A Fife voluntary organisation which offers support to victims of rape and sexual assault has been forced to close its waiting lists due to overwhelming demand.
Directors at the Fife Rape and Sexual Assault Centre (FRASAC), in Kirkcaldy, have confirmed they have taken the “very difficult” decision to close waiting lists due to “concerns for the health and wellbeing” of service users and staff as the number of people seeking help spirals. But at least one victim has waited more than year for help.
Volunteers offer face-to-face support, counselling and outreach to all areas of Fife. Support and information for friends and relatives of survivors, practical help giving people access to other agencies and support for people going through police and court procedures are also given.
Centre manager, Jan Swan, revealed FRASAC can no longer sustain the demands on its core services, with more than 90 people requiring support.
She said: “Over the past three years both waiting lists and times have continued to grow. This is despite our efforts to increase capacity, through reshaping of services and applying for funding to increase staffing levels.
“There are now concerns about the impact for survivors in languishing on waiting lists for months – we have one survivor now waiting for 383 days for support – after experiencing horrific levels of trauma and abuse.
“There is unacceptable stress and pressure placed on our dedicated staff and volunteers who work tirelessly and beyond the call of duty to support survivors.
“Over recent weeks there has been an avalanche of media publicity about the prevalence of sexual violence across all spectrums of society, including within the walls of Westminster and Holyrood. It is likely that this will further increase demands on our centre.”
The Courier has learned that, as of Thursday lunchtime, 65 people were on the centre’s core waiting list, which caters for people over the age of 25, with seven new referrals also being processed.
A further 27 people are on a waiting list for the centre’s young people’s project, which is for people aged between 12 and 25, while another 14 people seeking criminal justice support are on the centre’s advocacy waiting list.
The closure of the waiting lists will take effect immediately, although it will be reviewed in 12 weeks’ time.
“During this period FRASAC will sign post referrals to NHS services, Rape Crisis National Helpline and provide information on other generic support services,” Ms Swan added.
“During these 12 weeks we will be attempting to source further funding and expanding volunteer support to assist us in meeting the high demands.
“If further resources cannot be secured the period for closed waiting lists will have to be extended to allow us to manage the service users already on the waiting list.”
The matter was raised at First Minister’s Questions at the Scottish Parliament by Glenrothes MSP Jenny Gilruth, who is concerned about the current situation and is writing to Fife Council about funding.
“The Fife Rape and Sexual Assualt Centre offers a vital life line to victims of sexual violence across the Kingdom,” she said.
“It is devastating that the organisation have had to close their waiting list due to budgetary pressures.
“As we approach the festive period, incidents of domestic violence – including rape and sexual assault – increase.
“The centre needs financial security to continue its work.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed she plans to see what she can do to tackle the situation.
