What RCS does
Rape Crisis Scotland is Scotland’s leading organisation working to transform attitudes, improve responses and ultimately to end rape and sexual violence in all its forms.
All of us deserve to live free from the fear and threat of sexual violence. At Rape Crisis Scotland we work to raise awareness of the prevalence and impact of rape, sexual assault and abuse, advocate for better health, justice and community responses, and work to make sure that no matter what happened or when, survivors can access specialist support.
Rape Crisis Scotland is governed by a Board of Directors. Sandy Brindley is our Chief Executive.
Rape Crisis Scotland and our 17 member centres are committed to adhering to the Rape Crisis National Service Standards (RCNSS).
To be a member of Rape Crisis Scotland, Rape Crisis Centres agrees to work to these service standards which are in place across Scotland, England, and Wales. Survivors' needs and choices are at the core of these standards and must be at the core of any Rape Crisis service. These standards require every Centre to provide and protect dedicated spaces and times for women and girls to access services. The standards also require that services are informed by the needs of service users, with each service user being an active partner in the service they receive. Service users must be able to make their own choices about the support they receive and who provides it. Individual support plans should also be in place for service users that are tailored to their specific needs.
These standards ensure that all survivors who contact us receive a consistent, high quality services from any member Rape Crisis Centre.
The Rape Crisis National Service Standards (RCNSS) are a robust set of specialist quality standards – you can
access a summary of RCNSS for partner agencies and funders here.
What we do
We work with a network of 17 independent local Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland who provide trauma-informed support to more than 6000 survivors annually.
We run a national helpline with support and information for anyone affected by sexual violence open daily from 5pm – midnight, 365 days a year.
We run the National Advocacy Project to support anyone thinking of reporting or engaged in the system to navigate the justice process from start to finish.
Our Prevention work takes an evidence-based approach to working with young people in schools and communities across Scotland looking at issues like consent and healthy relationships.
We campaign to change and challenge the attitudes that underpin sexual violence as well as on specific issues like funding for services and access to justice.
Please get in touch with us if you’d like to find out more.
