Lancashire Victim Services who support victims of rape and sexual abuse across Lancashire have been awarded Lime Culture's Quality Mark for their Independent Sexual Violence Service.


The accreditation follows an independent assessment of the service by Lime Culture, the UK's leading sexual violence training and consultancy organisation.


Claire Powell, Area Manager for Lancashire Victim Services said: "We are really proud to have been awarded Lime Culture's Quality Mark for our service.


"This is a big achievement and it shows the quality of service we can provide to people affected by any type of sexual violence here in Lancashire.


"Thanks to Home Office Funding secured by the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office we have been able to expand our service this year with five new Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) joining our team, three of them specialising in working with children and young people.


"This accreditation is testament to our ISVAs hard work and dedication to helping survivors move forward and it is fantastic to see this being recognised."


Jo Seward, Director at Lime Culture added: "The purpose of our quality standard is to ensure high quality and consistency of services for survivors of sexual violence.
"We are really pleased to award our quality mark to Lancashire Victim Services as it means that those affected receive the best possible support."


Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw who funds Lancashire Victim Services added: "Providing quality services for victims is a key priority for me and I am delighted to see LVS receive this accreditation.


"From meeting members of the team as well as victims who have received support through LVS, I know first-hand how life changing this support can be."


"The ISVA team should rightly feel proud of this achievement. It provides assurance to anyone affected and I hope it encourages more people to come forward and access support."


Anyone in Lancashire affected by sexual violence can call Lancashire Victim Services on 0300 323 0085, chat online at lancashirevictimservices.org or email info@lancashirevictimservices.org.