Serenity Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)

This tablet is given to try and prevent pregnancy. The 'morning after pill' is given within 72 hours after the assault, but another medication can be given up to 5 days afterwards. You may feel sick after this tablet. If you are sick within 2 hours of taking the tablet, please phone us and we will give you another tablet.

This immunisation is given to prevent infection from Hepatitis B passed through sexual contact. You may be given the first of a course of injections. We will either write to your GP for them to arrange the further injections, refer you to a sexual health clinic or give you a letter to take to a sexual health clinic at Kettering or Northampton General Hospital -depending on your preference. 

This medication is given to help prevent infection of HIV. You may have been given a 7 day starter pack of this medication and with your consent, you will be referred to the Sexual Health Clinic (GUM), who will arrange an appointment with you to continue your care.

We do not routinely test for sexually transmitted infections during your exam as usually it's too soon to test effectively. We recommend you attend a sexual health clinic 2 weeks after the assault for screening. We will refer you to the clinic or, if you prefer, give you their contact details to make the arrangement yourself.

We may have given you antibiotics to try and prevent infection such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhoea.

If you came with a police officer, the forensic samples will be taken by the officer as part of the police investigation. They may be submitted for analysis.

If you have attended without the Police, your samples will be stored securely at Serenity for a period of 2 years, or until you consent for your samples to be handed to the Police.

We will ask if you want to provide information anonymously to the police for intelligence purposes. This can help to see for example, if there is a pattern of offences happening in a certain area or by a repeat offender. This is your choice, if you do we will pass information on for you without disclosing your identifying details.

If you would like to discuss your options or discuss involving the police, you can speak to our Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) who can give you information and answer any questions you may have.

The centre based at Highfield Clinical Care Centre, Northampton is one of two hubs in East Midlands with the other being based at Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham. The centres are accessibly 24/7, 365 days a year and can be contacted on 0800 183 0023. 

The helpline is for referrals to be made from professionals or for those who have been a victim of sexual assault and need directing to the service. 

The Children and Young People East Midlands Sexual Assault Service (EMCYPSAS) service provide a 24-hour, confidential helpline for the East Midlands. The service operates via a single point of access number: 0800 183 0023 and is a channel to get the right help for children and young people at the right time.

EMCYPSAS provides medical care and holistic assessment following sexual abuse for children and young people up until they are 18 years old, up to 24 years of age if a young adult has a learning disability. This service is in two hubs in the East Midlands, based in Nottingham and Northampton. Follow-up care will then be offered close to home.

Both hubs are fully adapted for people with disabilities but please let our helpline staff know if the person you are referring has any additional needs or if they require an interpreter.

For more information and for details on the pathway for a Child or Young Person referred to EMCYPSAS please read the East Midlands Children and Young People's Sexual Assault Service professionals leaflet by clicking here. 

We provide face to face, telephone, text and email support to children from 8 -18 years, families and carers. The service is primarily aimed at those referrals where a criminal investigation is taking place. We will see and assess other children and young people and signpost or refer them on to other agencies that can best meet their needs. An Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) will:

• Contact you to offer ongoing support.
• Discuss and assess your needs.
• Offer face to face emotional and practical support and maintain contact with you by phone, email or text.
• Refer or signpost you to other services that can help you.
• Offer continued support throughout any criminal proceedings.
• Assist you with Criminal Injuries Compensation (CICA) claims.

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An Independent Sexual Violence Advisor ( ISVA) will:

• Contact you to offer ongoing support.
• Discuss and assess your needs.
• Offer face to face emotional and practical support and maintain contact with you by phone, email or text.
• Refer or signpost you to other services that can help you.
• Offer continued support throughout any criminal proceedings.
• Assist you with Criminal Injuries Compensation (CICA) claims.

We can offer emotional support if the incident has happened within the last 6 months or is undergoing a current police investigation.

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If you have been raped or sexually assaulted we will offer you (and your family) practical help and emotional support. Including what you want to do next and support you in your choices. We can provide you with information and support for as long as you require it and/or refer and signpost you to other organisations that can help you.

Contacting & helping you

We will contact and help you in the way you prefer. This can include by telephone, email, virtual, text or face to face meetings. This will be either, here at Serenity or at a location nearer to you.

Forensic medical examination

The purpose of the examination is to both look after your health care needs following an assault. If you want it, it can be used to collect forensic samples that could assist in a police investigation. These samples can be passed to the Police or, if you are not reporting, stored by us in case you wish to report the assault in the future. All examinations are carried out by a doctor trained and experienced in this field.

Emergency contraception

Our Doctors can provide the emergency contraceptive (morning after) pill within 72 hours of the assault and alternative medication for up to 5 days after. They will also talk about all other choices available to you.

Pregnancy testing

If you think you may be pregnant as a result of an assault then we can offer pregnancy testing.

Advice and screening for sexually transmitted infections

The risk of getting some infections can be reduced if medication is given as soon as possible. The Doctor will evaluate the risk based on what has happened to you and discuss it with you; if necessary the doctor will start a course of treatment, referring you to a specialist clinic for follow up.

Police involvement

If you report the assault to the Police we will support you and work with the police to keep you informed; however, we won't pass on any information to them without your consent, or unless you request it.

Self-referring clients

If you self refer and don't want police involved, you will be supported in this and given exactly the same services. We will offer the opportunity whereby you can provide information to the police anonymously, which might help them identify a pattern of offences, but this is entirely your decision.

Support for partners, family and friends

This can be a difficult time for partners and family and Serenity offers help and support for them too.

We see anyone in Northamptonshire who has been raped or sexually assaulted. Men, women, young people, and children of all ages. We also see anyone under the age of 18 from Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.

We treat you as an individual because everyone's experience is different. We're here for you whether you're straight, lesbian, gay or bi, or if you identify as trans (LGBTQIA+). What's important to us is you and your wellbeing, not your ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or what you do.

If your experience is more historic (and you haven't reported it in the last 6 months), you can still ring and get information about how you can get help.

No, you can self refer to the service. If you are under the referral age you can still ring and get help to talk to someone. All you need to do is contacts us:

Call us: 01604 601713

Email us: serenity@nhft.nhs.uk

If you have reported to the police, you cannot self-refer.

You do NOT have to make a report to the police to access our service and the decision will be yours, but we can help you speak to a specially trained officer if you want to.

We can also help you give information anonymously that we can then pass on to the police for you. This will allow officers to gather vital intelligence that may help prevent future attacks, but they won't know who you are.

You can keep your identity private if you want to - just give us a name you want us to use; we can use this even if we refer you on to specialist sexual health clinics or to other support services.

We are completely confidential and we won't pass on any information without your knowledge and consent. (Exceptionally, we will talk to you about making a disclosure where there is a child protection or public safety issue).

Our doctors can give you the morning after pill; if it is too late for that they can give you something else that works up to 5 days after; they can risk assess you for sexual infection, start you on immediate medication and directly refer you to a specialist sexual health clinic.

Victims of rape and other sexual assaults commonly feel a range of emotions and effects; you might be experiencing:

• Fear & distress
• Anger or frustration
• Guilty or self blame
• Helplessness
• Anxiety
• Sleeplessness
• Lack of concentration
• Afraid to go out
• Unable to make decisions
• Reluctant to talk to people or socialise
• Problems with family, friends or work

Whatever you are feeling talk to us, we are here to listen and to support you.

Rape or sexual assault happens to both men and women; we offer a service to anyone in Northamptonshire, tailored to your specific needs.

We will talk to you about the help and advice you need.  We have organisations available that we can get in touch with which can help you.

It's important that we offer you a confidential service, so as far as possible we will provide you with the privacy you need.