Re-awarded the contract to provide adult and paediatric Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) services across East Anglia, from 1st April 2024 

28 March 2024

On the 1st of April 2024, Mountain Healthcare will be re-awarded a four-year contract to provide Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) services to all ages across East Anglia, and the contract will now include fully managed services for the Norfolk and Suffolk SARCs. The re-awarded contract includes the following SARCs: 

  • The Emerald Centre – Ampthill (Bedfordshire)
  • The Elms – Huntingdon (Cambridgeshire)
  • Oakwood Place – Brentwood (Essex)
  • Herts SARC – Hemel Hempstead (Hertfordshire)
  • The Harbour Centre – Norwich (Norfolk)
  • The Ferns – Ipswich (Suffolk)


Mountain Healthcare is a leading Health and Justice provider experienced in the provision of specialist care for children, young people and adults who have experienced sexual assault including rape.

Mountain Healthcare has been re-awarded the contract by the Police and Crime Commissioners for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

The East Anglia SARCs (The Emerald Centre, The Elms, Oakwood Place, Herts SARC, The Harbour Centre, and The Ferns) will continue to provide confidential health care and support services to children, young people and adults across the region who have experienced any form of sexual assault including rape.


Accessing SARC Services – Change in Service Model

The East Anglia SARCs are no longer commissioned to run a 24/7 service model.

Anyone aged 13 years and above can access our service between the hours of 9am-9pm, Monday-Sunday (365 days a year), where they will be seen by a specialist crisis worker and forensic nurse examiner.  

Paediatric clinics, for children aged 12 and under, are provided by specialist forensic medical examiners (doctors) with paediatric competencies. To refer a child to the SARC, please follow your organisational Safeguarding Policy and procedures. 

The service will provide acute trauma-informed healthcare and support, comprehensive forensic medical examinations, forensic evidence storage, immediate crisis care, support and treatment, STI screening for children under 13, and referrals to Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs), as well as referrals into aftercare services, which address physical and mental health, emotional and social well-being, and wider ongoing needs.

Service users aged 13 and over can be referred to SARC services by the Police and other agency professionals (Health and Social care, Local authorities, and the public sector). Alternatively, service users have the option to self-refer directly to the SARC, to receive important healthcare, without Police involvement (forensic evidence can be stored at the SARC if they later want to convert to a Police referral). 

Referrals for children under the age of 13 should follow organsational safeguarding policies and procedure (referrals must be via the Police or Social Care).

Anyone can contact the SARCs for advice and to discuss the options available to them. 

Contact Telephone Numbers for Advice and Referrals/Appointments: 
For all referrals to the East Anglia SARCs, please call 0330 223 0099, between the hours of 9 am – 9 pm (Monday – Sunday). Please note: Outside of these hours, you can still contact us for advice and guidance.


East Anglia SARCs Websites

New Norfolk and Suffolk SARCs Websites
The new website for The Ferns SARC and The Harbour Centre SARC will go live on the 1st of April 2024 at 00:00am.

East Anglia SARCs Primary Emails
The Emerald Centre, The Elms, Oakwood Place, and Herts SARC email accounts are active and will continue to be available for all service requests (monitored 9 am – 9 pm,  Monday – Sunday).

New Norfolk and Suffolk SARCs Primary Emails
For all service requests from the 1st of April 2024, please use the emails addresses(monitored 9 am- 9 pm, Monday- Sunday).

Learn more about our SARC services.