Comfy chairs, daffodils standing proudly in a vase, soft lighting and pastel soft furnishings all contribute to the safe and relaxing space created by Tyneside Rape Crisis Centre (TRCC). It is a haven for women who seek one-to-one counselling after sexual assault or sexual abuse. Boxes of tissues sitting on the sidetables hint at the sadness women carry into these rooms.

TRCC's counselling service helps women come to terms with what has happened and encourages them to take positive steps towards rebuilding their lives. Sue Howlett, counsellor and development worker, says, "One day a woman will smile or come in and say that she has booked a holiday - these are relatively small things but they mark a huge step forward."

Research shows that more than 90 per cent of people with a learning difficulty will be sexually abused. Often this manifests itself in depression, self-harm, eating disorders and challenging behaviour. Newcastle social services found that workers were working increasingly with women with learning difficulties who were displaying these behaviours. The work of staff in Newcastle social services' HIV and sexual health services team confirmed the extent of sexual abuse or rape.

The Learning Disability Pilot Scheme, winner of Community Care's 2004 learning difficulties award, was set up by TRCC and Newcastle social services after Jean Lovie, then team manager of the HIV and sexual health services team, contacted the centre about helping this group of women.

The pilot set out to test how women with a learning difficulty might access a mainstream sexual assault or rape counselling service. It aimed to identify whether there were additional factors to be considered when commissioning and using such a service.

Howlett says: "We didn't set out to reinvent the wheel." She says several months were spent researching "what was out there - what was already being done". She found that few counsellors felt confident working with people with learning difficulties because of an assumption that specialist training was needed. She feels this is not the case. "It's more about being creative in your work and working inclusively."

Newcastle social services assigned Joanne Danby as project worker, giving Howlett a point of call at the department. The pilot worked with six women. Each of them was offered six one-to-one counselling sessions as part of the pilot but they could continue to attend sessions after that.

Howlett says: "The women involved in this pilot felt valued." The counselling helped them to look at ways they could stop hurting themselves "because they had been hurt enough".

The pilot found that a mainstream service can be inclusive and women with a learning difficulty can successfully access and benefit from a mainstream counselling service with additional support.

TRCC and Newcastle social services were delighted to win the award. Howlett says: "It was an honour to do the work, a pleasure to work with the women, and to win an award for doing it, is really amazing."

The prize money will be used to provide more counselling hours for women with learning difficulties.

• To receive a copy of the pilot report call TRCC on 0191 222 0272

The learning difficulties category was sponsored by: Craegmoor Healthcare