00:00A support service in County Durham is expanding to children and young people of all ages.
00:05Following additional funding secured by Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen,
00:11the Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre, known as RSACC,
00:16has delivered the region's independent sexual violence advisor service for nine years.
00:22The new contract means that, for the first time in its 35-year history,
00:27the Centre will offer this support to children of every age.
00:31Independent sexual violence advisors provide support to survivors
00:35considering reporting sexual violence to police
00:38or already navigating the criminal justice system.
00:41That process can be lengthy and complex,
00:43and some survivors may not feel ready to speak to officers.
00:48RSACC Chief Executive Isabel Owens says the expanded service
00:52will give more children and young people access to independent advice and support.
00:57She says this is particularly important in County Durham,
01:00which she says has the highest rate of child sexual abuse offences
01:04per 1,000 children of any police force area in the country.
01:08The extra funding has enabled RSACC to recruit two staff members,
01:14helping referrals access immediate support
01:16while extending the service to younger survivors.
01:19Annual funding is set to rise.
01:21The increase comes through Ministry of Justice funding
01:24for domestic abuse and sexual violence services.
