In 1988, Saward moved from London to the West Midlands where she initially worked as a teaching assistant at a school in Birmingham. From 1990, until her death, Saward worked in various roles to support victims of rape and sexual violence. In 1994, she set up a support group for rape victims and their families, and also helped to campaign for a change in the law that prevented people accused of rape from cross-examining their alleged victims. In a Channel 5 interview, she argued in 1997 that men in date rape cases should be tried of a lesser offence. "I do suggest the hypothetical victim is culpable," she commented, "only that she did nothing to help herself". Feminists responded negatively.