Sexual assault referral centres provide high quality support.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Care Research
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Sexual violence and abuse survivors require specialized support services.
• Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) are key providers of this support in England.
• Understanding the health and wellbeing outcomes for SARC attendees is crucial for service improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the health and wellbeing of individuals attending SARCs in England.
• To assess the quality of support provided by SARCs.
• To understand the experiences of survivors accessing SARC services through a mixed-methods approach.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods evaluation, the MESARCH study, was conducted.
• Data collection involved quantitative and qualitative approaches.
• The study focused on survivors of sexual violence and abuse attending SARCs.

Main Results:

• SARCs provide high-quality support to survivors.
• Attending SARCs positively impacts the health and wellbeing of survivors.
• Survivors reported positive experiences with the services offered by SARCs.

Conclusions:

• Sexual Assault Referral Centres are effective in supporting survivors' health and wellbeing.
• The findings support the continued funding and development of SARC services.
• Integrated care models within SARCs are beneficial for survivors.