Crime reduction 

Sexual assault referral centres

There are two 24-hour sexual assault referral centres (SARC) in the Thames Valley area.

The Solace Centre
Upton Hospital
Church Street Entrance
Slough
SL1 2BJ

The Solace Centre
Buckingham Road
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
MK3 6TP

Both centres can be contacted on 0845 5 197 638.

This is a specialist 24-hour service for people who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

The SARCs, named The Solace Centres (opens new window), are run by a company called Harmoni for Health and will be used by the Force for victims who report sexual crimes to us.

SARCs are a one-stop service providing medical care and forensic examination following assault or rape and will ensure clients receive counselling and sexual health services. Doctors will carry out the medicals which have until now been carried out at the police examination suites. There will also be crisis workers on site to support victims.

Victims can also self refer without reporting to police. In these cases, medicals can still be carried out by the staff at the SARC and the evidence collected and stored in case the victim wants, at a later date, to contact the police and report what has happened.

According to Home Office research, SARCs offer benefits for the victim, the health service and the criminal justice process – offering a high standard of victim care, high levels of victim satisfaction and an improved standard of forensic evidence.

Early referral to mental and sexual health services accessed through the SARC increases the likelihood that victims will get the treatment they need which reduces the long-term health issues caused by such crimes.