RSACC Unable To Accept New Adult Referrals For Counselling Service From November 2025

Over the last 12 months, we have received 463 referrals for our counselling service – the highest number we have ever received for counselling support in our 35 year history. Survivors are waiting more than 12 months to receive support and our Counsellors are at capacity. 

To continue delivering this service at its current capacity in 2026 we need to raise £313,000. But in order to meet demand, we predict we need to increase our capacity by 50%. 

As it stands, only 29% of the income that has previously been available to provide our counselling service at its current capacity is secured beyond March next year (2026). 

For further context, our delivery costs have risen by 16% over the last three years due to increased overheads and employer National Insurance contributions, and we have received no additional funding to help us to cope. We have created greater efficiencies, but there is nothing more we can do to reduce costs without compromising service delivery. 

While our waiting times remain so high and funding for the service is so uncertain, we do not feel we can ethically continue to accept referrals and provide timely, specialist support. It is for this reason we have made the regrettable decision to close our waiting list to new adult referrals.

Adults aged over 18 can no longer refer themselves or be referred for our specialist sexual violence counselling.

Yes. Children and young people can be referred for counselling. You can make a referral here.

All our other services remain open and you can refer yourself or be referred by someone else. This includes our ISVA service, groups and emotional support services. You can find out more about our services and how to access them here.

From 3 November, if you are over 18-years-old or supporting someone over 18 who requires counselling, we will be able to support you via our Emotional Support Line and Email. Our team of specialist and dedicated volunteers has expanded to be able to support an increase in calls and emails to these services. Please find details as follows:

RSACC Emotional Support Line
Available six days per week. Speak to a volunteer who understands the impact of sexual violence and can provide specialist advice and support. No need to book, completely anonymised. Calls can last for up to one hour.
0300 222 5730

RSACC Emotional Support Email
All emails are anonymised. Write to us anytime and a member of our team will reply with advice and support within seven days – probably sooner.
support@rsacc-thecentre.org.uk

Additionally:
Rape Crisis England and Wales
Available free-of-charge 24/7 for all those over the age of 16 who need confidential support from a trained specialist at any time of day or night.
0808 500 2222

We are working hard to secure sustainable for the counselling service and will reopen to new referrals when funding is in place for the next year.

If you are already on our waiting list for counselling this does not affect your position on our waiting list, you will still be offered specialist counselling. As previously discussed, we will be in touch to confirm the details of your counselling support when a place becomes available. This will not be impacted by today’s changes and you will remain on our waiting list.

No. Your counselling sessions will not be impacted and will go forward as normal. You can speak to your counsellor if you have any questions.

We hope this will be a temporary closure while funding for the service is unconfirmed. We are working hard to secure sustainable funding for the counselling service and will reopen to new referrals when funding is in place for the next year.

There are lots of ways you can support RSACC: 

• You can make a donation directly on our website here
• If you have a hobby or skill that could be turned into a fundraising idea why not hold your own event or sponsored challenge in aid of RSACC?  More information and guidance for fundraisers can be found here
• Follow us on social media and interact with our campaigns – every interaction helps us reach a wider audience and raise awareness of the issues survivors face: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
• Ask around: does your workplace have a corporate donation scheme that you might nominate RSACC for?  We work with a number of organisations in the region and this is a great way for us to secure income as well as raise awareness.  Email us to discuss potential opportunities: fundraising@rsacc-thecentre.org.uk.

No. From the 3rd November 2025 we will not be accepting counselling referrals for adults. 

We hope this will be a temporary closure while funding for the service is unconfirmed. We are working hard to secure sustainable for the counselling service and will reopen to new referrals when funding is in place for the next year.

There is no other specialist sexual violence counselling available locally to our knowledge. 

We ask that if you are working with someone who requires specialist sexual violence counselling support and is over 18-years-old, you widely share the details of our Emotional Support Line and Email. We would like to reassure you that our Emotional Support Team of specialist and dedicated volunteers has recently expanded to be able to support an increase in calls and emails to these services.

You are also able to signpost clients to their GP for mental health support. 

You can find our Self Help Guide here, which may be a useful resource for clients.

You can refer clients to our services using our online referral form here. 

No. You can refer children and young people as normal using our online referral form. 

No, this change only affects adult counselling referrals. We will pause taking new referrals for our counselling service for adults from the 3rd November 2025. 

This decision does not affect:

• Counselling referrals for children and young people aged 18-years-old and under
• Anyone already on our counselling waiting list
• Anyone currently receiving counselling from us
• Any of our other services, all of which will continue as normal including the ISVA service and groups. 

If someone is already on our waiting list for counselling this does not affect their position on our waiting list, and they will still be offered specialist counselling. We will be in touch to confirm the details of their counselling support when a place becomes available.

Our Emotional Support Line offers confidential and anonymous emotional support. This is not therapeutic counselling but offers survivors a safe, non judgemental space to explore their feelings. You can find out more about our Emotional Support Services here.

We will reopen to new counselling referrals when funding for the service is secured. In January 2026 we will review the waiting list closure and make a decision based on the funding position.