‘Help us to design Sexual Assault Referral Centre’
A SPACE for Guernsey’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre has been revealed and islanders are being asked to help design it.
The Sarc will be situated above Choices sexual health clinic in the North Plantation, behind the Tourist Information Centre. The close proximity to Choices will enable people using the Sarc to also access sexual health services.
‘Because it is a pilot we needed the flexibility that we might only be here for three years, and there are medical rooms here that are already fitted out to a medical standard,’ said Sarc manager Charlie Cox.
‘This location is really accessible, there are bus routes, parking close by and day or night, people are able to access the centre.’
Despite the busy night life of the North Plantation, conversations with the Youth Forum have suggested that a Sarc worker can meet a person away from the busy area and take them to the centre, if required.
Choices rents the building, and Sarc will have the upstairs floor which will include a forensic examination room, and space for police interviews. The space is ready to be transformed to cater to the needs of those who will be using the service.
Ms Cox wants to speak to people who have experienced the journey, to find out what could have been better for them.
‘When they arrived did they want to just sit down and have a cup or tea, or when they left did they want a private place to make phone calls? We just want to know all the little things that we may not think about and they can help us to understand better. We have to be innovative in Guernsey, there is a high demand for such a complex service, so we need to start unpicking it stage by stage.’
Now that the Sarc space has been secured, steps can be taken to start the introductory phases.
‘There are some things we can do quite quickly, such as making this space into a nicer environment,’ said Ms Cox.
‘We can add in crisis workers, who would be the safe person to support people on their journey through the Sarc, so that’s the plan before the end of the year.’
The Sarc will also be renamed.
n Anyone with ideas about the design, name or who wishes to share their journey with Ms Cox can email her at charlie.cox@gov.gg.
