Honouring the lived experience: Rape and Sexual Assault‎ Victims Taskforce option appraisal report

2. Context

2.1 Purpose of the report

The purpose of this report is to enable the CMO Taskforce to approve and endorse the recommendations from the option appraisal stakeholder process. The report provides a detailed description of the work carried out during the option appraisal pre-work, development and decision making process culminating in the recommendations arrived at during the stakeholder engagement event held 27^th June, 2018.

The recommendations from the option appraisal process will support the Taskforce in the delivery of its vision for people who have experienced sexual assault & rape in Scotland.

2.2 Taskforce Vision for Victims of sexual assault & rape

In March 2017, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Scotland, Dr Catherine Calderwood, was asked by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, to chair a new Taskforce to set the vision and provide the national leadership required to support Health Boards to deliver consistent, person centred, trauma informed healthcare and forensic medical services and access to recovery for anyone who has experienced sexual assault and rape in Scotland, as close as possible to the point of need.

The work of the Taskforce contributes to fulfilling the aims of the Scottish Government's Equally Safe^[2] strategy which provides a framework to eradicate violence against women and girls in Scotland.

In October 2017, the CMO published a high level work plan which sets out a clear vision of how the Taskforce and its five sub groups wish to drive forward improvements over the next five years. The design and delivery of services sub group was tasked with making a recommendation to the Taskforce to ensure person centred, trauma informed, sustainable and accessible services across Scotland.

That work has now led to this formal options appraisal of the service model and service configuration. The scope for the option appraisal process was to include services for children, young people and adults. The Taskforce Vision is set out below.

The Task Force vision, as set out in the work plan is to deliver 'consistent, person centred, trauma informed healthcare and forensic medical services and access to recovery, for anyone who has experienced rape or sexual assault in Scotland'.