Sexual Violence and Abuse Action Plan March 2009
Sexual Violence and Abuse Action Plan & Implementation Guide
On 2 April 2007, the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Sexual Offending
published a cross-government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse.
The purpose of the Action Plan is to
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Tell our stakeholders and members of the public what we are seeking
to achieve in relation to sexual violence and abuse
Identify the actions we are taking to deliver our objectives
Identify gaps in existing work which require further consideration
Increase transparency and enable us to be held to account on delivery
of our objectives
Provide a platform for developing a more strategic and holistic
approach to tackling sexual violence and abuse
The Action Plan is supported by an implementation guide, which sets out the
roles and responsibilities of key delivery agencies and partnerships in
delivering the objectives of the Action Plan. It also includes a background
section which explains how sexual violence and abuse fits with national
targets and local delivery agendas.
http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/sexualoffences/sexual03.htm
The Brief.
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To investigate the links between the Tackling Violence Action Plan
Implementation Guidance 2008 and the Sexual Violence and Abuse
Action Plan
To provide an implementation plan in order to discharge the CDRP’s
responsibilities as set out in the Sexual Violence and Abuse Action
Plan Implementation Guide – as below
To liaise with the Luton CDRP in order to determine whether the Plan
can cover the whole County or just the Central and Bedford CDRP
areas
To provide individual costings with regard to the implementation plan
To investigate how far other agencies (included in the Implementation
Guide April 2007) are already or could contribute towards the
development and implementation of the plan
Report back to the CDRP’s by end May 2009 with a view to producing
the first draft of the Sexual Violence Action Plan for Bedfordshire and
be able to show how all partners will contribute towards it.
The Action Plan should show how the SARC and work underway by
Beds Police will fit into the whole structure
The Plan should be ready to present to the CDRP Executive body(s) by
End July 2009
Action/Measure
Other Relevant
partners
Recommen
ded timescale
Establish a local Sexual
Violence Forum or
inter-personal violence
abuse forum (linking
with Domestic
Violence) to oversee
and monitor the local
response to sexual
violence. This should
include the sexual
violence voluntary
sector.
Co-ordinate a local
Sexual Violence Action
Plan setting out local
action planned to tackle
sexual violence
(alternatively develop
an interpersonal
violence and abuse
Action Plan). This
should be developed in
conjunction with the
sexual violence
voluntary sector and
should ideally link to
LAAs.
Arrange multi-agency
training exchanges,
including
commissioning training
from the voluntary
sector, to increase
awareness of agencies
about sexual violence.
Voluntary Sector
Police
Health Services
Local Authority
CPS
Court Service
Prisons
Probation
LCJB
LSCB
End 200708
Voluntary Sector
Police
Health Services
Local Authority
CPS
Court Service
LSCB
Prisons
Probation
September
2007-08
Voluntary sector
Police
Health Services
Local Authority
CPS
Court Service
Prisons
Probation
LSCB
LCJB
September
2007-08
Adults,
Children
and
Young
People,
or all?
All
Where should you go for further help/guidance?
Good practice examples of membership/terms of reference
available on the sexual violence mini-site.
Tackling sexual violence: guidance for local partnerships
(http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sexualoffences/sexual0
1.htm)
All
This implementation toolkit sets out the measures that can
be put in place by each agency to tackle sexual violence and
could be used as a template for a local Action Plan.
Tackling sexual violence: guidance for local partnerships
(http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sexualoffences/sexual0
1.htm)
All
Tackling sexual violence: guidance for local partnerships
(http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sexualoffences/sexual0
1.htm)
Action/Measure
Other Relevant
partners
Recommen
ded timescale
Undertake publicity
activities targeted at
potential perpetrators,
potential victims and
the public.
Police
Health services
Voluntary sector
LSCBs
Ongoing
Adults,
Children
and
Young
People,
or all?
All
Where should you go for further help/guidance?
The Home Office ran a campaign in April-May 2006
targeted at young men, to raise awareness about consent.
The materials and the campaign evaluation can be found
using the following link:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/consent-campaign/
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust worked with Alcohol Concern,
with the support of the Home Office, to create a leaflet to
advise young women on how to stay safe while out
drinking. The leaflets can be found using the following
link:
http://www.suzylamplugh.org/tips/alcoholsafety.pdf
Key messages for
raising awareness
include:

consent

‘myths’ about
sexual violence
(and childhood
sexual abuse if it is
locally agreed to
cover this in the
CDRP led
communication)

staying safe when
drinking

street prostitution
and other forms of
commercial sexual
exploitation
An example of a campaign to address the common ‘myths’
about rape is that created by the Truth about Rape
campaign. You can find their ‘myth-busting’ postcards
using the following link:
http://www.truthaboutrape.co.uk/4682/phase1.html
Stop it Now! UK and Ireland runs a public awareness
campaign regarding child sexual abuse. It runs a helpline
for adults concerned about their own or someone else’s
behaviour and distributes leaflets giving advice about what
signs to look out for and where to go for help:
www.stopitnow.org.uk
Consider how work to
address Alcohol Harm
Reduction addresses
the links between
sexual violence and
alcohol.
Police
Local Authority
Health Services
Ongoing
Adults
and
young
people
The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England was
published in 2004 and can be found here:
http://www.strategy.gov.uk/work_areas/alcohol_misuse/ind
ex.asp
Support Local
Authorities in
considering how they
can help reduce the
opportunity for sexual
violence, and other
crimes, to take place
through local planning,
e.g. street lighting,
CCTV and security
alarms
Wherever prostitution is
an issue, ensure that
specialist support is
available to protect
and safeguard young
people, reduce harm,
and to develop routes
out of prostitution to
all involved
Local Authorities
Ongoing
All
Guidance on designing out crime is included in Safer
Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention,
published in 2004.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1502936
LSCBs
Police
Education
Social services
Voluntary sector
Ongoing
All
The Home Office is developing commissioning guidance
for specialist projects supporting those involved in
prostitution.
Tackling sexual violence: guidance for local partnerships
(http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sexualoffences/sexual0
1.htm)
For more information, please send an email to:
prostitutionreview@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Action/Measure
Other Relevant
partners
Recommen
ded timescale
Where should you go for further help/guidance?
Ongoing
Adults,
Children
and
Young
People,
or all?
Adults
Establish a ‘dodgy
punter’ scheme, to
allow women and men
involved in prostitution
to share information on
violent clients
Police
Voluntary Sector
Provide advice to
women involved in
prostitution on how to
keep themselves safe.
Police
Voluntary sector
Ongoing
Adults
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a registered charity, is currently
working with the Home Office and Crimestoppers to carry
out a pilot initiative aimed at reaching people involved in
prostitution with personal safety advice and information.
Support voluntary
sector in delivering
therapeutic and
support services for
victims of sexual
violence and childhood
sexual abuse, through
the provision of
funding, or support for
funding applications.
LSPs
Police
CPS
Health services
Voluntary sector
Ongoing
All
Support the Police,
Health Services and
voluntary sector in
establishing and
running a Sexual
Assault Referral
Centre (SARC) for
enhanced victim care
and forensic evidence
collection
Police
Health services
Voluntary sector
By end
2007-08
All
Oversight from:
CDRPs
LCJBs
LSPs
The Government’s Prostitution Strategy, published in
January 2006, recommends the development of ‘dodgy
punters’ schemes, which involve a number of partners in
circulating information about violent clients. Many such
schemes are already in existence in local areas. This work
is being facilitated by the charity Crimestoppers.
Information can be found here:
http://www.crimestoppersuk.org/solving/campaignsandinitiatives/dodgypunters/
For more information, please send an email to:
prostitutionreview@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tackling sexual violence: guidance for local partnerships
(http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sexualoffences/sexual0
1.htm)
A SARC is a one-stop location where victims receive
medical care and counselling from expert practitioners, and
have the opportunity to assist the police investigation,
including undergoing a forensic examination. Some
SARCs have specific children’s services – others have
integrated adult and children services.
National Service Guidelines on Developing SARCs,
published jointly by the Home Office and Department of
Health, can be found here:
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-andpublications/publication/operational-policing/developin-sarcsguidelines
A practical guide to developing SARCs can be found here:
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-andpublications/publication/operational-policing/sarcs-getting-started
The Department of Health is looking into developing
commissioning guidance on SARCs for Primary Care
Trusts (PCTs) in 2007-08.
Action/Measure
Other Relevant
partners
Recommen
ded timescale
Where relevant (38
areas with ISVAs),
support the role of an
Independent Sexual
Violence Advisor
(ISVA) to provide
advice, signposting,
practical and emotional
support, and risk
assessments for victims
of sexual violence
Police
CPS
Witness Service
Voluntary sector
Health service
Probation Service
LCJB
Ongoing
Adults,
Children
and
Young
People,
or all?
All
Where should you go for further help/guidance?
Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) work
within a multi-agency setting, to provide a pro-active
service to victims of sexual violence and childhood sexual
abuse through risk assessment and safety planning; enable
victims to access statutory and other services they need;
ensure victims are kept informed and supported as their
cases progresses through the criminal justice system, if
victims wish to pursue their case in this way.
There are 38 ISVAs in operation in England and Wales,
including three specific ISVAs working with young people,
and one working with people involved in prostitution.
These services are being evaluated with a view to wider
roll-out from 2008-09.
Further information about ISVAs and their locations can be
found on the Crime Reduction website:
www.crimereduction.gov.uk