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Improving outcomes for victims of sexual violence: A strategic partnership approach

The first National Conference on Sexual Violence took place on 16 and 17 November 2005 at the Hilton Coventry. The theme of the event was Improving Outcomes for Victims of Sexual Violence: A Strategic Partnership Approach. It was jointly organised by the Home Office, Department of Health, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers, with the aim of enhancing awareness and implementation of good practice for partnership working for the victims of recent sexual violence.

Title: Improving outcomes for victims of sexual violence: A strategic partnership approach
Author: collated by Sexual Crime Reduction Team, Home Office
Number of pages: 138
Date published: December 2005
Availability: Download full report PDF 745Kb

The objectives of the conference were:

  1. To increase understanding of sexual violence as a multi-agency problem requiring a partnership approach to solutions
  2. To share information about recent developments in policy and practice on sexual violence
  3. To spread good practice about what works in the provision of care pathways for victims of sexual violence
  4. To facilitate debate on how we can improve the delivery of justice for victims of sexual violence

The conference shared with delegates best practice for multi-agency working to address sexual violence, with a range of speakers including Government Ministers, front-line practitioners and voluntary sector service providers. The focus of the event was primarily on recent sexual violence as this is where the greatest developments in policy have taken place in recent years.

Delegates from the conference included representatives from the voluntary sector, police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), health service, Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), and from across government. The event provided a good opportunity to bring together a full range of perspectives on sexual violence, leading to some challenging debates, dissemination of good practice and a great deal of discussion about the links between different issues and agencies.

Feedback from the event indicated that although most delegates were satisfied that the conference met its objectives, some would welcome more time within the main programme for questions and greater interaction and depth within workshops. There was also a range of issues which delegates would like to see on future agendas, including more from a voluntary sector perspective, an additional focus on historical sexual abuse, violence against women as a cross-cutting issue, greater health engagement and more information on practical ways of improving the investigation and prosecution of rape cases. These comments will be fed into the planning of any future events.

A number of key issues arose from the conference, through workshop and plenary discussions:

  • The need for greater communication between Government and stakeholders

  • The need for stakeholders to be involved as early as possible in the development of policy and practice

  • The need for a more joined-up approach on a local level and better communication between agencies, including the voluntary sector.

  • The need to increase understanding of sexual violence as a public health issue, particularly amongst local health services

  • The need for training within the criminal justice agencies and health services

  • The need for targets associated with rape and sexual assault in order to increase local resourcing of work in this area

  • The need for awareness raising work to dispel rape myths

  • The need to focus on real improvements to the way that cases are built and delivered in court, as well as improvements to victim care

  • The need for Government to demonstrate more effectively to the outside world what it wants to achieve on sexual violence, and how it intends to do this

  • The importance of voluntary organisations being able to access longer term funding rather than one-off grants.

This report includes copies of the presentations and notes of the key issues raised in the workshops. Some of the presentations were given to us as PowerPoint presentations whilst others were provided verbatim. The PowerPoint presentations have been converted to text format in order to limit the memory space required for this report. Full PowerPoint presentations will be added to the report (and to this area of the Crime Reduction Website) early in 2006.

If you have any questions about the presentations, or issues arising from the conference, please contact the Home Office Sexual Crime Reduction Team.

Presentations

Day 1

  • Trials and Tribulations
    A survivor’s perspective

  • Good Practice in Primary Care response to victims of sexual violence
    Prof. David Colin-Thomé
    National Clinical Director, Primary care

  • Rape Action Plan stocktake and the need for victim-focused policing
    John Yates
    Deputy Assistant Commissioner

  • Role of the Sexual Offences Liaison Officer S.O.L.O
    Maz Paley & Hannah Clayden

  • Getting The Evidence Right
    Mary Newton
    Forensic Biologist, Forensic Science Service 32

  • Importance of partnership working – key barriers that must be overcome
    Rima Chowdhury-Hawkins
    Project Manager, Project Amethyst

  • Government Policy Context
    Paul Goggins MP
    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Home Office

  • Sexual Assault Referral Centres
    Bernie Ryan
    Manager, St. Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre

  • Role of the voluntary sector in provision of SARC services/counselling
    Caz Minter–Wright
    Clinical Director of Crisis Point and SARC Manager, The Rowan Centre

  • Voluntary sector working in partnership to achieve better outcomes
    Gillian Finch
    Chair, The Survivors Trust & Co-ordinator CIS’ters

  • Violence and Abuse Programme-Improving outcomes for victims
    Professor Catherine Itzin
    Department of Health

Day 2

  • Sexual Violence as a Health Issue
    Rosie Winterton MP
    Minister of State for Health Services

  • Understanding Male Sexual Assault
    Martyn Sullivan
    Chief Executive, Survivors UK

  • Abuse: The Hidden Reality, Patterns of Violence and Abuse, Impact on Health and Well Being.
    Dr Jo Nurse
    Consultant in Public Health, Department of Health

  • Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs): medical perspective
    Dr Jan Welch
    Clinical Director, Haven Camberwell

  • Sexual and Domestic Violence – implications for local provision
    Christine Mann
    National co-ordinator for health and mental health on domestic violence

  • ‘Making an Impact’- Tees Valley Sexual Violence Forum
    Professor Jill Radford
    University of Teeside

  • The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre, Croydon
    Yvonne Traynor
    Chief Executive

  • A Survivors Story

  • Good Practice In Prosecuting Sexual Violence Cases
    Nicola Reasbeck
    Chief Crown Prosecutor Northumbria

  • Good Practice In Prosecuting Cases Of Sexual Violence: Barrister’s perspective
    Robin Patton
    Barrister, New Court Chambers, Northumbria

  • A judicial perspective: judicial training on serious sexual offences
    His Honour Judge Peter Rook QC
    Course Director Designate, Serious Sexual Offences Seminar, Judicial Studies Board.

Work Shops

Day 1

  • Practical advice on setting up a SARC
    Cath Thundercloud & Marion Winterholler
    SAFE Centre & Haven Paddington

  • Justice for victims: findings from the RAP stocktake
    Dave Gee and Helen Musgrove & Mark Lindley
    Home Office & Crown Prosecution Service

  • The Role of Forensics in relation to Sexual Violence.
    Dr. John Franklin & Dr. ‘Cath White
    Faculty of forensic and legal medicine & Clinical director, St Mary’s, Manchester

  • Advocacy and practical support in Sexual Violence
    Diana Barran & Gail Morgan
    Co-ordinated Response and advocacy Resource Group & Support worker at St. Mary’s Centre in Manchester

  • Public health approach to reducing the risk of sexual violence
    Dr. Jo Nurse & Michelle Barry
    Mental Health lead for government office South East & the Southampton STAR Project.

Day 2

  • The realities of male rape: increasing access and addressing victim’s needs
    Martyn Sullivan
    Survivors UK

  • The role of the voluntary sector in raising awareness and providing services
    Zoe Markham and John Marshall
    Home Office

  • A holistic approach to caring for child victims.
    Rima Chowdhury-Hawkins & Bernie Ryan
    Project Amethyst and St. Mary’s SARC

  • Drugs, Alcohol and Sexual Abuse Workshop
    Julie Bentley & Dave Gee
    Suzy Lamplugh Trust & Operation Matisse

  • Care and Evidence Package
    Dr Jan Welch, Clincial Director, Haven Camberwell

Getting a copy

Download Improving outcomes for victims of sexual violence: A strategic partnership approach PDF 745Kb

Last update: 20 December 2005

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