Decision Maker: Director for Police, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, GM Deputy Mayor, Treasurer GMCA
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
The Deputy Mayor for Police, Crime, Criminal
Justice and Fire has a responsibility to provide services for
victims of crime, including victims of rape and sexual
assault.
This budget is allocated to the Greater Manchester Sexual Assault
Referral Centre, based at the St Mary’s Centre at Manchester
Foundation Trust. A 24-hour rota is staffed by forensic medical
examiners to provide an all-age service which provides support for
victims of rape or sexual assault in terms of a forensic
examination and crisis support. The service can be accessed by a
referral from an agency, including but not exclusive to Greater
Manchester Police, or victims can also choose to self-refer. The
service currently supports anybody who lives in Greater Manchester
in addition to providing support for individuals who were assaulted
in Greater Manchester, but do not reside in the area. Approximately
950 forensic medical examinations are undertaken by SARC each
year
It is extremely important that when individuals do report an
assault or sexual abuse against them that the right support is in
place. The SARC funding, allocated to services for victims of rape
and sexual assault, enables this.
Demand
There were just over 11,000 sexual offences reported to GMP in
2021-2022, of which 36% were rape. 55% of these offences were
committed against adults whilst over 5000 sexual offences were
committed against children. This included 1400 offences which were
rape against a child.
Progress towards agreeing a full Service specification for SARC and
Implementing a 3 year contract
Over the course of 2022/23 we have been working with SARC to both
document the service provision with the associated costings, and
also outline the service needs to improve operational delivery to
meet demand. This is with a view to move to an agreed position over
a fixed rate contract until 2026.
In order to progress this work, we have been documenting SARCs
services based on the segregation of the service into the below 4
pillars: Pillars 1 and 2 relate to this decision notice.
1. Forensic medical examinations for adults
2. Forensic medical examinations for children / young persons
3. ISVA provision
4. Therapeutic counselling support
We are fully confident that we can agree a contract position with
St Marys for the SARC service for pillars for the forensic medical
support element (pillars 1, 2) which are drawing very near to
completion, and will be in place for financial year 2023/24
onwards.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority will
invest up to £750,000 with St Mary’s Sexual Assault and
Referral Centre (SARC) for the provision of forensic medical
examinations for victims of rape and sexual assault in Greater
Manchester, and also for the forensic consumables required to
operate the service This is for the period 1st April 2022 –
31st March 2023.
The SARC service is jointly funded by the Greater Manchester Health
and Social Care Partnership on a 50/50 basis and as such, the
amount indicated above is the total SARC budget. The GMCA
contribution is half of this. (£375k).
It is important to note that actual costs for the SARC service for
2022-23 are still being finalised. This decision notice has been
estimated to cover expected costs, however with some shortfall
possible. This will be funded by reserves where necessary.
£670k Doctors Fees
£70k Consumables required to undertake FME
TOTAL £750k
Publication date: 09/03/2023
Date of decision: 08/03/2023