Sexual violence and abuse is a crime which can have a devastating impact on victims and survivors who require support to help them recover from the harm they experienced. The PCC for Nottinghamshire has been working with local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and NHSE England for several years to increase and improve the support available for victims and survivors.

Demand for sexual violence support has risen in recent years with long waiting lists for therapeutic support in Nottingham/Nottinghamshire. In recognition of the additional demand created by Nottinghamshire Police’s Operation Equinox, and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse Nottinghamshire Hearings, the PCC has secured funding from NHS England’s High Volume Fund to provide specialist sexual violence counselling and other psychotherapy for survivors on waiting lists for therapy following specialist sexual violence and abuse support.

The PCC, working with local authority and clinical commissioning group partners, secured funding from NHSE/I's High Volume Fund. This is funding a number of initiatives, including additional speacialist sexual violence and abuse counselling to reduce the waiting lists for support and has therefore run a procurement and awarded to NSVSS.