Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre 'failed to provide dedicated women-only spaces' for 16 months

A report into Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) found it failed to provide women-only spaces for survivors for over a year and a half.

A review conducted by Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS) found that for around 16 months the centre did not provide dedicated women only spaces, as required by the national service standards.

RCS said the centre continued to declare to the service that it was meeting the standards – a move that has been deemed a “significant breach”.

The report also found the centre’s chief executive officer had failed to “set professional standards of behaviour” and that the centre “did not put survivors first”.

Despite the “serious failings” outlined in the report, RCS noted that the centre did “manage to deliver high quality services to a significant number of people.”

ERCC admitted it “got things wrong” and said women-only spaces were reinstated and clarified in February this year.

It also implemented up to date safeguarding training for staff and its data protection policy reviewed.

RCS said in a statement: “The needs of survivors should be listened to and respected when they come to any Rape Crisis Centre.

“It is important that survivors can make informed choices about the services they access at Rape Crisis Centres, and we recognise that for some survivors this includes the choice of a single sex service.

“We are working with our member Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland to consider what more we need to do to ensure survivors can make informed choices about the support they receive from Rape Crisis Centres, to ensure they are able to access the services they need.”

A statement by ERCC said last month said: “We welcomed this independent review as it provided an opportunity to ensure the service we provide is in line with the NSS and to recognise the hard work of our staff who are delivering support to survivors daily.

“We recognise that we got things wrong. We are sorry. We are committed to putting things right and implementing the recommendations in the report.

“In the past year we have delivered specialist support, counselling and advocacy to 1,149 survivors of sexual violence.

“We received 699 referrals and provided approximately 11,608 hours of support and contact to survivors across our services.

“As part of Rape Crisis Scotland’s national prevention project, we delivered in-person workshops in schools across Edinburgh, East and Midlothian and West Lothian.”

It added: “The independent review also identified areas for improvement; including a change of culture and the need to strengthen systems and procedures, to continue delivering excellence in supporting survivors of sexual violence or abuse.

“Communication with Rape Crisis Scotland is happening on a daily basis to ensure that we are implementing the recommendations.

“Work is under way on the wider recommendations and we want to not only meet the needs of the NSS but exceed them.

“We strive to provide a safe accessible and inclusive service and are committed to continuously improving. We want to reassure all survivors who are currently accessing our services and anyone seeking support that we are still here for you, and you matter to us.”