Following an unprecedented rise in the volume of survivors of sexual abuse and sexual violence seeking help, The Survivors Trust were funded by NHS England to hold a conference which provided a unique opportunity for specialist rape and sexual abuse service providers and service users to meet with and influence Commissioners from throughout England who are responsible for planning and commissioning health services. 

There had been little direct engagement between survivors, service providers and commissioners. The voice of survivors' and their views on what services they want had been largely absent from service development and commissioning processes.  

Survivors’ Journeys - Survivors’ Voices sought to redress this by bringing together 50 survivors (women and men), 50 service providers and NHS England commissioners. Facilitated table discussions allowed survivors to tell commissioners:

• What services survivors need
• What the benefits are for survivors
• What good services look like
• How commissioners can ensure value for money

In speaking out, they hoped to inform NHS England’s commissioning processes and polices going forward. The report below sets out the findings from that event.

Survivors’ Journeys – Survivors’ Voices: Including the voice of survivors in commissioning support services