Investment theme: Moving on from abuse
Purpose:
To support the cost of increasing their support to survivors of sexual assault and abuse by 8.45 hrs a week for the next 3 months.
Year of grant: 30/4/2020
FR Number: FR-0052953
Amount awarded: £2198
Location: EDINBURGH
Full description
We are asking the Women?s Fund for Scotland to help us more effectively meet the increasing need for our specialist, trauma-informed support service for women, non-binary people, and members of the trans community across Edinburgh, East and Midlothian who are affected by rape, sexual assault and/or childhood sexual abuse and exploitation, during the COVID-19 crisis. In particular we are asking the Women?s Fund for Scotland to fund an additional 17.5 support hours each week over the next three months to help us better respond to the immediate risks to women?s safety, health and well-being, due to the impacts of social distancing and lockdown measures to combat COVID-19.
Sexual violence is traumatising and life-changing. Its impacts can often be complex and, without effective support, lifelong; negatively affecting the longer-term health, well-being, relationship, safety, education and employment outcomes of survivors. Many survivors experience post-traumatic stress symptoms (such as panic attacks, flashbacks, night terrors, sleep disorders, fearfulness, anxiety, dissociation), and mental health problems including depression, agoraphobia and eating disorders. As a result many experience disruption to their education and/or employment, family life and friendships, loss of confidence and self-worth, and may resort to substance misuse, self-harm and suicidal thoughts/attempts to cope with what they have experienced. Many feel acutely ashamed of what has happened to them, and, as witnessed by the recent #metoo movement, may sometimes for years feel unable to disclose and seek help. The trauma they have experienced remains unaddressed and can impact across their lives and life chances. In the current COVID-19 crisis, social distancing, isolation and lockdown measures are further impacting the mental health and well-being of survivors of sexual violence and in particular compounding existing trauma symptoms and psychological distress.
In addition, evidence from global research into the impacts of the pandemic on women and girls? safety during lockdown measures demonstrates a significant increase in domestic and sexual abuse. The UK?s National Domestic Abuse helpline has already seen a 25% increase in calls and online requests for help since the lockdown. Sexual violence, along with physical assaults and psychological abuse, is a common occurence in domestic abuse. Pre-Covid 19 research in Scotland indicates that 1 in 4 women will experience some form of domestic abuse in their lifetime. Many of these women will be forced to undergo sexual acts which they find distressing and humiliating, and which they have not consented to. These may include: rape, sexual assault, being forced to watch, mimic or participate in the making of pornography, forced sexual touching, sexualised name calling and/or being sexually exploited for commercial/financial gain.
A further impact of the COVID-19 crisis on survivors is increased risk of poverty following reduction to or loss of income. This is further compounding the impacts of sexual trauma and negatively impacting on survivors? recoveries. Pre-Covid 19 a minimum of 30% of survivors accessing our support were already affected by social inequality- for example, being on low incomes, in receipt of welfare benefits and/or at risk of poverty. These overlapping disadvantages compound the pressures on an already vulnerable group, increasing trauma symptoms. Edinburgh and Midlothian have some of the most deprived communities in Scotland (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2016). Evidence emerging from studies of COVID-19 also indicates that BME communities are being disproportionately affected by COVID 19.
To support women survivors to increase safety, health and well-being during this very challenging context, our project will deliver a holistic and ?tried and tested? range of support, designed and developed in consultation with survivors over the past 40 years, including:
1) Information and help to understand trauma and its impacts, such as ERCC?s bespoke trauma-informed information resource, the Little Green Book https://www.ercc.scot/information/little-green-book/ . This includes information about safety, sexual violence and trauma, and practical suggestions for ways of coping;
2) Immediate practical and emotional support where a survivor has been raped or assaulted in the past 7 days, including safety planning to help a survivor access safe accommodation, if they are unsafe in their household;
3) 1-1 emotional support/counselling- a safe space in which survivors can begin, at their own pace, to come to terms with what has happened, and build strategies for positive coping, confidence and resilience;
4) Advocacy support- to help survivors report to the police where they choose to and to support survivors through the justice process.
Over the next three months this trauma-informed, early intervention support will provide a minimum of 30 survivors of sexual violence with a safe space in which they can begin to recover from the harm they have experienced, reducing isolation and mental distress, and importantly thereby reducing the risks of the onset of longer-term mental health problems and associated health inequalities. In particular, our project will prioritise survivors whom we have assessed as being at higher risk of abuse due to safety risks in their households; and higher risk of psychological distress due to elevated PTSD symptoms and mental health problems which impact significantly on capacity to cope in daily life. Overall, our project will deliver a minimum of 120 episodes of support over the next three months, including 1-1 phone/video appointments, and support by text and email.
Consistently a minimum of 80% of survivors supported by our service report the following differences to their lives through our support:
? Survivors of sexual violence are safer and have greater control of their lives and choices
? Survivors are more informed about the impacts of sexual violence and trauma, and more able to self-manage these.
? Survivors of sexual violence have increased well-being and resilience
? Survivors of sexual violence are empowered to engage with the justice process, where they elect to do so.
