Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (Cornwall)
Key Facts
Location
Cornwall (incl Isles of Scilly)
Project Criteria
Contact
Maggie Parks
Email
Project funding
£95,852
Funding round
Since 1996 The Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (Cornwall) has been delivering a range of accessible reliable and effective support services for women and teenage girls in Cornwall who have experienced rape, sexual assault, incest, childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence.
The Aims of WRSAC are:-
- to relieve the distress and isolation of women and teenage girls who have suffered or are suffering the short and long-term effects of sexual violence and domestic violence by offering them free confidential services
- to recruit, train and support marginalised and isolated women in the community through volunteering
- to raise awareness, and to educate individuals, organisations and communities of issues related to sexual violence and domestic violence thereby promoting better provision, prevention and protection
WRSAC now delivers 6 projects in Cornwall, employs 20 staff, has approximately 40 Volunteers and supports over 2000 women a year through its various projects. We have also developed and delivered numerous multi-agency training events.
PARENTING FUND:
Domestic Violence Women's Support Network
The effects of domestic abuse on victims and children are well documented. There is substantial evidence that children suffer long term damage through living within DV households. Many victims/survivors experience and exhibit a wide range of psychological and emotional distress, including anxiety, panic attacks, depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Victims often employ destructive coping strategies, including drug and alcohol misuse, self-harming, eating disorders etc, that impact heavily on their health, parenting skills, family relationships and education/employment opportunities
This project will:-
- train and support approx 45 Volunteer Support Workers to provide long term support to approx 250 victims and their families enabling them to strengthen their family relationships and parenting skills
- offer ongoing specialised one to one support, advice, befriending, practical help and information with regard to destructive coping strategies to approx 200 families
- provide a helpline for self referrals
- take referrals from the Cornwall Domestic Violence Advocacy Service, the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme and the Choices Project as well as referrals from other agencies.
- Run 3 Pattern Changing Groups that address destructive patterns of behaviour and empower non-abusing parents to make appropriate life enhancing changes to their lives and the lives of their families.
Volunteer Support Worker and-or Service Users will be enabled to:-
- take part in the recruitment of staff and volunteers
- training of staff, volunteers and other agencies
- train as volunteers when appropriate
- take part in awareness raising/promotional/fundraising events
- complete evaluation forms, feedback sheets and quality of life assessments
- be members of WRSAC's forums (Survivor's and Volunteer's)
- take part in SEEDs (Countywide Service User Evaluation Project) and other multi-agency forums
- be on WRSAC's Management Committee.