Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that survivors of child sexual exploitation, including adults, have access to appropriate trauma services.
NHS England commissions a network of 48 sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse, whether recent or non-recent. SARCs offer a range of services including assessment, healthcare, forensic medical examination if required and onward referral to appropriate trauma services or psychological support. The Department is working with NHS England to support the integration of SARC services within the local sexual assault and abuse care pathway to ensure that the needs of survivors of sexual exploitation are addressed.
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme provides evidence-based therapies for people with common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. For adults’ services, all IAPT services employ therapists who are trained to work with clients experiencing trauma including sexual abuse.