Safeline attended the launch of the Quality Standards for Services Supporting Male Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence last week on the 31st January 2018. Hosted by the Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Helen Newlove, the launch was held at the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster.
The Quality Standards for Services Supporting Male Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence is the result of a successful collaboration between The Male Survivors Partnership (MSP) and LimeCulture Community Interest Company (CIC).
Organised by LimeCulture CIC, the launch and networking event saw numerous organisations alongside the co-founders of The Male Survivors Partnership attend to celebrate the unprecedented success of both the quality standards document and the project thus far.
The Male Survivors Partnership was founded in 2016 by charities Mankind, Safeline, Survivors Manchester and Survivors UK, four non-for-profit organisations each committed to supporting male survivors and victims of rape and sexual exploitation.
In May of last year, the MSP was awarded a generous £85,000 grant from Lloyds Bank Foundation England and Wales to support the two-year standards document and accreditation project, a huge step in driving the project forward. The grant also enabled the commission of LimeCulture CIC, the UK’s leading sexual violence training and development organisation.
Working closely with The Male Survivors Partnership, LimeCulture CIC headed up the pioneering research, development and production of the Quality Standards for Services Supporting Male Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence together with the development of an accreditation and monitoring process for organisations.
The quality standards document aims to improve the consistency of service for male victims and survivors with the overall objective to set a benchmark of quality standards for service provisions to victims and survivors, particularly recognising gender-based needs.
Over this year and next, funding will support the important accreditation trial programme, enabling ten organisations to pilot the newly developed standards programme with the view to becoming accredited by the end of 2019.
The Male Survivors Partnership aims to become the central point of reference for those seeking support whilst continuing to raise awareness surrounding the issue of male sexual abuse. Every MSP member is registered with the Charity Commission or CIC Regulator whilst also adhering to the MSP Gentleman’s Agreement, a document that commits members to working together to achieve their common goal. A copy of MSPs Gentleman’s Agreement can be found here: http://www.malesurvivor.co.uk/gentlemans-agreement/
Neil Henderson, CEO of Safeline, is extremely proud of the projects progress to date and further development to come, ‘as a provider of specialist support services for male survivors for over 20 years, including operating the national helpline and online service for male survivors of sexual abuse, Safeline is proud to be closely involved with the Male Survivors partnership and the quality standards we have created. They will enable all specialist providers deliver the best possible, quality assured support to male survivors which is what they need and deserve.’
Safeline is a charity committed to supporting male survivors of sexual abuse. We are able to provide telephone and online support, as well as one-to-one counselling or group sessions. You can contact us via telephone, text, e-mail, or by using our Live Chat system: https://safeline.org.uk//contact-us/
To speak to one of our helpline advisors, please call:
National Male Helpline: 0808 800 5005
Young People’s Helpline: 0808 800 5007