A new county-wide service to help victims of sexual abuse and violence (SAV) and child sexual exploitation (CSE) is now live in Warwickshire, commissioned and funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe.
The service aims to help victims of crime to cope and recover from the harm they have experienced, providing them with tailored support and ensuring their individual needs can be assessed and provided for.
Leading national children’s charity Barnardo’s and Rugby-based independent charity RoSA (Rape or Sexual Abuse Support) have jointly been awarded the contract to deliver support services across the whole of Warwickshire for an initial three years.
Barnardo’s and RoSA will deliver a range of evidence-based, victim-led personalised support services and interventions, including face-to-face, telephone and online support, ensuring the service meets the current and emerging needs of victims.
The commissioned service also includes expanded provision of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Children and Young People’s Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ChISVAs) across the whole of Warwickshire. These are trained professionals who work with victims and survivors to provide impartial information about all of their options, including reporting to the police or accessing other services that they may require, such as counselling or advice on housing, social care or benefits.
Barnardo’s has been working in Warwickshire as part of the multi-agency Warwickshire CSE Team for a number of years and will be continuing to develop the successful ‘Something’s Not Right’ campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of CSE and promote access to help and advice.
RoSA, meanwhile, has been providing free and confidential support for anyone who has experienced the trauma of rape, sexual abuse or sexual violence in Warwickshire for the past 26 years. They work throughout the county supporting women, men, young people and children from age 5 onwards and support is also offered to family members, partners and carers.
By bringing Barnardo’s and RoSA together, the new contract ensures that all victims of CSE and SAV can have seamless support in one place to meet their needs, from childhood through to adulthood.
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: “Victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual violence need the very best help and support to ensure they can cope and recover from the effects that these devastating crimes can have. It’s also really important that their families and loved ones have access to high-quality support and advice.
“By commissioning the service directly I am able to secure enhanced support for victims and survivors while at the same time providing longer-term financial stability to enable the further development of the service.
“Both Barnardo’s and RoSA have really strong track records in their respective areas of work and by joining together can provide a seamless service which is tailored to victim’s needs, regardless of age and circumstance.”
Barnardo’s children’s services manager Robert Cotterill said: “We’re proud to be a part of this important new partnership to support some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
“Working with others, we want to ensure that children and young people have ongoing support into adulthood, and that adults who disclose their own experiences of child sexual exploitation also have the right support in place to meet their needs.”
RoSA’s director Julie Bettelley added: “This is really good news for ROSA. The funding not only allows us to continue delivering our current services but also provides RoSA with greater stability, allowing us to provide high quality essential support for men, women, children and young people and further improve access to services for survivors of rape and sexual abuse in all communities throughout Warwickshire.”
If you need help and support to recover from the effects of rape, sexual abuse or sexual violence in Warwickshire, contact the RoSA helpline on 01788 551150 or visit rosasupport.org.
For help and information about child sexual exploitation, contact the Warwickshire Multi Agency Sexual Exploitation Team helpline on 01926 684 490 or visit warwickshirecse.co.uk.
- The Commissioner also funds a range of other commissioned services, plus further support services for victims through his annual grants fund. Details of 2019/20 grants recipients will be announced in June.
