Following the recent awarding of a contract to run Sexual Assault Referral Centres in the West Midlands to private sector giant G4S, Aurora New Dawn have launched a petition to highlight the danger to victims and survivors of privatising specialist support services.
Chief Executive of Aurora New Dawn, Shonagh Dillon, released the following statement:
“It is essential that sexual assault referral centres and services for those experiencing violence and abuse are recognised for being specialist areas.
We believe that the contracting out of these services to the private sector limits the involvement of the expertise in the area meaning that the complexities of the needs of survivors of violence and abuse will go unmet.
We believe this is about money not support.
Not-for-profit organisations in the violence against women sector aim for results for the survivor before results for the government’s pocket.
Please sign in support of all survivors and the specialist services that work for them.”
SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION HERE.
Follow this story here:
New Statesman, Alan White : ‘Rape cannot be monetised’: Outsourcing and housing for asylum-seekers
Kazuri Homes: ‘G4S – Fit for Purpose or a Public Liability?’
Guardian, Alan Travis: G4S contract to run sexual assault referral centres damned
UPDATE: 2 July 2013
We have received a response from NHS England about our petition, which is now closed. Download and read the full response below and read coverage of this story from our Writer in Residence over at Women’s Views on News.
