Guidance and counselling services

Description

Provision of sexual violence and abuse support services in Essex. The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex (PFCC) has a statutory duty to commission support services for victims of crime, and is responsible for local compliance arrangements to ensure victims receive their entitlements as set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, and EU Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime. Supporting victims of crime is a priority area and is highlighted through the Police and Crime Plan, within which the PFCC has committed to place victims at the heart of the criminal justice process. Specifically for Sexual Abuse Victims within Priority 4, the PFCC commits to reverse the trend in serious violence by ‘ensuring victims of rape and sexual violence receive the help and support they need, and work with criminal justice partners to ensure that perpetrators are convicted.’ The PFCC is also committed to protecting children and vulnerable people from harm, including those at risk of or experiencing any form of sexual abuse or violence. The PFCC values a collaborative approach to commissioning. Support for victims represents a complex mix of existing support structures, as well as commissioned interventions and services, funded and delivered by a range of agencies. The PFCC seeks integrated solutions to victims’ needs that place the victim at the heart of the system and deliver economies for providers and commissioners. The PFCC is committed to working with local and national partners to ensure support and recovery systems are mapped and understood to prevent duplication or confusion, and to deliver timely and appropriate support. The PFCC welcomes the collaborative approach to working with NHS England in order to ensure victims of sexual assault receive the appropriate support to meet their needs following a sexually based crime. In commissioning this service the PFCC aims to ensure specialist support for all victims and survivors of any form of sexual abuse, whether that occurred recently or in the past, are able to access appropriate support in a timely way that recognises and responds to their needs, enabling and empowering them to cope and, as far as possible, recover from their experience. The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) and NHS England (NHSE) are seeking a partner or consortia of agencies to deliver specialist services to provide: Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA), Community Based support and Talking Therapies for victims of sexual violence and abuse. ISVAs typically provide emotional and practical support to victims before, during and after court to ensure they are informed and able to take part in criminal justice proceedings. Community based support typically involves the provision of longer term specialist support as well as short term intervention in order to support victims to cope and recover from the impact of the crime. Talking Therapies provide immediate and short-term trauma focused psychological intervention to those who have disclosed within the last 12 months.