The UK’s national week to raise awareness of sexual abuse and violence and an opportunity for any organisation and individual to engage in dialogue and take action.
We want to highlight our Member Agencies in this week who are the pillars of our work and the collective voice that advocates for change. Our Member Agencies are the frontline services that make victims and survivors feel heard, believed and supported. THANK YOU for your work, often in challenging circumstances.
We also want to use this Awareness Week to highlight what’s not ok – #ItsNotOk, the official hashtag and theme of the week:
It’s not ok that survivors have to wait months or even years for therapy or ISVA support.
We are working hard with our members to change this. Last year, we joined forces with Rape Crisis England and Wales and We Are Survivors to publish an open letter to the Lord Chancellor, calling for urgent, multi-year funding to keep life-saving services open. These services support tens of thousands of survivors every year, many of whom never report to the police or access statutory services. Without specialist support, survivors are left without the care they need to heal and rebuild their lives. The letter received 83 signatures from specialist sexual violence and abuse support services.
We continue to advocate and fight for sustainable funding for our sector and all our member agencies.
It’s not ok when survivors are left without access to emotional and practical support.
We believe every survivor should have access to the support they need. What we can offer readily available to you:
Empowering Groups every week that you can access online via Zoom
Someone to talk to via our Helpline – we’re here for you when you’re ready to talk
an entire website filled with self-help resources and tips for survivors and for loved ones: tstresources.org
It’s not ok that a routine doctor’s visit might make a survivor feel anxious or unsafe because their trauma may be overlooked or misinterpreted.
Exactly what an NHS staff member said: We cannot undo was has been done to them, but we can listen and make a difference to their experience here and now.
With our #CheckWithMeFirst training, we teach healthcare professionals small changes that can have a big positive impact on survivors.
thesurvivorstrust.org/checkwithmefirst
It’s not ok that 500.000 children in the UK are sexually abused every year, that’s one every minute.
The toll this takes on frontline services throughout the lifetime of the victim is unmanageable. Something needs to change.
The consultation about the new Child Protection Authority is underway and we’re working on our submission, together with survivors and our members.
The new CPA needs to effectively prevent child sexual abuse and protect children.
15% of girls and 5% of boys are sexually abused before the age of 16. #ItsNotOK. This should make 100% of adults take action now.
Since 2022, together with #ACTonIICSA, we have been consistent in asking for a Child Protection Authority to begin to reduce these numbers.
Read more and see how you can take action: thesurvivorstrust.org/act-on-iicsa
