We are very proud to be working with West Yorkshire Police Commissioner’s Office on an important project to design and produce artwork for the new Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Wakefield.

Work on the new purpose built Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) facility for West Yorkshire started in late 2018 and will now house a number of specialist services.

The project timeframe has been impacted by the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, which has slowed the progress on site, but has been successfully completed to ensure that the facility is now fully accessible for service users.

The SARC now houses both Children and Adult Services under the same roof in the heart of West Yorkshire.

The new facility, which has been commissioned by PCC and NHS England and NHS Improvement also incorporates court live-link facilities, interviewing suites for video recorded interviews (VVS/VRI), waiting rooms, a hub for specialist support services, and referral to Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA).

The aim of the facility is about ensuring victims and survivors have access to specialist medical and forensic services and advice. SARCs provide access to a range of medical, practical and emotional support by specially trained doctors, nurses and support workers. The staff will help the victims and survivors make informed decisions about what they want to do next, whether this is reporting the incident to the police or receiving care and support.

Partners including the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Yorkshire, West Yorkshire Police, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Courts Service HMCTS and victims support services, have all been involved in its development.

verd de gris arts are producing artwork for the SARC to create a sensitive and sympathetic environment – large-scale artwork for the walls and positive affirmations drawn from women with past lived experience of attending a SARC.

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