Title: Supporting survivors of sexual violence: a mixed methods, co-research study of the role, funding and commissioning of specialist services provided by the voluntary sector in England.
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: Over half a million people experience sexual violence each year and the number who report this to police or come forward for help is increasing every year. Sexual violence can affect peoples’ health, relationships, confidence, work and family life for many years. Most parts of the country have voluntary sector services to help survivors, offering counselling, therapy, independent advice, peer support and helplines. There has been very little research into what survivors want from and value about these services, how these services link with other important services for survivors, and how they are funded by councils, the police and health services._x000D_ _x000D_ This is the first national study of voluntary sector services for survivors in England. It will take three years and look at how to improve the delivery and funding of these services. This will have benefits for survivors by helping to meet their needs and identify any gaps in provision. It will also help funders to improve how they go about working together to fund these services. The high cost to the NHS of treating the long-term impacts of sexual violence for survivors may also be reduced if more survivors can access support. Survivors are essential to the project and have been consulted in planning the study. Survivors’ experiences feed into all stages of the work through an independent panel run by the Survivors’ Trust. Survivors will work with the research team, helping to plan the study, interview survivors and interpret findings. An Advisory Group of national experts will guide the study._x000D_ _x000D_ There are two stages to the project. Stage 1 is two national surveys to identify what services are provided in England and how they are planned and funded. Focus groups with survivors, providers and funders will test out what should be in the surveys. National policy leads and national organisations supporting survivors will also be interviewed. Stage 2 will study four parts of the country in more detail. The results from stage 1 will be used to pick four locations that offer different types of service. In these four areas there will be interviews with survivors, staff and funders to find out: what services exist; how survivors find their way to different services; what is valued about these services; what gaps there are; and how well funders work together to fund the services. In each area we will interview 18 staff and 6-12 survivors. Survivors will be offered a choice of location for their interview and can have someone they trust with them. We will ask survivors to talk about their experience of using voluntary sector services. They will not be asked directly about their experience of sexual violence. All the interviewers will be very experienced and have worked on sensitive topics before. Support will be available if either the survivors or researchers become upset._x000D_ _x000D_ We will use results from stages 1 and 2 to provide knowledge about how services are planned and provided across the country. The detailed work in four areas will provide in-depth pictures of how and why services may vary across the country. We will make recommendations about how the planning, funding and provision of services can be improved in future. Results will be publicised through good practice guides, regional events, a webinar, plain English summaries, a policy briefing and academic articles

Lay abstract: Background_x000D_ The voluntary sector provides a range of specialist services to survivors of sexual violence. Although national policy increasingly highlights these services as essential in supporting survivors to recover and thrive, there is no high quality evidence to support decisions about what services should be provided to which groups of survivors, and how services should be delivered and commissioned. Sexual violence is increasing year-on-year. Many survivors experience long-term multiple negative effects on their health, wellbeing, employment and social life, with the cost to the public purse estimated at over £8billion a year. This is the first national study on the role of the voluntary sector in supporting survivors. It addresses an existing priority for the NIHR and a significant gap in the evidence. The findings will support local agencies to deliver national policy on providing lifelong support to survivors of sexual violence through the funding of high quality voluntary sector specialist (VSS) services which meet survivors’ needs._x000D_ _x000D_ Aims and objectives_x000D_ To develop a comprehensive national picture of VSS services for survivors in England, giving voice to survivors’ experiences of services, comparing the range, scope and funding of services, and analysing similarities and differences in how they are delivered and commissioned, in order to make recommendations that will strengthen the service response to survivors. _x000D_ The objectives are to analyse: survivors’ VSS service experiences; the range, scope and funding of services; approaches to service provision; principles underpinning services; referral patterns, pathways and service linkages; commissioning arrangements; to develop a taxonomy of VSS services; and make recommendations for policy and practice._x000D_ _x000D_ Methods_x000D_ This is a mixed methods research project using an explanatory sequential naturalistic design. It involves survivors as co-researchers with survivors’ experiences embedded throughout. It draws on theory about the distinctive service contribution of the voluntary sector. Stage 1 consists of two national surveys for providers and commissioners. Results will be used to develop a taxonomy of VSS services. This taxonomy will then be used to select four case study sites for stage 2, which involves in-depth qualitative interviews with survivors (n=24-48) and staff (n=68-76). Data will be synthesised to develop a rich picture of each case study site, allowing key features and contextual factors affecting VSS service provision to be identified. Gaps in service and innovative service features will also be identified. _x000D_ _x000D_ Timeline_x000D_ The research will run for two years ten months, with interim stage 1 results published in year 2._x000D_ _x000D_ Anticipated impact and dissemination_x000D_ The research will generate evidence about what survivors want from and value about services, and new understanding about how VSS services should be commissioned and provided to support survivors to thrive. Commissioners and providers will be able to compare their local services against the national picture in order to configure services optimally. In the longer-term, improvements in survivors’ wellbeing should lead to reductions in service demands and cost. Dissemination includes: stage 1 written report and national workshop; case study site and regional workshops; good practice guides; policy briefing; project report; bite-size findings; webinars; academic articles and conference presentations.

Research activity codes: 8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: INJURIES AND ACCIDENTS