Response to The Guardian’s misleading article
The UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics wishes to address a recent article published by The Guardian on 6th August 2023, titled “Two-thirds of sexual assault support centres in England branded inadequate.”
In our official response to the newspaper, we have highlighted several areas of concern and misrepresentation in the article:
- The headline inaccurately suggests that two-thirds of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) have been branded inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It’s essential to clarify that the CQC does not use the same rating system for SARCs as for other health settings.
- While compliance checklists are important, they don’t encapsulate the full breadth of care, compassion, and dedication provided by the SARC teams to survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
- We are deeply concerned that misrepresentations in the article could potentially deter survivors from seeking essential support from SARCs.
- It’s crucial to emphasize that SARCs undergo rigorous inspections by the CQC and are working towards further accreditations in line with the Home Office Forensic Regulator.
- SARCs are managed and delivered by a diverse array of providers, with G4S Health Services and Mountain Healthcare being just two among many.
We have also requested transparency from The Guardian regarding the raw data used to generate the percentages cited in their article.
We encourage our members, colleagues, and the public to read our full response to ensure they have a balanced and accurate understanding of the dedicated work SARCs undertake across England.
For any further information or to access our full response see below