PPC office receives £145,000 funding for recovering sexual assault victims in Bedfordshire

Victims of sexual offences and rape will be provided talking therapies for the next two years thanks to NHS funding.
PCC Kathryn HollowayPCC Kathryn Holloway
PCC Kathryn Holloway

The move came after Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Kathryn Holloway was awarded £145,000 funding by NHS England for victims in the aftermath of a sexual offence.

Bedfordshire’s will offer 12 sessions for victims to help improve their emotional health, and promote ‘stabilisation’, safety and recovery for adults and children.

PCC Holloway, said: “I am absolutely delighted that my team has accessed funds for some of the most vulnerable victims of crime in our county.

“Getting access to talking therapy with a qualified, trained counsellor at precisely the time when the victim themselves considers it most useful to them can only be of enormous benefit and positively influence the quality of life that victim goes on to experience in the short, medium and longer term future.”

The PCC will handle victims referred to their delivery services, The Hope Programme for adults, and EMBRACE Child Victims of Crime who are supporting children and young people.

Bethan West, director of victim services at PCC, said: “This funding award is an excellent piece of collaborative work between the Bedfordshire PCC and NHS England.

“The two organisations delivering the services are experts in their field and we are confident they will provide the very best support for those that need it across Bedfordshire.”

The programme will start running from August 2018 and will receive referrals directly from the Sexual Assault Referral Clinic (SARC) which can be contacted on 01234 897 504.