OXFORDSHIRE SEXUAL ABUSE AND RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 

One off gift to support with the cost of living crisis

To enable the additional callback and initial assessment services, upon receipt of COMF funding from Oxfordshire County Council in 21-22, the Listening Service Coordinator's working hours were ....more

To enable the additional callback and initial assessment services, upon receipt of COMF funding from Oxfordshire County Council in 21-22, the Listening Service Coordinator's working hours were increased from 18.5 hours to 25 hours to support the growth of the service to meet the need and promote the safeguarding, safety, protection and welfare of survivors via the callback service. In addition, due to the inability to utilise our office space to take Listening Service calls, e-mails and texts, the Listening Service Coordinator quickly adapted the service in response to Covid-19 to continue to offer telephone and online support whilst also maintaining our high standards of volunteer welfare throughout this period. Whilst opportunities to return to office working have risen, due to the unpredictable nature of Covid-19 infections the majority of Listening Services shifts still take part remotely and support from the Listening Service Coordinator remains in high demand. In addition, a Frontline Service Support Worker was employed in May 2021 originally for 30 hours, which was then increased to 37 hours per week. The Frontline Service Support Worker (FSSW) has improved efficiency of referrals coming into the service following the increased demand due to the pandemic, and has improved the response survivors receive by meeting with them within two weeks, down from eight. In addition, the FSSW supports the operational running of the Listening Service shifts, being on-call to support volunteers during the service opening times. We are seeking funding to help cover the running costs of the Listening Services which includes the salary and employment costs of the Listening Service Coordinator and Frontline Services Support Worker, along with volunteer running costs including clinical supervision, training and equipment costs as detailed below.

Counselling for Survivors of Sexual Violence

To provide additional funding to allow national helpline providers and rape & sexual abuse support fund grant recipients to increase remote support in providing the Activities included in the ....more

To provide additional funding to allow national helpline providers and rape & sexual abuse support fund grant recipients to increase remote support in providing the Activities included in the grant agreement during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Support groups and drop-in services for survivors of sexual violence and abuse

The funding will be used to recruit and employ a women’s Welcome Worker to provide dedicated support to women immediately after self-referral to this rape crisis and abuse centre. The project aims ....more

The funding will be used to recruit and employ a women’s Welcome Worker to provide dedicated support to women immediately after self-referral to this rape crisis and abuse centre. The project aims to reduce the time between disclosure of an abuse and receiving support.

To provide additional funding to allow national helpline providers and rape & sexual abuse support fund grant recipients to increase remote support in providing the Activities included in the ....more

To provide additional funding to allow national helpline providers and rape & sexual abuse support fund grant recipients to increase remote support in providing the Activities included in the grant agreement during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Unrestricted grant over two years towards the core costs of Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre, awarded under the Foundation's Sexual Abuse and Exploitation funding stream. Part of the Covid ....more

Unrestricted grant over two years towards the core costs of Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre, awarded under the Foundation's Sexual Abuse and Exploitation funding stream. Part of the Covid Recovery Fund to support charities to emerge from the pandemic.

Provision of Victim Services

The Marginalised Survivors Project This project builds upon a previous project (Phase 1), Under-served survivors, which was designed to support learning, consultation, scoping and planning for longer ....more

The Marginalised Survivors Project This project builds upon a previous project (Phase 1), Under-served survivors, which was designed to support learning, consultation, scoping and planning for longer term work on Enhancing the visibility, accessibility and relevance of OSARCC’s services for survivors of sexual violence, enabling more survivors from marginalised communities to access support which service users describe as ‘life-changing’.

Grant to Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre meeting the additional costs of adapting services, premises or implementing other safety measures in response to the Covid pandemic.

Provision of Victim Services

Advice & support - listening services (telephone, email and text), to provide support to victims of sexual abuse.

The funding will be used to support out counselling service for women across Oxfordshire who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their lives, building on the knowledge and experience we ....more

The funding will be used to support out counselling service for women across Oxfordshire who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their lives, building on the knowledge and experience we have developed since launching the counselling service in 2015. Survivors are offered up to 48 one to one sessions of trauma-informed, person-centred counselling, Counselling is delivered by volunteers, who have achieved or are working towards appropriate counselling qualifications, and who have also undergone rigorous specialist training within OSARCC on sexual violence and its impacts. The service is coordinated by a paid Counselling Coordinator. We provided counselling support to 56 women in 2018/19 and aim to support 60 women in the next 12 months. We currently have 11 volunteer counsellors, and will carry out three rounds of volunteer recruitment in the coming year to ensure that we are able to maintain and increase volunteer numbers. Our counselling approach, informed by our empowering, non-directive and non-judgemental core values, has proven effective in providing support to survivors. Last year, 89% of service users who gave feeedback reported a better understanding of their situation and what they could do about it, 75% experienced better health and wellbeing, 78% felt more able to access the support they needed, and 88% more able to assert their rights.Comments from service-users include: 'It's been incredibly positive. I feel very lucky to have found you...it's changed my life'

We will make a ‘step change’ in the extent to which survivors from under-served groups access our services. This will build on our growth to date, and reflects our commitment to equality, ....more

We will make a ‘step change’ in the extent to which survivors from under-served groups access our services. This will build on our growth to date, and reflects our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to ensuring that all survivors across Oxfordshire can access the support they need. It supports objectives outlined in our new Strategic Plan. We will focus particularly on working with older survivors, those who live in rural areas, and those in BAMER communities. These groups are currently under represented among our service-users and are likely to face specific barriers in accessing appropriate support.

towards three years' running costs of a project in Oxfordshire providing an Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy Service to female survivors of sexual violence

Funding awarded towards core costs to contribute towards their confidential helpline

To provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of rape and sexual abuse, including victims of child sexual abuse.

The organisation will use the funding to pilot a new system to provide survivors of sexual violence with support and advice in a more timely manner. The project aims to provide a quicker response to ....more

The organisation will use the funding to pilot a new system to provide survivors of sexual violence with support and advice in a more timely manner. The project aims to provide a quicker response to survivors to allow them to cope and recover from their experience more effectively.

As a result of using our counselling service we expect service users to see positive change in a range of outcomes, including health and wellbeing, feelings about themselves, confidence, and ....more

As a result of using our counselling service we expect service users to see positive change in a range of outcomes, including health and wellbeing, feelings about themselves, confidence, and relationships with others. This project will help improve the emotional and mental health and wellbeing of service users. It will achieve this by using an empowerment model of working with survivors of sexual violence which aims to facilitate the service users ability to take back choice and to develop trust in themselves within a safe and boundaried therapeutic environment. Many survivors will have had their psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual boundaries broken so our counselling will aim to provide a safe space in which the individual service user can be free to express herself. Over time, this work will empower women to make choices for themselves, rebuild their sense of self, recognise their rights as women to have the life they want and to live a healthy, active and fulfilling life. Many of the outcomes of improving the emotional and mental health of service users will directly contribute to improving their life chances; for example, evidence shows improved mental well being has a positive impact on the ability to access training, improved life skills and capacity to earn. The following outcomes will be used to measure progress: positive change in survivors; 1) feeling more in control of their lives 2) having better health and well-being 3) being more able to access further support 4) being more able to develop and maintain positive relationships with those who matter to them 5) being more able to assert their rights.

This funding will be used to support our counselling service, which is currently delivered by a team of 9 volunteer counsellors and a paid Counselling Coordinator. The funding will contribute towards ....more

This funding will be used to support our counselling service, which is currently delivered by a team of 9 volunteer counsellors and a paid Counselling Coordinator. The funding will contribute towards the cost of recruiting, training and supporting volunteer counsellors within our service, who will provide more than 500 hours of counselling to survivors. We are requesting part funding towards a larger project. The work of the Counselling Coordinator includes 2 x volunteer recruitment cycles. We aim to recruit a minimum of 3 volunteer counsellors in each training cycle which forms part of our wider volunteering recruitment. Each counsellor will provide up to 3 sessions per week, of 50 minutes in length. Counselling will be based on a tried and tested empowerment model for working with survivors of sexual violence, using a trauma-informed approach. Counselling will be offered to survivors who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their lives. Assessments will be undertaken by our Counselling Coordinator who will then match women to a counsellor most able to meet their needs. Sessions are offered for up to 12 months per women (48 sessions max). OSARCC holds accreditation of the Rape Crisis England and Wales National Service Standards and is a member of the National Counselling Society. Our counselling is provided within industry standards, which outlines minimum commitments for clinical supervision and support.

To increase the volume of support offered to victims of child sexual abuse and help meet the increased demand on services.

To provide direct and front line support to females over the age of 13 who are victims of rape and sexual violence

To deliver support groups and a drop-in for survivors of sexual violence to provide a safe space for survivors to work towards recovery and draw strength from others with similar experiences.

To increase the volume of support offered to victims of child sexual abuse and help meet the increased demand on your services.

To provide direct and front line support to females over the age of 13 who are victims of rape and sexual violence.

Funding was awarded to support a helpline which provides support for women who have experienced sexual violence either in childhood or as adults.

Services Manager – Capacity buildingAs the number of reported cases of sexual violence continues to rise, and the profile of sexual violence increases (as seen in the child abuse inquiry and ....more

Services Manager – Capacity buildingAs the number of reported cases of sexual violence continues to rise, and the profile of sexual violence increases (as seen in the child abuse inquiry and heightened media coverage), it is vital for OSARCC to grow in order to meet increasing need – demonstrated by an already existing 6-9 month waiting list for access into our face-to-face services. A lack of management resource is preventing us from being able to grow (both in terms of diversifying income generation, and strategic planning) in order to meet increasing need. Without this growth, we will struggle to meet the needs of local survivors. In order to achieve this increase in capacity and subsequent growth of OSARCC, there is a need to invest in management support. Our proposal is to create a Services Manager position, taking responsibility for generating funding and maintaining our existing provision, whilst freeing up the existing Director to focus on longer-term planning and the launch of new services for younger women. Currently all of this work is undertaken by the Director, resulting in a lack of capacity to fully exploit all funding and growth opportunities, and planning to safeguard the organisation’s future. This new split role will address this constraint.

To increase the volume of support offered to victims of child sexual abuse and help meet the increased demand on your services.

To provide direct and front line support to females over the age of 13 who are victims of rape and sexual violence

OSARCC has found through consultation with their service users under 18 (4% between October 2014-September 2015) that over 40% were currently experiencing or have experienced abuse as a child. They ....more

OSARCC has found through consultation with their service users under 18 (4% between October 2014-September 2015) that over 40% were currently experiencing or have experienced abuse as a child. They will work with girls aged 14-18 and specialist organisations to provide therapeutic support, peer mentoring, online support platforms and outreach and consent workshops. They will also aim to secure commitment to End Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy in Oxfordshire.

Advance people's physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety

towards two years' core costs of a support service for people affected by sexual abuse and rape in Oxfordshire

the costs of the support group service for female survivors of sexual violence project including facilitators, training, supervision, travel, materials and overhead costs

This incorporated charity in Oxford will set up a support group that will run weekly for adult women who have experienced rape or sexual abuse. This will provide beneficiaries with opportunities to ....more

This incorporated charity in Oxford will set up a support group that will run weekly for adult women who have experienced rape or sexual abuse. This will provide beneficiaries with opportunities to discuss their experiences and receive assistance with recovery, reducing isolation and improving mental and physical well-being.