Our Helpline Support Service

Our Helpline offers confidential, anonymous emotional support and information to survivors of rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence via, telephone, webchat and email. Your call or message will be answered by one of our specially trained volunteers who are here to listen and support you. We can support you in exploring your thoughts, feelings and the options you may have. We can give you information about those options, but we will never tell you what to do.

We are here to listen to you, believe you and we will never judge or doubt you. Whatever happened to you, whenever it happened, we are here to listen and support you.

Your call will be answered during our opening times, unless we are on another call. We know it often takes courage to seek support, so we realise it can be frustrating to find the line engaged. If we’re closed or on another call you can leave us a voice message, with your name, contact details and when it is safe to call you back and we will get back to you as soon as we are available. Calls will cost your standard rate charge on your landline or mobile phone.

We know sometimes it is hard to speak to somebody over the phone, due to this we offer an anonymous email and webchat service. You can email the helpline for emotional support and information at helpline@rasac.co.uk. If we are closed at that time, we will respond as soon as we can when the helpline is next open. If you think that someone else might be able to read your emails, you may want to set up a new account just for contacting us and use an incognito browser.

Our helpline service is confidential; you do not have to give any identifying information if you do not want to. If you choose to give your name then this will be treated as confidential information. All service information is kept in line with Data Protection guidelines. If we need to refer you to another service offered by RASAC then this will be managed within service confidentiality. We will not share your details with another agency unless you give us permission to do so or if you or another person, vulnerable adult or child is at risk of serious harm. Please note our experienced helpline workers often work in tandem, to support each other and for training purposes. If you have any concerns about this you can ask to speak to the shift supervisor.

All of our helpline support workers are trained to listen and support callers within the centre. They can offer you time to talk about your experiences of abuse and the way your experiences have affected you. Our helpline support workers can also discuss with you options for other support you may want. They can take details from you to refer you to other services within the centre such as the therapeutic service and the ISVA service.

Sharing what has happened to you can help to reduce your isolation and to give you the experience of being believed. You will be treated with respect and without judgement. There may be times when your feelings overwhelm you and we are here to listen and offer you the help you need.

If you need support when the RASAC helpline is closed you can call Rape Crisis England and Wales on 0808 802 9999, they are open every day of the year. If you need urgent help or you have concerns about someone else’s immediate safety, please contact the emergency services on 999.