Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to guarantee access to specialist therapeutic support services for child victims of sexual abuse, in the context of the recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Last April, we committed to ambitious proposals in response to recommendation 16 from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. As part of our response to delivering on that promise, we are investing up to £50 million to roll out the internationally recognised Child House model across all National Health Service regions in England.

The model brings health, justice, and social care professionals together under one roof to reduce trauma and deliver the care children deserve in a safe, child-centred environment. Too often, children are asked to retell their experiences to multiple professionals, reliving their trauma with each repetition. The Child House model changes this.

This investment sits alongside our wider work to transform children’s mental health services. We are committed to reducing waiting times for specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service support, as set out in our Medium-Term Planning Framework. We are accelerating the rollout of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, working towards full national coverage by 2029. And we are investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training so school-based mental health teams can better support young people with complex needs, including trauma.

Together, these actions represent a fundamental shift by treating child sexual abuse as the healthcare priority it is and ensuring that victims and survivors receive the very best support to rebuild their lives.