Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC)

SARCs (sexual assault referral centres) are specialist medical and forensic services for anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted. They are designed to be comfortable and multi-functional, providing private space for interviews and forensic examinations, and some may also offer sexual health and counselling services. Their services are free of charge and provided to women, men, young people and children.

SARCs provide services to victims/survivors of rape or sexual assault regardless of whether the survivor/victim chooses to reports the offence to the police or not. They have specialist staff that are trained to help you make informed decisions about what you want to do next.

Some SARCs have Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) who provide a range of specialist support to victims/survivors which vary case by case and are dependent on individual needs. Typically ISVAs provide impartial information to victims/survivors regarding their options, from reporting to the police to accessing other relevant services.

You can find the closest SARC to you by searching for your location on the NHS website.

Find Support | Find an ISVA

Latest

'What Works; patient and stakeholder engagement for Sexual Assault Referral Centres’

NHS England worked with service users and key partners to develop the ‘What Works; patient and stakeholder engagement for Sexual Assault Referral Centres’ report.
IICSA Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel – Applications Open

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has sent out a call for applications from survivors of childhood sexual abuse to join the Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel (VSCP)
Trust House Reading ISVA

Area covered: Reading
RSVP

All survivors. Area covered: Birmingham and Solihull

The Bridgeway SARC

Area covered: Cumbria
Find Specialist Support in your Area

The Survivors Trust has 129 member organisations based in the UK & Ireland which provide specialist support for women, men & children who have survived rape, sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse.
Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVA)

Many specialist support agencies offer an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service to victims/survivors of rape and sexual assault. An ISVA is trained to look after your needs, and to ensure that you receive care and understanding.

Find Specialist Support in your Area

The Survivors Trust has 129 member organisations based in the UK & Ireland which provide specialist support for women, men & children who have survived rape, sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse.
Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC)

SARCs (sexual assault referral centres) are specialist medical and forensic services for anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted. They are designed to be comfortable and multi-functional, providing private space for interviews and forensic examinations, and some may also offer sexual health and counselling services.
National Helplines
Petition: Make all sexual abuse offences exceptions under the double jeopardy rules

"Many victims will never be able to obtain justice or closure from the criminal courts as the law currently stands as their charges are not deemed "serious" or "severe" enough to be an exception to the double jeopardy rules."
About Sexual Violence & Abuse

Sexual violence and abuse is any behaviour of a sexual nature which is unwanted and takes place without consent or understanding. This includes rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, childhood sexual abuse, female genital mutilation and more.
Who We Are

The Survivors Trust is the largest umbrella agency for specialist sexual violence support services in Europe. Our 129 agencies provide information, advice, support and therapy to over 80,000 individual survivors each year. Our services work with victims and survivors of all ages, male and female, of all forms of sexual violence, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.
Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVA)

Many specialist support agencies offer an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service to victims/survivors of rape and sexual assault. An ISVA is trained to look after your needs, and to ensure that you receive care and understanding.
My Experience of EMDR & Treating Trauma

Steph talks about how Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy helped her to heal after her experience of rape.
London
The Effects of Sexual Violence

The long-term effects of sexual violence (whether that is childhood sexual abuse, sexual harassment, rape etc.) can include many emotional, psychological and physical conditions. The experience of sexual assault or abuse at any age and whether male or female can have devastating effects on every aspect of a person’s being and life – on their mind, their body, their behaviour, thoughts and feelings.