sexual assault referral centres

What is a SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre)?

SARCs are specialist 24/7 services for people who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

They aim to be one-stop services, providing the following under one roof: medical care and forensic examination following assault/rape, counselling and – in some locations – sexual health services. Services are free of charge and provided to women, men, young people and children (although not all centres may currently be able to assist children).

SARCs are mostly able to assist in the immediate aftermath of an assault but do not offer long term services that are provided by Rape Crisis Centres. For example the London based SARCs called The Havens can be accessed up to one year post assault only. SARCs are funded and run in partnership, usually between the NHS, police and the voluntary sector with a variety of existing service delivery models.

Most SARCs are able to offer services to anyone including those who do not wish to report the assault to the police (‘self referrals'). Service users can then chose whether they would like to inform the police at a later stage and have their samples stored whilst they are considering what to do next. It is hoped that through this option service users can take back some control over what is happening whilst allowing more time to make such an important decision.

In order to preserve any evidence that may be present it is vital that help from the SARC is accessed as immediately as possible after an assault. In addition, SARCs can advise on and assist with other medical needs. For information and to book an appointment, phone the SARC nearest to you.

The Home Office has committed to having one SARC per police force by 2011. Should you need to access a SARC and there is none in your area you could try to phone the next nearest SARC to see if they can assist or alternatively consider reporting the assault to the police who can then arrange for an examination by a medical specialist.

List of Centres:

AVON & SOMERSET

The Bridge
2nd Floor
Central Health Clinic
Tower Hill
Bristol
BS2 0JD

Telephone Number: 0117 342 6999
Fax: 0117 3426890
Email: turntothebridge@uhbristol.nhs.uk
http://www.turntothebridge.org/index.aspx

BERKSHIRE

Solace Centre Slough
Upton Hospital
Church Street
Slough
SL1 2BJ
Tel: 0845 519 7638
Email: slough@solacesarc.org.uk

http://www.solacesarc.org.uk/index.html

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Solace Centre Bletchley
Sherwood Drive
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
MK3 6TP
Tel: 0845 519 7638
Email: bletchley@solacesarc.org.uk  

http://www.solacesarc.org.uk/index.html

CLEVELAND

Helen Britton House
13 Trinity Mews,
North Ormesby Health Village,
Middlesbrough,
TS3 6AL
Telephone: 01642 516888
http://www.helenbrittonhouse.co.uk/index.htm  
 

CORNWALL

The Willow Centre
Truro
TR1 2JA
Tel: 01872 27 20 59
EMAIL: support@sarccornwall.co.uk
http://www.sarccornwall.co.uk
 

DERBY
Millfield House
PO Box 142
Codnor
Derby DE1 2HF
Tel: 01733 573840/1

http://www.drconline.org.uk/s_millfield_house.php

DEVON
Twelves Company
Metropolitan House
The Millfields
Plymouth
PL1 3JB
Telephone: 01752 220400
Fax: 01752 220430
Email: admin@twelvescompany.co.uk
http://www.sarcplymouth.co.uk/default/index.cfm  

DURHAM
The Meadows
John Street (North)
Meadowfield
Durham DH7 8RS
Tel: 0191 301 8554
www.themeadowsdurham.org.uk

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Hope House SARC
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Great Western Road
Gloucester
GL1 3NN
0900 hrs – 1700 hrs Monday – Friday Tel: 01452 754390
Out of hours, please call 0845 090 1234
http://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/Other/Hope%20House%20SARC/item7956.html  
 

HAMPSHIRE
The Treetops Centre
Northern Road
Cosham
Portsmouth PO6 3EP
Tel: 02392210352

HUMBERSIDE

THE CASA Suite
Hull
01482 305037
http://www.casasuite.org.uk/index.php  

KENT
Renton Clinic
Darent Valley Hospital
Dartford
Kent DA2 8DA
Tel: 01322 428 595

LANCASHIRE
Lancashire SAFE Centre
Royal Preston Hospital
Sharoe Green Lane
Fulwood
Preston PR2 9HT
Tel: 01772 523344
www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk
Email: safe@lthtr.nhs.uk

LEICESTER
Juniper Lodge Sexual Assault Response Centre
Lodge One
Leicestershire General Hospital
Gwendolen Road
Leicester LE5 4PW
Tel and Fax: 0116 273 5461
24 hour helpline: 0116 273 3330
Email: juniperlodge@ukonline.co.uk

LINCOLNSHIRE

Spring Lodge
12 Dean Road
Lincoln
LN2 4DR

tel 01522 524402  Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm

01371 812600 out of office hours and weekends (this is manned by G4S)

Email: info@springlodge.org website address:  www.springlodge.org  

LIVERPOOL

Safe Place Merseyside
The Sexual Assault Referral Centre for the Merseyside Area
SPM
PO Box 1194
LIVERPOOL
L69 2VZ
Tel: 0151 295 3550  24 hours a day, 365 days a year

http://www.safeplacemerseyside.org.uk/contact.htm
 

LONDON
Haven - Camberwell
King's College Hospital
Denmark Hill
London SE5 9RS
Tel: 020 3299 1599 9am -5pm and 020 3299 9000 at all other times. Fax: 020 3299 1598
(Please also see www.thehavens.org.uk for the details of the Havens at Paddington & Whitechapel)

Haven - Paddington
St Marys Hospital
Praed Street
London W2 1NY 

Tel: 020 3312 1101 (office hours mon-fri 9am-5pm) Tel: 020 3312 6666 (all other times) Fax : 020 3312 1850 Email: haven@imperial.nhs.uk

Haven - Whitechapel
The Royal London Hospital
9 Brady Street
London E1 5BD
Tel: 020 7247 4787 at any time
www.thehavens.org.uk

MANCHESTER
St. Mary's Centre
St. Mary's Hospital
Hathersage Road
Manchester M13 0JH
Tel: 0161 276 6515
www.stmaryscentre.org
Email: stmarys.sarc@cmmc.nhs.uk

NEWCASTLE

REACH - Rhona Cross Centre
Newcroft House
Market Street East
Newcastle NE1 6ND

Tel: 0191 221 9222

Website: www.reachcentres.co.uk
Email: info@reachcentre.co.uk

NORFOLK

The Harbour centre
Norwich
01603 276381
Helpline 0845 456 4810
Email: contact@theharbourcentre.co.uk

Web: http://www.theharbourcentre.co.uk/index.html
 

NORTHUMBRIA
Ellis Fraser Suite
Sunderland Hospital
Durham Road
Sunderland
SR3 4AD

Tel: 0191 565 3725

Website:www.reachcentres.co.uk/ Email: info@reachcentre.org.uk

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

The Topaz Centre
PO Box 9262
North Nottingham
NG5 0DW
Helpline 0845 600 15 88
Email support@topazcentre.org.uk
http://www.topazcentre.org.uk/ 
 

SOUTH YORKSHIRE

The ISIS Centre
Rotherham
Tel: 01709 307327
http://www.theisissouthyorkshire.co.uk/index.php

SUFFOLK

The Ferns
Ipswich
Tel: 01473 668974  or  0300 123 5058
Email: contact@theferns-suffolk.org.uk
http://www.theferns-suffolk.org.uk

SURREY

Solace Centre Surrey
Cobham Community Hospital
168 Portsmouth Road
Cobham
KT11 1HS
Tel: 0845 519 6168
Email: cobham@solacesarc.org.uk

http://www.solacesarc.org.uk/index.html

SUSSEX 
The Saturn Centre 
Crawley Hospital 
West Green Drive, Crawley 
West Sussex RH11 7DH 
Tel: 01293 600469 (9am-5pm)
24 hr answer phone
Email: info@saturncentre.org

http://www.saturncentre.org/ 
 

WEST MIDLANDS
The Rowan Centre
2 Ida Road
Walsall
West Midlands WS2 9SR
Tel: 01922 644 329 (8.30 - 5.30 Monday to Friday)
24 hour emergency line: 0800 73 111 62
Fax: 01922 622233
www.crisispoint.org.uk
Email: crisis_point@btconnect.com

WILTSHIRE
The New Swindon Sanctuary
Sexual Assault Referral Centre
The Gables
Shrivenham Road
South Marston
Swindon SN3 4RB
Open overnight 7pm - 7am Mon - Sat
& throughout the weekend, (after 1pm Saturday)
Tel: 01793 709 512
Fax: 01793 709 513
http://www.swindonpct.nhs.uk/our_services/sanctuary.htm

Email: info@swindonsanctuary.co.uk

WALES
Laburnum House
Tredegar Street
Risca
Gwent NP11 6BU
Tel: 01495 233971

New Pathways
Willow House
57- 58 Lower Thomas Street
Merthyr Tydfil CF47 0DA
Tel: 01685 379 310
www.newpathways.co.uk
EMail: enquiries@newpathways.co.uk

Beech Tree Centre
Emily Phipps House
Hendrefoelan Student Village
Killay
Swansea
SA2 8NB

Tel: 01792 206885

Elm Tree House
West Wales General Hospital
Carmarthen
Dyfed
West Wales S431 2AF

Tel: 01267 235 464
Fax: 01267 231349
Website: www.newpathways.co.uk (new window)
Email: dpp.sarc@btconnect.com

Safe Island
Cardiff Royal Infirmary
Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 0SZ

Tel: 02920 335 795
Fax: 02920 335 796

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