General

LimeCulture invites Expressions of Interest for ‘Embedding a whole school approach to sexual misconduct: Prevention & response model’ for Schools & Colleges

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Over the last 12 month, LimeCulture has been working with a range of schools and colleges across the country to help design and deliver a whole school approach to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, including child-on-child abuse.

LimeCulture’s ‘Preventing Sexual Misconduct Education’ (PSME) programmes have been developed to provide teachers – and those delivering Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) – with the confidence and competence to engage with young people in Key Stage 3, 4 & 5 (ages 11-18) about consent, healthy relationships, sexual misconduct, body confidence, equality, and the legal framework as part of the RSE curriculum. These prevention programmes have been developed to allow flexibility in delivery through bite size sessions, with step-by-step guides, resources, and tools to support those delivering.

LimeCulture’s Sexual Misconduct Liaison Officer (SMLO) Model has been developed for schools and colleges to support the response to sexual misconduct for both the reporting and reported student/pupil. The SMLO Model was successfully piloted with The Perse, an independent school, where LimeCulture worked closely with the leadership team, teaching staff and students to develop and embed the SMLO Model into the school. The SMLO Model has subsequently been implemented in a range of independent and state schools, with specialist accredited training delivered to a cadre of staff to enable them to appropriately support students/pupils who either report sexual misconduct or are reported against.

Maria Putz, Head of Safeguarding in Education said:

“Moving forward, and in light of recent updates to KCSIE 2022, LimeCulture will be combining these initiatives to provide a comprehensive prevention and response model for schools and colleges, which includes support to individual schools and colleges about strategic and operational implementation”.

‘Embedding a Whole School Approach to Sexual Misconduct – Prevention and Response Model for Schools and Colleges’ was launched today (Thursday 13 October 2022) at the Safeguarding Event held by Farrer & Co in London.   Maria said:

“We’re delighted to invite further schools and colleges to embed the prevention and response model within their schools.  We’ll be limiting the number of schools and colleges we work with to enable us to provide tailored support and training. Wave 1 will include support and training taking place in the Spring Term (January -Easter 2023) and interested schools and colleges are invited to express an interest by 23 November 2022”.

More information about ‘Embedding a Whole School Approach to Sexual Misconduct – Prevention and Response Model for Schools and Colleges’ can be found on our website or by downloading our information guide, which includes fees.

To manage the demand from interested schools and colleges, LimeCulture will be taking a ‘wave-approach’ to supporting schools and colleges. Working with schools and colleges in ‘waves’ will mean limiting the number of schools we work with initially but allows for better planning and tailored support to schools with different needs.

Waves will be scheduled to coincide with school terms. Schools and colleges are welcome to indicate which term is most suitable to them. We will do our best to meet preferences, however, places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

LimeCulture is now inviting interested schools and colleges to submit an Expression of Interest by Friday 23 November 2022 to join Wave 1 which will take place between January 2023 – Easter (Spring Term).

Further information

If you would like further information or would like to discuss this further with us, please contact us by emailing schoolsandcolleges@limeculture.co.uk

 

 

 

Wave 10 of the Male Quality Standards Accreditation is open for application

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LimeCulture is delighted to announce the Independent Accreditation Programme is now accepting applications for the 10th wave of services seeking accreditation against the Male Survivors Partnership’s Quality Standards for Services Supporting Male Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence

 

 

 

 

 

 

The application window will close on Thursday 10th November. 

The Quality Standards for Services Supporting Male Victims and Survivors of Sexual Violence were developed in collaboration with commissioners, service providers and male victims/survivors who shared their personal experiences of accessing support and told us what they want and need from services.

Since it was launched in April 2018, the Independent Accreditation Programme has been opened to 9 waves of services supporting male victims/survivors of sexual violence from across England and Wales. To date, 45 services have successfully achieved the Quality Mark, and 6 more services are working towards it.

Services enrolled in the Independent Accreditation Programme benefit from:

  • A workshop explaining the independent accreditation process and the opportunity to network with other services on the programme.
  • Tailored feedback, guidance and support from a dedicated Accreditation Manager
  • The opportunity to improve the quality of service provision through effective performance monitoring and benchmarking against the Quality Standards
  • Through achieving the Quality Mark, being able to demonstrate to clients and commissioners that their service delivers high-quality support that meets the needs of male victims/survivors.

Sam Whyte, Director of Sexual Violence Services at LimeCulture, said:

“We’re continually inspired by the dedication and commitment of the organisations working towards the Quality Standards to provide the best possible support to their male clients and are excited to work with a whole new cohort of services as we today open applications to LimeCulture’s Independent Accreditation Programme.

Achieving the Quality Mark gives services confidence that they are doing everything they can to encourage male victims and survivors of sexual violence to seek support, and in turn, gives male clients confidence that their needs will be met through services designed for them.”

To apply

You can find more information about the Accreditation programme, costs, and our Terms and Conditions here

To join the programme, e-mail us at accreditation@limeculture.co.uk. Places on the programme will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note, services enrolling will need to be available for an online, half-day Accreditation Workshop on Thursday 1st December 2022.

Embedding a Whole School Approach to Sexual Misconduct – LimeCulture launches Prevention and Response Model for Schools and Colleges

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Today the Government published the updated Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2022). It states ‘schools and colleges play a crucial role in preventative education and is most effective in a whole school/college approach that prepares pupils/students for life in modern Britain and creates a culture of zero tolerance for sexism, misogyny/ misandry, homophobia, biphobia and sexual violence and harassment.

Over the last 12 months, LimeCulture has been working with a range of schools and colleges across the country to help design and deliver a whole school approach to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, including child on child abuse.

Our ‘Preventing Sexual Misconduct Education’ (PSME) programmes have been developed to provide teachers and those delivering Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) with the confidence and competence to engage with young people in Key Stages 3, 4 & 5 (ages 11-18) in relation to consent, healthy relationships, sexual misconduct, body confidence, equality, and the legal framework as part of the RSE curriculum. These prevention programmes have been developed to allow flexibility in delivery through bite size sessions, with step-by-step guides, resources, and tools to support those delivering.

Feedback from our Train the Teacher session and the resources provided

 The trainers did an amazing job with the material, engaged well with all the learners on the course and have helped developed some key knowledge surrounding the area. I personally feel a lot more confident about delivering the material to students in our college and feel more informed with regards to the wider landscape of sexual misconduct.

LimeCulture’s Sexual Misconduct Liaison Officer (SMLO) Model has been developed for schools and colleges to support the response to sexual misconduct for both the reporting and reported pupil/student. The SMLO Model was successfully piloted with The Perse School, an independent school, where LimeCulture staff worked closely with the leadership team, teaching staff and students to develop and embed the SMLO Model within the school. The SMLO Model has subsequently been implemented in a range of independent and state schools, with specialist accredited training delivered to a cadre of staff across the schools to enable them to appropriately support students who either report sexual misconduct or are reported against.

The SMLO Model places sexual misconduct within the strategic safeguarding response of schools, in line with statutory duties, providing the infrastructure to embed the SMLO Model into existing safeguarding structures.

Staff in schools who have received the SMLO training have said:

I thought the trainers were excellent and really enjoyed the group on a really tough subject matter.  I feel empowered, not only with new knowledge and skills, but also around aspects of my safeguarding role, thanks to their advice and coaching.  Thank you.

 Tackling sexual misconduct can be complex and challenging but recent feedback, shows how important it is to get it rightL

I have really enjoyed working with you and speaking through the intricacies and difficulties of tackling sexual violence and misconduct in a school setting. I know that all the participants found it brilliantly useful, and I was so glad to see it all come together after so long. We are meeting this week to discuss how to roll out the SMLO model in our school and I know it will form the key foundation for our response to all these issues.

Moving forward, and in light of recent updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2022) LimeCulture will be combining these initiatives to provide a comprehensive Model for schools that incorporates both the prevention and response elements to allow schools and colleges to embed a Whole School Approach to Sexual Misconduct.

 

 

LimeCulture will be launching our Embedding a Whole School Approach to Sexual Misconduct: Prevention and Response Model for Schools and Colleges’  in the autumn 2022. For further information email schoolsandcolleges@limeculture.co.uk

 

LimeCulture is Recruiting! We’re looking for a Director of Operations to join us!!

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We are looking for a dynamic, talented and experienced senior professional to join LimeCulture’s Senior Management Team as our Director of Operations.

The Director of Operations is a strategic role responsible for overseeing and managing LimeCulture’s 3-year Strategy, and ensuring our organisational infrastructure (communications, HR, and financial environment) is fit for purpose to enable sustained high performance and business growth.

This role is full-time (40 hours per week – Monday to Friday). The salary is competitive and negotiable.

To view the job description and person specification please click here click here

If you would like to apply for this role, please send a covering letter and your cv to info@limeculture.co.uk by 11.59 Sunday 18 September 2022.

If you would like an informal chat with us about the role, please contact our CEO,  Stephanie Reardon@limeculture.co.uk who will arrange a suitable time to speak to you!

Join the LimeCulture Team! We’re recruiting an Administrator.

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We are delighted to be recruiting for an exceptional individual to join LimeCulture.

We are looking for an Administrator to support the delivery of training and consultancy services for LimeCulture’s Safeguarding Team.

Could it be you?

This role is 30 hours per week (Monday to Friday) and the salary is £22,000 pro rata. To view the job description and person specification please click here

If you would like to apply for this role, please send a covering letter and your cv to info@limeculture.co.uk by 12 noon Monday 1 August 2022. Interviews will be carried out in the week commencing 8 August 2022.

If you would like an informal chat with us about the role, please contact us Saira.Bashir@limeculture.co.uk who will arrange for a suitable time to speak to you!

LimeCulture launches a new wave of the Independent Accreditation Programme for the Quality Standards for ISVA Services.

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LimeCulture is today opening a new application window for ISVA service providers to join the Independent Accreditation Programme for the Quality Standards for ISVA Services.

Through this three-year programme, ISVA services will need to demonstrate how they meet the expectations set out in the Quality Standards for ISVA Services to achieve the Quality Mark.

Lisa Freeman, Head of Advocacy and Support at SV2 said: “The accreditation was really important to us to provide an initial benchmark for our ISVA services. Through the process and then reaccreditation, we have been able to look at each Quality Standard to improve and develop our service to the standard our clients deserve. The journey has provided reassurance for our staff, clients, partner agencies and funders, and is something we are very proud of. The support from LimeCulture makes the whole process clear with guidance whenever we needed it.”

Lee Evans, Area Manager at Victim Support Cumbria said: “Victim Support Cumbria is extremely proud to have achieved the LimeCulture Quality Standards for ISVA Services accreditation, and it is testament to the hard work and dedication of our ISVAs and team leaders. Working through the accreditation provides a platform for both ISVAs and managers to review and reflect on all aspects of the service and make necessary changes and improvements. Crucially it independently demonstrates to both survivors and commissioners that the service is safe and working to best practice standards.”

Sam Whyte, LimeCulture’s Sexual Violence Director, said: “We continue to be inspired by the dedication, commitment and expertise of the ISVA services we work with, and I’m delighted to open the Independent Accreditation Programme to a further new cohort of ISVA services today.

The new ISVA services will join the 49 services that currently hold the Quality Mark and the 8 services who are working towards it. LimeCulture believes the Quality Standards play a critical role in driving the consistency of ISVA services across the country and, with so many ISVA services choosing to be part of the independent accreditation programme, more and more victims and survivors of sexual violence can access independent, well-managed ISVA services that will meet their needs, no matter their background or where they live, and whether or not they have chosen to engage with the criminal justice process.”

To apply

Contact our Accreditation Managers at accreditation@limeculture.co.uk to apply to join the Independent Accreditation Programme, or to request a bespoke quotation for your service/s.

Places on the programme are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The application window closes on Tuesday 23 August 2022.

Services enrolling into the Programme will need to attend the virtual Accreditation Workshop on Thursday 15 September 2022.

You can find more information about the programme, costs, and our Terms and Conditions here.

LimeCulture Programme Manages New Safeguarding Case Management Programme launched by Sport England and Sport Resolutions

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LimeCulture is delighted that the Safeguarding Case Management Programme (SCMP), a partnership programme with Sport England and Sport Resolutions, has been formally launched. The SCMP will provide all participating National Governing Bodies (NGBs) with expert support to assist the management of safeguarding in sport.

The support and services are free of charge to participating NGBs who will have unlimited access to case management, safeguarding and legal support including initial advice, investigations and the organisation of discipline hearings and appeals.

 

Background to the Development of the SCMP

Following a number of high-profile cases of abuse in sport, many of which received large scale media coverage, LimeCulture met with the Director of Children and Young People at Sport England in August 2018 to discuss new approaches to managing cases of abuse in sport. Sport England – whose aim is to increase participation in sports and physical activity  – recognised that a process was required to better manage cases of abuse in sport.

LimeCulture was subsequently asked by Sport England to develop and test a new Case Management Process, supported by a bespoke Case Management System for safeguarding cases in sport. Sport Resolutions was tasked with delivering the Process utilising the services of their National Safeguarding Panel. A year-long pilot was then carried out with nine NGBs participating.

On review, the pilot was considered to have made sport safer by allowing for a “consistent, robust and standardised response to case management” including timely professional advice and support by experienced professionals. Contributing to the review, participating staff and Lead Safeguarding Officers reported that their “confidence and knowledge had increased” resulting in feeling “better equipped” in the management of their cases.

Following the pilot and review, Sport England agreed to roll out the Programme to allow further sports top join.

Charlotte Bond, SCMP Programme Manager at LimeCulture said

“It’s been a huge privilege to develop the case management process and then test it along side Sport Resolutions and the nine NGBs who were involved in the pilot. Together, we have worked hard to make sure the process, and systems that support the process, work effectively for a range of sports in the management of safeguarding cases.  We are delighted that the pilot has been extended and many more NGB’s have the opportunity to join the programme and access support and advice in relation to their safeguarding cases.

 

Progress to date

There are now 39 NGBs signed up to the Programme – 18 are already live and 29 are due to receive their induction training in September.

NGBs are able to access the Programme for all cases, both adults in vulnerable situations and children, with the option to request the variety of support available as and when they feel it’s required.

As part of this work, a common data set has been developed and implemented across the participating sports. This will allow us to identify the prevalence, key themes and emerging trends on abuse in sport, which will help us to better support the preventative response to safeguarding.

LimeCulture are responsible for the overall Programme Management of the SCMP and our role is to be available to provide support and advice. We offer day to day support with the programme including advice and guidance on Case Management processes and principles.

Charlotte Bond, said

“We’ll be holding Quarterly Development Meetings with all the participating NGBs to collectively look at best practice, emerging themes and continuous development. At LimeCulture we’re are really excited to be part of this important and innovative initiative, and are committed to supporting the ongoing professional response to case management in sport”.

 

For more information about the Safeguarding Case Management Programme please contact Charlotte Bond, Charlotte.Bond@limeculture.co.uk

SCMP Programme Partners

 

 

 

 

 

LimeCulture to deliver Section 28 Training to ISVAs across England & Wales

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The Government has committed to the national roll out of a scheme enabling pre-recorded evidence across all crown courts in England and Wales. Known as section 28, the scheme allows victims to have their cross-examination pre-recorded earlier in the process and outside the courtroom. As such, Ministry of Justice and HM Courts &Tribunal Services (HMCTS) are keen to ensure that Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) are able to access consistent training on section 28 that will assist them to effectively support their clients with information about pre-recorded cross examinations.

Earlier this year, LimeCulture was funded by MoJ & HMCTs to develop and deliver section 28 training for Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) Over the last few months, we have been working hard to develop a bespoke training course, with content that is tailored specifically to ISVAs on section 28. We would like to thanks the 60+ ISVAs who have contributed to the development of the training by attending Focus Groups to share with us their knowledge and experiences of supporting clients with section 28 pre-recorded cross examinations. 

We are now in a position to make this training available to ISVAs across England and Wales. However, we know that ISVAs are often extremely busy, and Managers of ISVA Services will not want all their ISVAs to attend the same training session, so we have ensured there are lots of date options available between June 2022 and the end of the year. We are currently opening bookings in 2-month blocks, so once the June & July sessions are full,  further dates will be opened. 

Bookings can be made via our online booking system that can be found on our website – https://limeculture.co.uk/training-development/

Please click on the side toolbar titled ’Section 28 Training for ISVAs’ where the booking forms for each of the training sessions can be located. 

 

Please note – this training has been developed and designed specifically for ISVAs. As such, it is only open to those who are currently employed by an ISVA Service to work as an ISVA (supporting either adults and/or children and young people who have experienced sexual violence and abuse).  

This training is is not intended for other professionals such as Crisis Workers, Support Workers, Counsellors etc or anybody who is not currently working as an ISVA (ie, previous ISVAs or those wanting to become an ISVA in future are not eligible for this training).

For more information about this training for ISVAs,
please contact us by email info@limeculture.co.uk

 

LimeCulture delivers ‘trauma informed’ training to Police Rape Investigation Team

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On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, LimeCulture delivered specialist training to officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Rape Investigation Team.

LimeCulture has developed ‘A trauma-informed approach to rape investigations’, which is specialist training designed to help police better understand victims/survivor responses to traumatic experiences, such as rape, and how individuals’ reactions may impact on the police investigation and the willingness of the victim/survivor to remain engaged with the criminal justice process.

The number of people who make a report of rape (and other serious sexual offences) has significantly increased over the last few years, however, despite these increases, there has been a significant decrease in the number of rapists brought to justice. Quite rightly, there is now increased scrutiny on the investigation and prosecution of rape and serious sexual offence (RASSO) cases with the Government making a commitment in the End-to-End Rape Review to make various changes across the system to an attempt to achieve better criminal justice outcomes for victims/survivors.

As such, there are high expectations on the police to make improvements to the way they investigate these sensitive and challenging cases. The Police are increasingly having to review their practices, in terms of response and investigative processes and procedures in an attempt to make the necessary changes. Recognising they are one piece of the jigsaw in the criminal justice journey for the victim/survivor, they also need to look at how they work across the system, with partners and other agencies, to better support victims/survivors.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary Rape Investigation Team have already started this work to identify what more they can do to improve their response to victims/survivors of rape, which included commissioning further specialist training for their officers.

Bernie Ryan, Director of Training at LimeCulture said:

‘We were delighted when Cambridgeshire Police’s Rape Investigation Team contacted us to explore how we might support them in better understanding the issues that victim/survivors face when reporting to the police and seeking justice. We discussed how a trauma-informed approach to investigations could improve the victim/survivor experience. They are clearly committed to looking at the way they investigate rape cases in order to make positive changes” 

In order to develop the specialist training, LimeCulture worked closely with the Rape Investigation Team to determine our training approach to ensure the content and material could meet the needs of their officers to help them to understanding how individuals might respond to a traumatic experience, such as rape, and to help officers to better meet their individual needs.

Following discussions with the police, LimeCulture designed the training to allow for exploration and challenge of conscious and unconscious bias, rape myths and culture and how a lack of understanding of a trauma informed approach can impact on the experience of the victim/survivor in the criminal justice process.

Effective communication is the golden thread that runs through this specialist training and includes how communication styles can be used, adapted and encouraged to support victims/survivors and also to challenge unacceptable beliefs, behaviours and attitudes in colleagues.

The training was also designed to explain the different phases of trauma that might be experienced by a victims/survivor in the aftermath of a rape. The officers considered the impact of their role in different periods of time throughout the investigation and how this might impact, positively and negatively, on the victim/survivor. A key focus of the training was the importance of other partners such as the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and the ISVA service, and the crucial role they have in supporting the victims/survivors throughout and beyond the investigation period.

Bernie Ryan said:

“It’s obvious that the officers in the Rape Investigation Team are all working extraordinarily hard, under challenging circumstances and with high numbers of cases to investigate. So, this training provided a fantastic opportunity to take the time out to focus on the impact of vicarious trauma and the importance of self-care for those officers working on sensitive and sometimes very difficult cases, such as rape’ 

“We were hugely impressed by the officers’ willingness to engage with the training. They talked openly and honestly and were willing to share their experiences and reflections of when they’d got it right, but also when they could have done things differently.’

DCI Sherrie Nash said:

“Cambridgeshire Constabulary is committed to improving responses to Rape Investigation. A critical aspect of our strategy is supporting our workforce to develop their investigative mindset alongside understanding and responding to the impact on their own wellbeing.  Working with LimeCulture has been seamless right from the initial development stage through to the delivery phase. The training fully complimented procedural change being embedded within the team and was delivered in an energetic, thought-provoking and respectful manner. 

Bernie really engaged the officers through both evidence led content and, crucially, her own professional experience. She facilitated some lively discussion and debate which acknowledged the challenges the officers face daily but providing an alternative perspective to understand the impact of trauma on survivors.  Feedback from the team has been really positive with each officer identifying changes they will make to their own practices.  Thematically, the training will also assist in the ongoing strategic vision not only within the Constabulary but also across the multiagency partnership”

If you would like to find out more about LimeCulture’s specialist training ‘A trauma-informed approach to police investigation’ please contact us via email  info@limeculture.co.uk or complete the below contact page and we’ll get in touch with you!

 

 

LimeCulture Launches New Resource for ISVAs working with victims/survivors from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

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Today, LimeCulture is delighted to launch a second resource for Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) as part of the National ISVA Co-ordinator (NISVAC) Service pilot.

The NISVAC Service has been in working in partnership with people from Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities, professionals working with these communities, academics and ISVA services to develop a new resource to support ISVAs to better understand the unique barriers Gypsy, Roma or Traveller people may face in engaging with support, and to consider how ISVA services can be adapted to support these clients.

This resource:

  • Provides a brief background of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities including issues such as discrimination, marginalisation, and hate.
  • Highlights specific barriers for people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in accessing ISVA support.
  • Equips ISVAs with accurate information to inform practice and provides practical suggestions to support ISVA services to become more accessible for people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Download the resource  Working with victims and survivors from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities

Holli Waterson, the National ISVA Co-ordinator, said:

“Engaging with sexual violence victims and survivors from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities can be particularly challenging due to a long history of genocide, discrimination and hate which has resulted in their exclusion from mainstream support services. Sadly, low rates of engagement with people from Travelling communities has become an unacceptable norm for many services. Given how critical specialist support is following sexual violence, access to an ISVA is vital to ensure the needs of sexual violence victims/survivors from these communities are met.

We had a fantastic response from Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities, academics and professionals in the development of this resource, which is a testament to the shared commitment to improving support access and life outcomes for survivors of sexual violence. I would like to extend a very special thank you to all who engaged with us and shared their knowledge and experiences.

Being aware of the barriers these communities face and demonstrating sensitivity to their unique cultures and traditions is key to enabling victims/survivors of sexual violence from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to engage with ISVA services. We hope this resource supports ISVA services to do just that.”

LimeCulture will be hosting a free lunchtime briefing on Tuesday 5th April 2022 at 12noon for ISVAs to discuss the resource, hear directly from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, academics, and professionals working with Travelling communities, and share ideas on how to make ISVA services more accessible to victims/survivors.

To access the lunchtime briefing, please email holli.waterson@limeculture.co.uk. A calendar invite and zoom meeting link will follow.

About NISVAC

The NISVAC Service pilot was commissioned by Operation Hydrant in 2020 to support victims/survivors of sexual abuse from identified hard-to-reach, or seldom heard, groups with a pathway into support from an ISVA service and/or access to the criminal justice system, in recognition of the additional barriers they face. 

The National ISVA Advice Line is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm – 0800 246 5260 or by email NISVAC@limeculture.co.uk