Support Services
Currently the Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre: -
Delivers a Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline and Support Service offering helpline and outreach services to victims and survivors of rape, sexual assault, incest, childhood sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. The helpline receives approx 1,200 calls per annum. Volunteer Support Workers provide ongoing outreach and support, advocacy and counselling to approximately 350 women and their families each year.
Employs an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA)who provides support and advocacy to victims/survivors through the Criminal Justice System. The ISVA works in partnership with Victim Support and the Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to provide a wrap around service to victims who report their offences to the Police or who self refer and are involved in the criminal justice process.
Employs two Specialist Sexual Violence Counsellors funded by the Home Office to provide support and counselling to victims/survivors with complex needs including survivors with severe and enduring mental health issues and learning disabilities.
Delivers the Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network providing an independent helpline and outreach support service run by Volunteer Support Workers.
Women Offenders Community Project Open is a women centred project, providing holistic support to women in Cornwall who are, or are at risk of becoming, involved in the Criminal Justice System. This includes women serving community sentences and those released from custody to Cornwall.
Delivers a 14 week Pattern Changing Programme for survivors of sexual and/or domestic abuse to empower and enable them to make changes in their lives.
Runs the Young Women’s Support Network funded for 3 years by Comic Relief which offers specialised support, counselling and group work to young women aged 13 to 25 who have experienced any form of sexual violence or domestic abuse and who have complex needs e.g. mental health issues, learning disabilities and/or culturally sensitive issues.
Runs the Bodmin Community Domestic Abuse Project offers specialist support to women and girls, from Bodmin who are/ have experienced domestic abuse. The project works proactively with the whole community towards eradicating domestic abuse.
Runs SEEDS, which is a group of female survivors of domestic and sexual abuse from all areas of the county. Seeds is committed to allowing the voice of survivors to be heard, influencing and improving agency responses and service delivery for other women and children living with abuse.
In partnership with the RSPCA and North Cornwall Volunteer Bureau we have also seen the development of a small project called Pet Retreat which offers a pet fostering service for pets of women escaping abuse.
Provides National Open College Network 60 hour training courses to volunteers from our local community.
Supports and supervises an average of 40 Volunteer Support Workers to undertake helpline and outreach work.
Monitors and Evaluates all work delivered and collects data through electronic data bases including MODUS and DPMS.