‘Child sexual abuse support services face closure or cuts in funding shortfall'
The centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) said a research survey of providers had found more than three-quarters facing uncertainty about future funding and a fifth considering closure or cuts to their services.
The centre warned that, despite a recommendation from the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) almost three years ago that specialist therapeutic support should be guaranteed for child victims of sexual abuse, 'thousands' have been left waiting months or years to access support.
The CSA Centre said its findings were based on 124 support services in England and Wales responding to its survey.
The centre said 23 support services closed in the 18 months since their last national survey in 2023, leaving 363 such services across the whole of England and Wales.
The organisation estimated that this equates to each remaining service having an average of 16,500 victims and survivors to support.
The survey results found more than three-quarters of respondents said they were facing uncertainty about future funding for their services, with some indicating there was less money available and others citing the short-term and insecure nature of funding.
One in five respondents said they were facing full or partial closure or could have to cut support without 'sufficient' funding being confirmed within the next few months.
Centre director Ian Dean said: 'This report starkly illustrates the huge shortfall in support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, with many services reporting that they are now on the verge of breaking point.'
He said the current situation is that 'thousands of children and adults are still left waiting months or even years to access support, with services struggling to meet rising demand on increasingly overstretched budgets'.
He described as 'essential that the Government honours its commitment to victims and survivors of abuse by ensuring the consistent, widespread funding of support services that is so desperately needed across the country'.
Fay Maxted, from The Survivors Trust, said the research 'powerfully sets out the impact that the current funding crisis is having on specialist services and the challenges victims and survivors are facing in accessing the support and help they need and are entitled to'.
The CSA Centre is mainly funded by the Home Office and hosted by Barnardo's.
The charity's chief executive Lynn Perry said the research 'shines a light on the concerning reduction in support available for children who have been sexually abused' and said the Chancellor must make a commitment to investment in her spending review next month.
Ms Perry said: 'The need for specialist services has never been greater, yet funding for these very services continues to decline. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse rightly called for a guarantee of specialist therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse.
'We urge the government to use the upcoming spending review to invest in these vital services and to seize this opportunity to make sure no child misses out on the support they need to work towards a positive future.'
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