Rape Crisis England & Wales

**Context Profile for Rape Crisis England & Wales**

1. **Organization Mission & Cause:**
   - Rape Crisis England & Wales is dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual violence and advocating for their rights. Their mission is to promote the needs and rights of women and girls who have experienced sexual violence, improve services, and work towards the elimination of sexual violence in society. They aim to influence policy and practice to ensure the rights of survivors are upheld and respected.

2. **Type of Activities:**
   - **Support Services:** They provide direct support services to survivors, including helplines and counseling.
   - **Advocacy & Campaigning:** The organization actively campaigns for policy changes, such as the "Keep Counselling Confidential" campaign, which led to legislative amendments.
   - **Training & Education:** They offer webinars and training sessions for professionals who support survivors, focusing on legal updates and best practices.
   - **Community Engagement:** They engage with the community through awareness campaigns and partnerships with other organizations.

3. **Tone of Voice:**
   - The tone is professional, informative, and supportive. It is also empowering and advocacy-driven, aiming to inspire change and provide clarity on complex legal and social issues affecting survivors.

4. **Emoji Usage:**
   - The organization does not prominently use emojis in their communications. Their tone and content are more formal and focused on conveying important information and advocacy messages.

5. **Key Facts:**
   - **Founding Info:** Rape Crisis England & Wales is part of a network of Rape Crisis Centers across the UK, with a long history of supporting survivors.
   - **Impact Metrics:** They have successfully influenced policy changes, such as amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.
   - **Volunteer Info:** While specific volunteer details are not highlighted, the organization likely relies on a network of professionals and advocates to support their mission.

6. **Writing Guidelines:**
   - **Clarity and Precision:** Content should be clear, precise, and informative, especially when discussing legal changes and their implications.
   - **Supportive and Empowering Language:** Use language that supports and empowers survivors, emphasizing their rights and the importance of confidentiality.
   - **Professional and Formal Tone:** Maintain a professional tone, suitable for legal and advocacy contexts, while being accessible to a broad audience.
   - **Focus on Advocacy:** Highlight the organization's advocacy efforts and successes in influencing policy and practice.
   - **Avoid Emoji Usage:** Stick to a formal communication style without emojis, focusing on the gravity and importance of the issues discussed.

This context profile should guide AI assistants in generating content that aligns with the mission, tone, and activities of Rape Crisis England & Wales, ensuring that communications are supportive, informative, and advocacy-focused.

LXCL:Admits one person

General Admission

Join this webinar to learn more about how to respond to police requests for sexual violence survivors&#39; third party materials, including their counselling records, following changes to the law which came into force in January 2026. Please note that this webinar is aimed at data holders who may receive police requests for sexual violence survivors&rsquo; third party material - such as counsellors and service managers.&nbsp;If you are an ISVA or other professional who is looking to learn more about how to support survivors who have been subject to police request for third party material, you can find a recorded webinar&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://payhip.com/RapeCrisisEnglandWales" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">here</a>. In this webinar, Maxime Rowson (Policy Lead at Rape Crisis England &amp; Wales) and Harriet Bland (Solicitor at CWJ), will cover:<ul fr-original-style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; box-sizing: inherit;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">The history behind the changes to third party material requests, including counselling records</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">The impact on survivors of sexual violence of excessive requests for third party material</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">The changes to law and practice, coming into force in January 2026</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">What constitutes a &lsquo;counselling record&rsquo;, under the new legislation</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">The new higher legal threshold for counselling record requests, and how it should be applied &nbsp;by police officers</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">What constitutes a &lsquo;reasonable line of enquiry&rsquo;</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">The difference between &lsquo;consent&rsquo; and &lsquo;notification&rsquo;</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">What to consider when survivors&rsquo; third party materials are being requested by police</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">How to spot a &lsquo;credibility trawl&rsquo;</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">The data minimisation principle</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">The procedure for police requests for third party material, and how data holders can respond</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">What might happen if survivors or data holders refuse &nbsp;a request</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#232333;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(35, 35, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">When third party material may be disclosed to the defence</li></ul> ContextFor several years, Rape Crisis England &amp; Wales (RCEW), Centre for Women&rsquo;s Justice (CWJ) and others have been campaigning against excessive and disproportionate requests for sexual violence survivors&rsquo; third party material from police. Our successful campaign - &#39;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-involved/keep-counselling-confidential/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Keep Counselling Confidential</a>&#39;, in partnership with the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) and Rights of Women, led to an amendment of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which sets out a new higher legal threshold for police requests for &nbsp;sexual violence survivors&rsquo; counselling notes.&nbsp; A new &lsquo;Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice&rsquo; has now been published, providing practical guidance to the police (and other authorised persons) in England and Wales, when making third party information requests about a victim/survivor, including the new provisions for counselling records. This Code of Practice came into force on 12th January 2026, alongside new forms for third party information requests.&nbsp; This webinar will tell you all you need to know about the changes, and what these mean in practice, for survivors of sexual violence, and you as data holders. We will also provide you with materials to take away following the webinar. Cost: &pound;40 per attendee For further information please contact <a fr-original-style="" href="mailto:policy@rapecrisis.org.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">policy@rapecrisis.org.uk</a> &nbsp;

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, Thank you for registering for our webinar: &#39;Responding to police requests for sexual violence survivors&rsquo; counselling records and other third party material&#39; The webinar will take place on Zoom, 2nd June 2026 11am-1pm. A link to join the Zoom call will be sent the week before the webinar. Please contact Maxime Rowson, Policy Lead at Rape Crisis England &amp; Wales with any questions - <a fr-original-style="" href="mailto:policy@rapecrisis.org.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">policy@rapecrisis.org.uk</a> With best wishes

Join this webinar to learn more about how to respond to police requests for sexual violence survivors' third party materials, including their counselling records, following changes to the law which came into force in January 2026. Please note that this webinar is aimed at data holders who may receive police requests for sexual violence survivors’ third party material - such as counsellors and service managers. If you are an ISVA or other professional who is looking to learn more about how to support survivors who have been subject to police request for third party material, you can find a recorded webinar <a href="https://payhip.com/RapeCrisisEnglandWales" target="_blank">here</a>. In this webinar, Maxime Rowson (Policy Lead at Rape Crisis England &amp; Wales) and Harriet Bland (Solicitor at CWJ), will cover:<ul><li>The history behind the changes to third party material requests, including counselling records</li><li>The impact on survivors of sexual violence of excessive requests for third party material</li><li>The changes to law and practice, coming into force in January 2026</li><li>What constitutes a ‘counselling record’, under the new legislation</li><li>The new higher legal threshold for counselling record requests, and how it should be applied  by police officers</li><li>What constitutes a ‘reasonable line of enquiry’</li><li>The difference between ‘consent’ and ‘notification’</li><li>What to consider when survivors’ third party materials are being requested by police</li><li>How to spot a ‘credibility trawl’</li><li>The data minimisation principle</li><li>The procedure for police requests for third party material, and how data holders can respond</li><li>What might happen if survivors or data holders refuse  a request</li><li>When third party material may be disclosed to the defence</li></ul> ContextFor several years, Rape Crisis England &amp; Wales (RCEW), Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) and others have been campaigning against excessive and disproportionate requests for sexual violence survivors’ third party material from police. Our successful campaign - '<a href="https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-involved/keep-counselling-confidential/" target="_blank">Keep Counselling Confidential</a>', in partnership with the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) and Rights of Women, led to an amendment of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which sets out a new higher legal threshold for police requests for  sexual violence survivors’ counselling notes.  A new ‘Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice’ has now been published, providing practical guidance to the police (and other authorised persons) in England and Wales, when making third party information requests about a victim/survivor, including the new provisions for counselling records. This Code of Practice came into force on 12th January 2026, alongside new forms for third party information requests.  This webinar will tell you all you need to know about the changes, and what these mean in practice, for survivors of sexual violence, and you as data holders. We will also provide you with materials to take away following the webinar. Cost: £40 per attendee For further information please contact <a href="mailto:policy@rapecrisis.org.uk" target="_blank">policy@rapecrisis.org.uk</a>

Rape Crisis England & Wales

Webinar: Responding to police requests for sexual violence survivors’ counselling records and other third party material

General Admission

£40