Future Service Development: Supporting Survivors

The Sexual Abuse Service Development Fund (SASDF) was established as part of a range of measures within the overall Strategy to deliver improved support for adult survivors. Following announcement of the Fund over 100 agencies submitted applications, of these, twenty five applicants were successful and allocated funding for a two year period (2007-09).

Evidencing the achievements of the projects was critical due to the unique nature of the Fund and to enable us to have qualitative information to inform future strategy activity.

An Evaluation Report and Summary Assessment were independently produced detailing all aspects of the services delivered via SASDF. These evaluative processes alongside the Communication Strategy National Workshop findings have informed our appraisal on future service development activity.

Future priorities

• Male survivors
• Survivors living in rural areas
• Prevention of abuse and survivors in a prison setting

Our analysis revealed the above areas where there is lack of, or difficulty in survivors accessing help and support. Barriers to male survivors accessing health and social care services are often linked to fears of being thought of as abusers.

Service delivery for survivors in rural areas is widely acknowledged as challenging; the highly sensitive nature of sexual abuse makes this even more so. Confidentiality and transport issues are frequently cited as barriers to survivors obtaining help.

Prevention of abuse often attracts opposition as considered to be taking funding away from survivors. However prevention of sexually harmful behaviour, particularly in young people and those in the prison population who are also survivors of abuse, is required to be considered within the terms of the Cosgrove Recommendation within the overall Strategy.

These areas are now considered a priority for future development activity for the forthcoming year following the conclusion of the Sexual Abuse Service Development Fund.

The Projects funded are as follows:

Rural and Remote Areas

• Rape Crisis, Argyll and Bute
• Rape and Abuse Line, Dingwall
• Borderline
• Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre in Angus
• Thrive
• The People’s Advisory Service, Dumfries and Galloway
• Western Isles Rape Crisis
• Sexual Abuse Survivors Shetland
• We have also given funding to provide services in Aberdeenshire, Orkney and Morayshire.

Male Survivors

• Thrive
• Break the Silence
• Health in Mind
• Rape and Abuse Line, Dingwall
• Rape Crisis, Argyll and Bute
• Borderline

Prevention and Prisons

• Stop It Now, Scotland
• Open Secret
• Barnardos
• Stop It Now Scotland
• Barnardos
• Includem