NOTTINGHAMSHIRE SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUPPORT SERVICES (NOTTS SVSS)

TRANS INCLUSION POLICY – FOR SURVIVORS ACCESSING OUR SERVICE

Last review: August 2026

Next review due: August 2028

Nottinghamshire Sexual Violence Support Services offers a range of services for survivors of sexual violence and their supporters, who are 18+ and are living in Nottingham/shire.  Support is available by telephone, in person and via our online counselling rooms.

Our service is available to all survivors regardless of their gender or other protected characteristic.  We are sensitive to the needs of different genders accessing our service and as part of this, service users are able to choose their preferred gender of support worker, and we offer services to women in women only spaces (see our Statement on Supporting Women in Women-only Spaces).

Where a person is transgender or their gender is different to that assigned to them at birth, we seek to offer our services in line with the survivor’s acquired gender.  We will seek to support non-binary survivors in the way that is most comfortable to them during their contact with our service.

A link to our Statement ‘Supporting Women from Women-Only Spaces’ can be found on our website.

Definitions

‘Trans’ or ‘transgender’ describes people whose gender identity (also known as their acquired gender) differs from their sex assigned at birth. They are umbrella terms covering people who:

• are intending to undergo, are undergoing, or have undergone gender reassignment at any stage;
• identify as having a gender different from that which they were assigned at birth and are planning or have had medical interventions such as hormones or surgery;
• identify as having a gender different from that which they were assigned at birth, but who are not planning any medical intervention; and/or,
• are non-binary – that is, they are not solely male or female. They may define themselves as both, neither or something different.  They may or may not have had medical interventions to align their body with their non-binary gender identity.

These are not mutually exclusive alternatives.

Transitioning

‘Transitioning’ is the process undertaken by a trans person in order to bring their gender presentation into alignment with their gender identity. This can often involve social transitioning, such as dressing differently, using a different name and pronoun (eg she, he or they) and changing official documentation. Some trans people may choose to have medical treatment, such as hormones or surgery, although this is not always the case.

Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC)

A Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) enables people aged over eighteen to gain legal recognition for the gender in which they live.  Applications are considered by the Gender Recognition Panel.  A trans person does not need to have undergone medical treatment, including hormones or surgery in order to obtain a GRC.

Transgender and Non-Binary Service Users

We believe a trans person’s gender is not dependent on certificates, hormones or surgery.  We will always respond to you in your acquired gender using your pronouns.  We will work with you to ensure, to the best of our ability, that you get the support you want in the way that best meets your needs.

We seek to take a person-centred approach to the inclusion of non-binary service users within our service. We will listen closely to you as you decide which aspects of the service most closely match your identity and needs.

People who transition while using our service

Different transition stages can impact survivors in many ways meaning that changes in support or a break in support might be required.  We will always work with survivors to try and adapt our support to what best meets their needs at the time.  This might include things like changing the frequency of appointments, changing the support offered or planning a break in support to allow for recovery following surgery.

We will support survivors to make informed choices in terms of accessing services and facilities they may need.

For people who are transitioning while they are using the service we will work in a person-centred way to help survivors negotiate this change.  As a service that provides support to all genders, we can reassure service users that:

• There will be no change in the level of service offered regardless of gender or transition status.
• The support workers or counsellor would remain the same wherever possible, unless a change was requested by the survivor.

Confidentiality

We have a robust confidentiality policy in place, and all our staff are trained in the requirements of GDPR.  We run through confidentiality and instances where we might need to break this when a person first contacts our service.  Our Confidentiality Policy and the Client’s Confidentiality Agreement which explain more about confidentiality and limitations can be found on our website: https://nottssvss.org.uk/resources/useful-policies/  We can provide you with a hard copy if you prefer.

Where we are requested by a trans service user to make a referral on their behalf into another service, we will discuss and agree with them what information is passed on before making the referral.

Supreme Court Ruling

Notts SVSS offers services from a range of buildings.  These, including Nottingham Women’s Centre, remains trans inclusive.  We take great care to ensure that all buildings we use have single-occupancy toilet/handwashing facilities with their own lockable door.  This means that anyone who is affected by the ruling or is concerned about sharing, can use the facilities that meet their individual comfort and needs. See also our Statement on Supporting Women in Women-only Spaces.

We are mindful that some cis-gendered women may feel more comfortable accessing support from staff and groups described as being for ‘biological women only.’  In response to this, we also offer ‘biological-women-only groups’ and access to staff who have self-identified as ‘biological women.’

Staff Training and Understanding

We understand that to enable trans service users to have confidence in accessing our services it is vital that the service and its staff are aware of trans people, their rights and needs.  As part of this commitment we:

• Affirm trans people (and all people) as the expert on their own lives. We understand that each person’s experience is different and one trans person cannot know about or speak up for all trans people.
• Will not make assumptions about the user’s gender
• Will use correct and respectful language about transgender service users’ identity (eg using the pronouns you give us).
• Provide regular training at all levels (staff and volunteers) on how to support transgender service users
• Will keep up to date on the different services available to trans people, including those which are trans-specific and those which are recognised as trans-friendly.
• Will challenge transphobia and recognise that is our job, not the service user’s job, to challenge discrimination.
• Will create publicity that is welcoming of trans people.
• Will manage our social media platforms to ensure that they remain a safe space for trans people to interact with our service.
• Understand that a service user might be worried how their gender identity may impact the use of a service. We can offer an opportunity to discuss any initial concerns separately from any counselling or support offered either over the telephone or face-to-face.  You are welcome to bring somebody with you to this.

Transgender Employees and Volunteers

We have a separate policy for our transgender employees and volunteers which can be viewed on request by anybody interested in this aspect of our work.

Review of Policy

We usually review policies on a two-yearly basis or sooner where legislative changes require it.  If you think any aspect of this policy is out of date or have any queries or concerns around it, including other people’s adherence to it, please do let us know.  This can be done directly with your support worker or by the helpline, or contacting our EDI Lead on feedback@nottssvss.org.uk