcare and forensic services on a single visit, following sexual assault. People can either refer themselves or be referred by another service or the police.Patients would be offered a referral to therapeutic services and Independent Sexual Violence Advisers, who can provide support over a number of weeks, months or even years. It is therefore intended that these services would be based locally to make ongoing access easier.
Feedback
They are currently seeking views from a range of people and organisations to help inform the new SARC service. They have already talked extensively to users of these services and have further workshops and discussions planned. Service user representatives will be part of the group of people making the final decision about who provides SARCs in the future. If you would like to get involved and have your say or if you have any questions, please email SWSARCENGAGEMENT@ottawaystrategic.co.uk
NYA announces Youth Work Week 2017 theme
Youth Work Week provides an opportunity for youth organisations, youth workers and young people to celebrate their achievements and the impact of their work.
This year it will be held from 6-12 November 2017.
Today the National Youth Agency is announcing the theme of this year's Youth Work Week as Youth Services – youth work for today and tomorrow.
Youth services are vital to young people. At their most basic they provide a place for young people to go and something for them to do. But with the involvement of skilled youth workers they can be much more; contributing to young people’s social and emotional development, helping them feel more confident, understand themselves and other people, and become resilient, responsible citizens.
Over the past ten years youth services have undergone massive change. Swingeing cuts have reduced the local authority youth offer or in some cases destroyed it completely. An estimated £387m has been cut from youth service spending by local authorities in the last six years according to Unison, and cuts are still being announced.
Yet whilst youth services are taking a battering, the need for good youth work has not gone away. And despite huge uncertainty, dedicated, committed youth workers continue to deliver creative provision that has positive outcomes for young people.
NYA believes there is a clear role for youth work in local services that support young people.
We want to shine a light on the resilient youth work projects that have endured and celebrate the great work that continues. We want to showcase what best practice looks like and look at how youth work can shape future support services. We want to celebrate the structures and models that are working well to support young people today.
Read more on how you can get involved in Youth Work Week 2017.
Shaping future Community Health and Wellbeing Services for children and young people in Devon
Have your say - 13 July–15 September 2017
https://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/your-ccg/children-and-young-people-100144
The contracts to provide services for children and young people in Devon are due to be renewed from 1 April 2019. This provides an opportunity over the coming months to review and improve the system of care and support available to children and young people across Devon.
Services range from those that all children and young people come into contact with at some point including health visiting and school nursing, services to support those with mental health issues and services for children and young people with additional or special needs (up to the age of 25).
Between 13 July and 15 September, we are seeking the views of children and young people, parents, carers, professionals that work with children and those that refer into services to further inform our proposals. Click the link above to visit our website.