HOME OFFICE News
Release (168/2008) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 7
October 2008
Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith today announced the next steps in ensuring that every
person in the country has access to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
She has pledged an extra £1.6 million to help local areas
increase the support offered to victims of sexual assault and
rape. This new funding will go towards building ten new SARCs -
with preference given to bids from local areas with the greatest
need for additional services.
Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) provide victims with
immediate medical help, counselling, forensic examinations and the
opportunity to give evidence anonymously on one site.
The Home Secretary also announced an additional £100,000 to
create a team of experts to target areas without a SARC and
increase victims' access to these facilities. The expert team
will include representatives from the Police, Crown Prosecution
Service, the Forensic Science Service and an experienced SARC manager.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"There are few crimes more horrific than rape and I am
determined to ensure that every victim has immediate access to the
services and support they need. I want to see a Sexual Assault
Referral Centre (SARC) in every area and I urge areas to apply for
this new £1.6 million funding.
"These centres not only improve the support we provide for
victims but also encourage these crimes to be reported to the
police. The expert medical advice available on site, and the
forensic examinations are vital in bringing offenders to justice."
This new funding is part of the Government's commitment as
laid out in the Tackling Violence Action Plan (February 2008) to
double the number of SARCs from 19 to 38 by 2011. Progress has
already been made since this announcement and there are now 22
SARCs in England and Wales with more currently under development.
John Yates, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead for
rape and serious sexual offences and Assistant Commissioner in the
Metropolitan Police Service, said:
"ACPO welcomes the announcement of the additional funding to
support the establishment of sexual assault referral centres
(SARCs) across the country. We have always said that these
excellent facilities should be accessible to every victim of this
terrible crime, no matter where they live. We know from experience
and feedback what a dramatic difference they make both in terms of
care and support for victims and in relation to giving
investigators the best chance to build a successful case."
Rape Crisis said:
"Rape Crisis (England and Wales) fully support this move
towards making SARCs sustainable and available to all. Those who
report sexual assault deserve high quality responses.
"Rape Crisis is pleased the Government is making this money
available for both new and existing SARCs. SARCs are an important
element in allowing victims of rape to access crisis medical and
forensic support, whether or not the legal process goes ahead.
"The provision of a team of experts to engage with key local
partners is a forward step in enabling all areas of the country to
offer SARC services as currently there is a postcode lottery of
SARC and Rape Crisis provision. The majority of Rape Crisis groups
are either involved on steering and delivery groups for
prospective SARCs or are currently delivering crisis and long term
counselling services as part of the SARC support provision. We
hope to continue to work in equal partnership on this new initiative."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Home Office has been involved in the expansion of the SARC
network since 2003/4. There are now 22 existing SARCs with further
under development. These are:
* Safe Island, Cardiff
* Helen Britton House, Cleveland
*
Millfield House, Derbyshire
* The Meadows, Durham
* Elm
Tree House, Dyfed Powys
* St Mary's SARC, Greater
Manchester
* Laburnum House, Gwent
* The Treetops Centre,
Hampshire
* The Renton Clinic, Kent
* The SAFE Centre,
Lancashire
* Juniper Lodge, Leicestershire
* SAFE place,
Merseyside
* Haven Paddington, Met, London
* Haven
Camberwell, Met, London
* Haven Whitechapel, Met, London
*
REACH, Rhona Cross Centre, Northumbria
* REACH, Ellis Fraser
Centre, Northumbria
* The Topaz Centre, Nottinghamshire
*
Beech Tree Centre, Emily Phipps House, Swansea
* Willow House,
South Wales
* Rowan Centre, West Midlands
* New Swindon
Sanctuary, Wiltshire
2. Ten grants of up to £75,000 are available to areas wanting to
set up a new SARC. Existing SARCs can bid for one of 10 grants of
up to £25,000 capital funding and one of 20 grants of up to
£30,000 resource funding.
3. Existing SARCs can bid for funding for 2008/9 and 2009/10. The
deadline for funding bids is 7/11/08; however there will be
another opportunity to bid for 2009/10 funding in April 2009,
which will also be £1.6 million for the financial year.
4. Footage from inside a SARC can be viewed on the Home Office
YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/homeoffice
5. National Service Guidelines on developing SARCs were published
jointly by the Home Office and Department of Health in 2005. Wider
roll-out of SARCs was also identified as a key action in the
Cross-Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse,
published in April 2007.
6. Research shows that SARCs are an important and effective tool
in meeting the health and support needs of victims, and helping
the police build better cases. SARCs have been highlighted as good
practice in several reports, including the Report on the Joint
Inspection into the Investigation and Prosecution of Cases
involving Allegations of Rape (HMCPSI/HMIC, 2002); and Home Office
Research Study 285, Sexual Assault Referral Centres: developing
good practice and maximising potentials (Lovett et al,. 2004).
020 7035 3535