About us
We are a Specialist Sexual Violence Intervention And Prevention Service
The Sexual Assault Support Service began in 1990 as a community based, community controlled organisation. It is currently funded by Queensland Health's Sexual Assault Support and Prevention Program and Services the area from Coolangatta to Coomera.
It is a free confidential service run by women for women. We aim to provide a safe, supportive, woman-centred environment, in which sexual assault survivors can become aware of their own strengths and gain confidence and control of their lives.
Qualified and experienced professional workers are employed from a variety of backgrounds including psychology, social/behavioural science and social work.
No referral is necessary.
Mission Statement
The Sexual Assault Support Service will provide all women and young women in the Gold Coast Community access to a comprehensive array of services and programs designed to prevent victimisation, offer crisis intervention, provide ongoing counselling and support services, that will assist women to recover from the impact of violence.
Vision Statement
Sexual Assault Support Service seeks to address issues of empowerment, equality and safety and upholds the principle that no person deserves to be sexually violated. Sexual Assault Service will work towards dispelling the social and cultural myths surrounding sexual violence and commits itself to work towards the elimination of sexual violence in society.
Philosophy
The work we do is guided by the following beliefs:
- The structural, economic and cultural values of our society give power to men, making women more likely to be victims of sexual violence
- Sexual Violence is about power acted out in a sexual way, and includes any sexual behaviour, harassment or act that is unwanted, uninvited and unwelcome
- All women deserve to live in safety and maintain power and control over their own lives
- No one deserves to be sexually violated
- Sexual violence is a crime and offenders must take responsibility for their actions
Goals
- To provide a high quality counselling, support and information service to women who have been sexual violated at any time in their lives
- To maintain a safe, supportive, women-centred environment in which survivors can become aware of their own strengths and gain confidence and control over their lives
- To enhance service delivery and increase options for survivors, through the development of a wide range of support groups
- To develop awareness and understanding of sexual violence through effective community education which dispels the myths of rape
- To provide training and information to professionals and other service providers to enable them to respond appropriately to issues of sexual violence
- To create and maintain effective networks with government and community agencies on a local, state and national level
- To lobby for legislative and administrative change which will enhance the status of women
- To maintain high quality data collection, administration and financial systems
Code of Ethics
This code of Ethics is based on Sexual Assault Support Service's philosophy of providing workers with a set of standards for behaviour expected within the organisational context of the service. Through the code, service users and others can hold workers accountable for the quality of their professional conduct.
Context
Women's services provide workers with unique opportunities that include:
- Working in a supportive setting that values and promotes solidarity both among and between service users and service providers
- Providing services that are designed to contribute a broader social change
- Working alongside others who have a common value base, a mutual interest in improving services for women and a shared commitment to structural feminist practice
Standards for Staff
All staff are expected to behave towards others in a manner consistent with accepted professional conduct in the workplace.
Staff will:
- Abide by the service philosophy
- Respect the privacy of service users including their rights to confidentiality and anonymity
- Maintain confidentiality about the details of the centre's activities
- Observe the highest standards of professional conduct in all interactions with service users whether they be victim/survivors, community groups, other health and community workers or the general public
- Clearly distinguish between their statements and/or actions as a private individual and their statements and or actions when in the role of Sexual Assault Support worker
- Strive to achieve and maintain co-operative working relationship with other members of staff and in so doing, will:
- Provide and receive feedback
- Engage in direct and honest communication
- Respect the right of all their colleagues to courtesy, consideration and privacy, including their right to maintain a private life and identity separate from the workplace
Description of service
Sexual Assault Support Service is a community based, community controlled organisation currently funded by Queensland Health's Sexual Assault Support and prevention program and services the geographical area from Coolangatta to Coomera.