Funding boost for victims of rape and sexual abuse

Rape and sexual abuse support services across England and Wales have been awarded increased government funding today (22 March 2019) – totalling £24m over 3 years – to help even more victims.

The move, which involves a 10 per cent increase in funding by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), will see 79 rape support centres awarded grants – more than ever before. This will ensure, for the first time, that there are government-funded services in all 42 of the country’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) areas.

This will include a 50 per cent funding increase for services across Greater London – recognising the heightened demand for services in the region – with almost 15 per cent of all sexual offences occurring across the capital last year.

Nationally over 150,000 sexual offences were recorded by police last year, with 1 in 5 women having experienced some type of sexual assault in their lifetime. This is despite the crimes often going unreported.

The money will go towards a range of services, such as tailored face-to-face support and counselling to help victims cope with and, as far as possible, recover from these horrific crimes.

Among the services receiving a funding boost are a national helpline and webchat service for male victims following a significant rise in the number of men and boys coming forward to report crimes and access support.

The extra money will also see the number of PCC areas with government-funded male support centres nearly quadruple from 11 to 41.

Funding has also been extended to include those who suffered abuse while under the age of 13, in recognition that many victims of child sexual abuse may struggle to access timely support.

Victims Minister Edward Argar, said:

Victims of rape and sexual violence show immense courage in coming forward – and they must have confidence that the right support will be there when it is needed.

Today we are providing funding across more regions than ever, supporting more centres than ever, increasing the overall amount of funding and moving to a three-year funding cycle. We are determined to continue to improve access to these vital services for victims to help them rebuild their lives after these devastating crimes.

Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, said:

Rape is a horrific crime and has devastating and often, lifelong consequences for its victims. It is important that all victims have access to the support and therapy they need to help them recover. This increase in funding is a step in the right direction in making sure there is sufficient provision to support these victims.

I am pleased that for the first time, there will be, centrally funded rape support services in all parts of England and Wales. I am particularly pleased to see there will be a significant increase in male support centres.

As Victims Commissioner, I have been calling for three-year funding packages for frontline victim services. So, it is a positive development that the government will be offering rape support service providers a 3-year funding agreement. It offers providers and their staff greater security, enabling them to focus their energies on supporting victims as opposed to worrying about future funding. I hope it will not be long before this is extended to all victim services.

Duncan Craig, CEO of Survivors Manchester and Co-Founder of Male Survivors Partnership, and survivors of childhood sexual abuse:

In this, our 10th Birthday year, we’re delighted to receive this grant. In 10 years, we’ve supported 2,500 male survivors but the past year’s shown a huge increase in requests for help with 2 new referrals coming in every single day.

This grant will not only allow us to provide three therapists and an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor to help meet this unprecedented demand, but also contribute significantly towards our new support centre and enable us to promote our Male Service Standard Quality Assured services to the widest possible communities across Greater Manchester, helping the diverse male population we have here.

Successful organisations passed through a comprehensive bidding process, where applicants evidenced their ability to provide high-quality, victim-focussed support. As well as funding services in all PCC areas, we have better matched funding to levels of local demand, which has increased in recent years as more victims come forward to access support.

This funding is now guaranteed over three years compared to 12 months previously – providing organisations with greater stability and security to ensure they can focus on delivering their essential services. It is part of £96 million MOJ is providing to victim and witness support services this year, which has doubled since 2012/13.

Notes to editors

• MOJ funding for victim support services has almost doubled since 2012/13 (by increasing revenue raised from offenders). This year, we plan to spend about £96 million on these services.
• MOJ provides a contribution to rape support services across England and Wales and the level of grant funding varies. In 2018/19 we allocated around £7.2 million to these centres to provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of sexual violence, including victims of child sexual abuse. This will now increase to £8 million annually.
• Rape support services in Greater London will receive 50 per cent increase to help meet growing demand, with funding rising from £481,126 to £731,126.
• This announcement also builds on the government’s commitment to further devolve justice powers. Five PCCs (Greater London, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire) have been given full commissioning responsibilities for sexual violence and abuse services in their areas as PCC are well placed to identify and respond to local needs when providing support.
• In 2018/19 we allocated PCCs around £68 million funding to locally commission emotional and practical support services for victims of crime as they are best placed to respond to local need.
• The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that 20% of women and 4% of men have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16, equivalent to an estimated 3.4 million female victims and 631,000 male victims.

The successful bidders are:

Avon and Somerset

• The Green House Bristol providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Bristol.
• Kinergy providing support for female and male victims in Bristol.
• Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (Bristol) providing support for female victims, including CSA in Bristol.
• Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (Somerset) providing support for female victims, including CSA in Taunton & North East Somerset.

Bedfordshire

• The Hope Programme providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Bedfordshire.

Cheshire

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (Cheshire & Merseyside) Chester & Warrington providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Cheshire.
• Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Chester.

Cleveland

• Arch North East providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Middlesbrough and Cleveland.

Cumbria

• Safety Net UK providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in North Cumbria.

Derbyshire

• SV2 providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Derbyshire.
• Sexual Abuse and Incest Line providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in North Derbyshire.

Devon and Cornwall

• Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Devon.
• First Light South West (Devon) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Devon.
• Children Linked to and Experiencing Abusive Relationships (CLEAR) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Cornwall.
• The Women’s Centre Cornwall providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Cornwall.
• SALT South West providing support for female victims in Cornwall.

Dorset

• Dorset Rape Crisis Support Centre Poole & Bournemouth providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Poole and Bournemouth.

Durham

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (Darlington and County Durham) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Darlington and County Durham.

Dyfed Powys

• Mid Wales Rape Support Centre providing support for female and male victims, in Aberystwyth and West Wales.
• New Pathways (Dyfed Powys) providing support for female and male victims, in mid Wales.

Gloucestershire

• Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Gloucestershire.

Greater Manchester

• Greater Manchester Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Manchester.
• Trafford Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Trafford.
• Survivors Manchester providing support for male victims, including CSA, in Manchester.

Gwent

• Cyfannol Women’s Aid providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Pontypool and Gwent.

Hertfordshire

• Herts Area Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Hertfordshire.

Humberside

• Grimsby and Scunthorpe Rape Crisis (The Blue Door) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Humberside and North East Lincolnshire.
• Hull Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Service providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Hull.

Kent

• East Kent Rape Crisis Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Canterbury and East Kent.
• Family Matters providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Gravesend and West Kent.

Lancashire

• Trust House Lancashire providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Lancashire.

Leicestershire and Rutland

• First Step Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland providing support for male victims, including CSA, in Leicester and Leicestershire.
• Leicester Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Leicester and Leicestershire.
• Living Without Abuse providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Loughborough and Leicestershire.

Lincolnshire

• Lincolnshire Rape Crisis providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Lincoln and Lincolnshire.
• Trust House Lincolnshire providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Grantham and Lincolnshire.

Merseyside

• Rape and Sexual Abuse (RASA) Centre Merseyside providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Liverpool and Merseyside.

Norfolk

• Sue Lambert Trust providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Norwich and Norfolk.

North Wales

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre North Wales providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Bangor and North Wales.
• Stepping Stones North Wales providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Wrexham and North Wales.

North Yorkshire

• Survive (Support for Survivors of Rape and Sexual Abuse) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in York and North Yorkshire.

Northamptonshire

• Northamptonshire Rape Crisis providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Northamptonshire.

Northumbria

• Tyneside Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Newcastle and Tyneside.
• Grace Northumberland Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Northumberland.
• Someone Cares providing support for female and male victims in Newcastle and Tyneside.

South Wales

• New Pathways (South Wales) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in South Wales.

South Yorkshire

• Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Services providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Barnsley.
• Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Doncaster.
• Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Rotherham.
• Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Sheffield.

Staffordshire

• SAVANA providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire.
• Sexual Abuse and Rape Advice Centre (SARAC) providing support for female victims in Burton on Trent and Staffordshire.

Suffolk

• Suffolk Rape Crisis providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Ipswich and Suffolk.
• Survivors in Transition providing support for female and male victims in Ipswich and Suffolk.

Surrey

• Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Guildford providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Guildford and Surrey.

Sussex

• Lifecentre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Chichester and West Sussex.
• Mankind providing support for male victims in Brighton and Sussex.
• Rape Crisis Surrey and Sussex providing support for female victims in Crawley and Sussex.
• Survivors Network providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Sussex.

Thames Valley

• Aylesbury Vale & Milton Keynes Sexual Assault and Abuse Support Service providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.
• Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Oxford and Oxfordshire.
• Rape Crisis (Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks) providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Wycombe and south Buckinghamshire.
• Trust House Reading providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Reading and Berkshire.

Warwickshire

• RoSA providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Rugby and Warwickshire.
• Safeline providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Warwick and Warwickshire.

West Mercia

• Axis Counselling providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Shrewsbury and Shropshire.
• Herefordshire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Hereford and Herefordshire.
• Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Worcester and Worcestershire.

West Midlands

• Birmingham Rape and Sexual Violence Project (RSVP) providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Birmingham and West Midlands.
• Black Country Women’s Aid providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in West Bromwich and West Midlands.
• Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Coventry and West Midlands.
• Crisis Point providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Birmingham and West Midlands.
• Freedom from Torture (Medical Foundation for The Care Of Victims Of Torture) providing support for female and male victims in Birmingham.

West Yorkshire

• Basis Yorkshire providing support for female victims in Leeds.
• Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Bradford.
• Kirklees and Calderdale Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Wakefield and Huddersfield.
• Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds providing support for female victims in Leeds.
• Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service providing support for female victims, including CSA, in Leeds.

Wiltshire

• Revival – Wiltshire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre providing support for female and male victims, including CSA, in Birmingham and West Midlands.