NHS Staffordshire Cluster (Cluster of PCTs, includes NHS Stoke on Trent, NHS North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire PCT) is leading on a procurement exercise on behalf of NHS Staffordshire Cluster, Staffordshire Police, Stoke on Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council to commission a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) Service.
The aim of the SARC is to provide an integrated and seamless pathway in meeting immediate health, crisis support, and forensic needs of victims of rape and sexual assault. The Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) premises are provided at the Cobridge Community Health Centre in Stoke on Trent and sited in the same building as the Integrated Sexual Health Unit. The SARC examination suites are maintained by Staffordshire Police and the new provider will use these purpose built examination suites for the purpose of service delivery. The provider will be required to meet the standards set out in the Department of Health (2009) Revised National Service Guide. A Resource for Developing Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
Provision of forensic sexual offences examination service is not included in this requirement and forms part of a separate tender by Staffordshire Police as part of the Early Adopter Pilot with West Midlands Police.
A pilot for the Sexual Assault Referral Centre service opened in January 2012 and provides a one-stop location where both male and female victims over the age of 16 can receive medical care, emotional support and have the opportunity to assist the police investigation, including having a forensic examination. Existing pilot staff have TUPE rights and interested providers must be able to demonstrate Government Actuary Department compliance.
This service is now being formally commissioned and will include children and young people. The provider will also be expected to facilitate self referrals in line with the SARC Strategic Partnership Board Self Referral policy.
The Provider must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to deliver this service.
The SARC Service Provider is expected to:
1. Provide appropriately qualified and experienced management to oversee the day to day running of the SARC, provide and manage the crisis team and the paediatric rota.
2. Provide access to SARC services 24/7, 7 days a week, 365(6) days a year, including public holidays for all victims of rape and sexual assault.
3. Provide access to forensic medical examiners (commissioned by Staffordshire Police) and other specialist practitioners who are appropriately qualified/trained in sexual offence examinations for both adults and children.
4. Provide paediatricians who will undertake forensic examinations and maintain the paediatric rota.
5. Ensure secure facilities on site for dispensing of emergency drug therapies, and storage of forensic evidence.
6. Provide access to resources within the SARC Centre relating to clinical leadership, crisis team, forensic medical examiners, and paediatric support as required.
7. Provide crisis support workers available 24/7, 365(6) days a year.
8. Ensure victims are offered appropriate support and onward referral as appropriate - ISVA, counselling services, and other relevant services.
9. Engage with local health, social care, and voluntary services, as well as with the public to improve self referrals.
10. Provide highly trained calibre of staff who can deal with adults, vulnerable adults, children and young people.
11. Provide in house cleaning and decontamination arrangements for cleaning of forensic suites. SARC staff/crisis workers will be expected to carry out these duties to National Forensic standards.
Forensic medical examinations will transfer to NHS in the future. The provider is expected to work towards service development of in house forensically trained staff.