The Tees Sexual Violence (SV) Coordinator has prepared a Tees Sexual Violence Needs Analysis (SVNA) over the past 12 months.
She has developed a Tees SV Business Plan to address the eight recommendations in the SVNA.
The Tees SV Coordinator has acted as the lead officer. She supports the chair of the Tees SV Commissioners Forum and the Tees SV Implementation Group.
She has also carried out a review of Tees Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs).
As a result, there is now a much greater understanding of sexual violence in Teesside, services to support victims, service funding arrangements and the need for services in the future. This relates to the victimisation of adults and young people under-18.
A co-ordinated partnership structure has created the opportunity for representatives from NHS England, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the North and South Tees Clinical Commissioning Groups, the four Teesside Local Authorities and Cleveland Police to work together to address the inconsistencies in Cleveland’s SV service.
NHS England has recently prepared a draft Project Initiation Document (PID) which outlines a vision for an Integrated Sexual Violence Service across Teesside.
This will cover the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), crisis work and sexual assault examinations at the SARC/ Royal Victoria Infirmary(RVI.) In addition, it will coverthe ISVA service and sexual violence counselling services.
The foundations are now in place for an effective approach to address sexual violence in a consistent way across Teesside.
The Partners
During the next financial year, there will be a need to present the proposed approach to the various strategic planning groups i.e:
- The Tees Directors of Public Health,
- The Strategic Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing and Trafficked (VEMT) Group,
- The Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Boards,
- Community Safety Partnerships and
- Adult and Children’s Safeguarding Boards.
It is proposed that the Tees SV Coordinator acts as the Project Manager in delivering the workstreams outlined within the Project Initiation Document. This is with a view to moving towards the commissioning of a Tees Integrated Sexual Assault Service.
This will help to prepare service specifications for the SARC and the ISVA Service. In addition, it will help to prepare an agreed pathway for Sexual Violence Counselling services for adults and Under-18s.
These services could potentially be varied, renegotiated or recommissioned during 2017/18.
The proposal
It is, therefore, proposed that the Tees SV Coordinator post be continued for a further 12 months.
However, the post will be adjusted to operate as the Project Manager for the development of the future Tees Integrated Sexual Violence Service.
During 2015/16 the four Teesside based Directors of Public Health each made a financial contribution of £3,613 towards the cost of the Tees Sexual Violence (SV) Service Coordinator post. This was matched to the sum of £17,750 received through the Northern Rock Foundation.
Decision 42. Sexual Violence (SV) Co-ordinator continued funding (application, 30kB)