In 2024 the Charity gained accreditation for its work with male survivors of sexual violence and achieved a male service Quality Mark for both its Counselling Service and Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Service.
We have always worked with male clients and during the last year and has employed a male Operations Director, a male ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Advisor), three male counsellors and three male trustee.
Working through the Quality Standards towards this accreditation, this has ensured that all its support services are inclusive for male survivors. It has also helped the Charity’s trustees, staff and volunteers understand and highlight the importance of working with the individual needs of male clients.
Helen Stevens Service Manager for STARS Dorset said:
“We are delighted to have achieved this Quality Mark for the support we offer for male survivors of sexual violence. The process took us several months to complete but in doing so we were able to dissect and evaluate our support offering for men and ensure that STARS Dorset’s trustee board, staff and volunteers were all working to meet the needs and offer the support required by male clients. STARS Dorset supported over 1800 survivors of sexual violence in the county last year and working towards and achieving this Quality Mark helps us as a Charity consolidate the inclusivity our support offering is to anyone of any age or gender who needs it within Dorset.”
Jonny Gutteridge, Head of Operations for Male Survivors Partnership said:
“Congratulations to STARS Dorset and many thanks for your commitment to showing you meet the national standard for men who are survivors of sexual violence. We created the standard because we wanted men to be able to find services that are ready to understand and respond to their own individual experience, in ways that work best for them. It’s so pleasing that men looking for support from STARS Dorset will now be able to see our kitemark, the sign of a standard established through the combined work of other survivors and of specialists experienced in addressing men’s needs and helping them address the sexual violence that’s affected them, and hopefully more men will feel confident that it’s OK for them to find out about getting help.”
The Quality Standards created by the Male Survivors Partnership are independently accredited by Lime Culture and includes a six stage process that incorporates a documentary evidence review, interviews, and a site visit. Services assessed as meeting the Quality Standards achieve an independent Quality Mark and are then subject to on-going monitoring to ensure the quality of services is maintained.
