Ask The Question

Creating safer spaces for disclosure. Changing lives through conversation.

At the heart of the Ask the Question initiative is a simple but powerful aim:
To encourage services to ask adults (18+) about experiences of sexual harm—openly, sensitively, and routinely.

Why This Matters

One of the most powerful things we hear from survivors is this:
“Once I broke the silence, everything began to change.”

Whether the harm happened recently or many years ago—whether it was one incident or many—speaking out is often the first step toward healing. But for many, that step is incredibly hard to take.

Silence Is Still the Norm

Survivors tell us they:

Struggle to find the words
Hope someone will notice something’s wrong
Often receive support from multiple services—but are rarely asked directly

Despite the best intentions, many frontline professionals still feel unsure or under-equipped to ask about sexual harm. As a result, the silence continues—and so does the harm.

Why Now?

National reports and inquiries (including the landmark IICSA report) have made one thing clear:

Failing to ask about sexual harm can lead to lifelong negative outcomes for individuals—and major costs for society.

Now is the time to change that.
Ask the Question gives services the training, support, and confidence they need to break the silence—and change lives.

What to Expect from Ask the Question

When your organisation joins the Ask the Question initiative, here’s what you can expect:

A Culture of Compassionate Curiosity

We encourage frontline practitioners, supported by managers and team leads, to ask new service users—as part of their referral, assessment, or early engagement—about any experiences of sexual harm.

Just as services already ask about:

Domestic abuse
Substance use
Self-harm and suicide
Early trauma

…we believe asking about sexual harm should become just as routine—because it matters just as much.

Training That Builds Confidence

We know these conversations aren’t easy. That’s why BSARCS provides a tailored training package, designed to help staff ask the question with empathy, confidence, and clarity.

Through our training, practitioners will:

Understand the importance of asking
Learn when and how to raise the subject sensitively
Gain real-life examples that fit naturally into their service delivery

Partnership and Support

This isn’t a one-off. BSARCS works in close partnership with your team, offering:

Pre-training briefings
Ongoing support for managers
Practical tools and resources
A dedicated advice line for trained staff

We’re here to walk alongside you as you create safer, trauma-informed spaces—where survivors of sexual harm are finally asked, and finally heard.

Download your Barnsley is asking the question poster here

Ask the Question training

BSARCS will facilitate 3 training sessions to frontline organisations to support the roll out across Barnsley:

Session 1 – Asking the Question: Compassionate Enquiry

Understand why individuals find it difficult to talk about sexual harm
Best practice – how to respond effectively to disclosures
Understand why compassionate enquiry is appropriate to support earlier disclosure of current or previous sexual harm
Understand what we mean by first disclosure and legalities around disclosure
Develop confidence when responding to someone disclosing sexual harm
Appreciate the significance of self-care to alleviate the impact of working with trauma

Session 2 – Trauma informed responses and the impact of sexual harm

Describe what sexual violence is
Understand trauma informed responses to sexual harm
Consider sexual harm and societal responses
Recognise the short and long term impacts of sexual harm
Appreciate how self-care supports us to carry our challenging work

Session 3 – Understanding and working with the impact of vicarious and secondary trauma

Understanding how working with trauma can impact your practice and motivation in your role
Define secondary trauma and the best way to manage it
Link your understanding of secondary trauma to your own practice
Appreciate the importance of self-care in alleviating the impact of secondary trauma

Our Partners

We have been working closely with frontline organisations across Barnsley on Ask the Question for over one year. These partners have embedded asking the question

Ask the Question is funded by Barnsley Council Domestic Abuse Partnership. Our training is free of charge for organisations across Barnsley. To speak to us about our Ask the Question project in your organisation contact us here.

Why Ask the Question Matters

“No one ever asked me.”
That’s what many survivors told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Despite receiving support from multiple services, survivors say they’re rarely asked directly about their experiences of sexual harm. Instead, they’re often left hoping someone will notice the signs.

But one thing is clear:
🗣 When survivors are given the space to speak—when they break the silence—their wellbeing improves significantly.

That’s why Ask the Question exists.

What Ask the Question Can Do for Your Service

By embedding sensitive, routine enquiry into your practice, you can:

Get to the Root Cause

Many service users present with complex needs—but at the heart of them may be unspoken experiences of sexual harm.
By asking directly (and compassionately), practitioners can:

Understand what’s really going on
Offer tailored, trauma-informed support
Signpost or refer when needed
Reduce the likelihood of repeat referrals

Improve Service Flow

When people get the right support at the right time, they may:

Spend less time in services
Make quicker progress
Free up capacity for others in need

Access Specialist Guidance

Practitioners trained through Ask the Question can access:

Expert advice and consultation
Support in responding to disclosures
Insight on managing complex or emotional cases

Outside Barnsley?

If you’re interested in bringing Ask the Question to your area, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact us here to start the conversation.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________