About SERICC

Our Herstory:

In the late 70s, early 80s a small group of women living in Thurrock came together through our collective experiences as women. We met in small venues and discussed the lack of women centred, women only services available to meet our specific needs. We decided to change this and began the process of finding out how to create what we wanted and needed for ourselves. We were able to access sexual violence counselling training and learn from the experience of other feminist activists in the U.K. and America.

After opening a telephone help-line in February 1984, for one afternoon a week, we were receiving calls from women & girls who had been sexually assaulted either as an adult or child, far beyond our capacity at that time. Through determination, struggle and negotiation SERICC has been able to develop and grow. More than two decades on, we are now able to offer women and girls a sexual violence counselling, support and advocacy service six days a week. For more detailed information about us see Counselling, Support and Advocacy.

SERICC's Responsive Services include:

• Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women with learning disabilities
• Sexual violence counselling and advocacy for women whose hearing is impared
• Support of women raped in war/conflict
• Raising awareness of women's issues and campaigning about women's issues
• Court Procedures and Criminal Injury Compensation Claims information and advocacy
• Criminal Justice System information
• Representing women's issues on national and local statutory and governmental committees
• Displays and information at events in the community
• Maintaining links with agencies who have similar aims locally, nationally and internationally
• A sexual violence consultation service to local, national and international agencies
• Active involvement in innovative rape and sexual violence projects including education and awareness raising amongst young people
• Collation of sexual assault statistical information to be used locally and nationally to inform the development and improvement of women centred service provision

SERICC Service Quality Indicators

• Anonymous service user telephone and 'one to one' feedback questionnaires
• Confidentiality Policy
• Complaints Procedure
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• Counsellor supervision
• Group supervision
• Management support
• Health and Safety Policy
• Employment Contracts
• Organisational member BACP

Staff Qualifications

Staff Qualifications include:

• Experienced staff
• SERICC organisational training
• BA(Hons) Women's Studies
• Diploma in the Professional study of Counselling
• Interpersonal Skills Diploma
• Individual and Relationship Counselling Diploma
• Certificate in the Professional Study of Counselling
• Certificate in counselling and therapeutic intervention for women overcoming experiences of violence
• Certificate in Facilitating Sexual and Domestic Violence Survivors
• Post Professional Award in Counselling

SERICC is currently funded by:

• Home Office
• South West Essex NHS Trust
• Thurrock Council (including Thurrock Children, Education and Families, Thurrock Supporting People)
• Basildon Council
• Essex Social Services
• Rape Crisis England and Wales
• Individual fundraising, donations and specific project funding

Awards & achievements

SERICC, a place to see

SERICC's building has been featured in three architectural books and several magazines, including 'One of the 1000 places to see...'

The latest book is 'London 2000+: New Architecture' by Sam Lubell and Ken Livingstone.

Download this extract: 'London 2000+: New Architecture' (PDF 6.76MB)
NOTE: this PDF is a very large file and may take a long time to download;
to open PDF files, use Adobe Acrobat Reader or Access Adobe.

SERICC Wins RIBA Award!

SERICC, exterior & interior

Since the summer of 2003, SERICC has been working with Sarah Featherstone Associates to redesign counselling and office space.

The practice spent time with counsel workers and women to understand the nature of their work and how women feel when they visit the centre. This information was developed into emotional diagrams which have inspired the new design.

Pod-like windows clad in timber shingles have been installed on the outside of the building. Likened to 'Listening Ears', the blinkered windows provide privacy and seating to the new counselling rooms.

Private and public circulation spaces wind around a central 'ribbon wall', which provides acoustic and visual separation between the main offices and counselling rooms.

Inspired by the complete transformation of the Crisis Centre, Thurrock Council have appointed Featherstone Associates to design a new Centre for Children with Disabilities in the nearby town of Tilbury - another project in desperate need of a sensitive but playful approach. The Crisis Centre was completed December 2005.

SERICC were delighted to be one of the winners of the East Region Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) awards. For more information:

Sarah Featherstone BA Hons Dip Arch RIBA
FEATHERSTONE ASSOCIATES
sarah.f@featherstone-associates.co.uk
www.featherstone-associates.co.uk

RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architecture)
www.riba.org

RIBA Awards 2007 - East
www.architecture.com/go/Architecture/Also/Awards_6142.html

Anita Roddick

www.anitaroddick.com