The Survivors Trust

Who we are

The Survivors Trust is the UK's largest membership organisation for specialist rape and sexual abuse support services. Our core aim is to ensure that society supports all survivors effectively and takes responsibility for ending sexual violence. ​

We want to see a world where survivors can easily get all the support, advice and information they need to enable them to reclaim their lives.  This means ensuring that specialist rape and sexual abuse services are properly resourced to deliver the services that survivors choose and tell us they prefer.

What we do:

• Raise awareness about rape and sexual abuse and its effect on survivors, their supporters and society at large
• Support and represent our Member Agencies including holding Regional Meetings and Specialist Forums for practitioners
• Run a free, confidential helpline for victims and survivors, their families, supporters and also professionals working with survivors
• Attend national groups and forums, promoting effective responses to rape and sexual abuse
• We provide a voice for victims and survivors of all forms of sexual violence
• Respond to consultations
• Deliver accredited training to member charities, government agencies, police, health professionals, employers and schools to promote sensitive and informed responses to survivors
• Provide National Service Standards for specialist rape and sexual abuse support service

Our culture and values

Our core aim is to ensure that society supports all survivors effectively and takes responsibility for ending sexual violence.

Our belief is that all survivors are entitled to have the support, justice and compensation they are entitled to.

Our values - we support working in ways that:

• Empower survivors
• Demonstrate a commitment  to supporting survivors equally regardless of their gender, background or experience
• Demonstrate understanding of the role of gender in the impact of sexual violence and abuse on women, men and children

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

The Survivors Trust (TST) recognises that many people in our society experience discrimination or lack of opportunity for a variety of reasons. These include: race, religion, nationality and ethnicity, political beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability (including mental illness), health status, marital status, responsibility for/relationship to dependants, appearance, geographical location, social class, income level or criminal record.

The Survivors Trust will challenge discrimination and lack of opportunity in its own policy and practice and will help other organisations and individuals to do the same. The Survivors Trust aims to create a culture that respects and values each others’ differences and similarities. The Survivors Trust sees diversity as an asset to our work improves our ability to meet the needs of the organisations and people we serve.

The Survivors Trust is committed to the fair treatment of its staff, potential staff or users of its services, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, physical/mental disability or offending background.

As an organisation using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, The Survivors Trust complies fully with the Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a DBS check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. All volunteers, employees, committee members and member organisations must declare their support for the objectives of this Equality and diversity policy. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action and/or ineligibility for membership.