Published on: 10th August 2022
Lincolnshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) has once again achieved the Lime Culture Quality Mark for Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) Services, highlighting the team’s commitment to ensuring a quality service is delivered to the survivors the service supports.
Spring Lodge is a free NHS service run by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) and part funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).
The centre’s Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service offers practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted, both recently and in the past.
The independent accreditation programme is run by Lime Culture, the UK’s leading sexual violence training and consultancy organisation, and looks for quality and consistency in service provision. It measures twenty standards across four themes - leadership and governance, access and engagement, service delivery and outcomes and evaluation. To achieve the ‘Quality Mark’ the team had to submit evidence of meeting all quality standards.
Heather Ind, Temporary Team Leader and an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser at Spring Lodge said: “We are really proud to have achieved the Quality Mark again, which shows the team is working to the highest standards to ensure people affected by any type of sexual violence in Lincolnshire are receiving the best service possible.
“This is a big achievement and is testament to everyone in the team for their hard work and dedication to helping survivors move forward.”
The centre will retain the Independent Accreditation Programme ‘Quality Mark’ for a further two years, having first received the award in 2020.
Marc Jones, Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “It can’t be underestimated just how vital these services are to people across Lincolnshire under the toughest of circumstances.
“This award recognises only the very highest standards of care and professionalism and is very well deserved by the dedicated Lincolnshire team. Huge congratulations to everyone involved and thank you on behalf of survivors from across our county.”
Anyone struggling with issues surrounding sexual assault or abuse can learn more about Spring Lodge and the support they offer by going to www.lpft.nhs.uk/spring-lodge
