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Child Sexual Abuse

Answer

Specialist services including treatment for sexually transmitted infections, termination of pregnancy and mental health services are available for those children who need them as a result of sexual abuse. For children with less severe mental health problems, it is more appropriate for universal services to provide the psychological support they need than for them to be referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services.It is important that child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are developed in a way that is responsive to the needs of the populations they serve. The CAMHS standard of the children's national service framework (NSF) sets out the requirement for an assessment of the needs of particular groups of children in the locality who are vulnerable or at risk. The NSF also states the commissioners and services should be able to demonstrate multi-agency partnership working in the following areas: the provision of services to children and young people who may or may not have been harmed, as set out in ““Working Together to Safeguard Children””; contributing to the assessment of complex child abuse cases; the assessment and provision of post-abuse therapeutic services; and services for looked after and adopted children.The Department has been working closely with the Home Office to develop sexual assault referral centres (SARCs). A SARC is a one-stop location where victims of rape and sexual assault can receive medical care and counselling, and have the opportunity to report to the police and undergo a forensic examination. The joint Department of Health and Home Office National Service Guidelines for Developing Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) was published in October 2005.Since 2003, £1.27 million from the Home Office's Victims Fund has been spent on new and existing SARCS. The Department has an important role in allocating these resources as departmental officials are on the committee that make grant assessments. SARCS currently operate in 14 locations in England and Wales and there are six more due to open in the forthcoming year.The Department and the Home Office are supporting the development of appropriate services for children within existing or new SARCs. St. Mary's SARC in Manchester has established a service for children. In London, Project Amethyst was piloted in 2005-06 jointly by local police and health to provide services for children in association with the three London SARCs (the Havens in Camberwell, Whitechapel and Paddington). A number of the new SARCs scheduled to open will be providing services for children.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

78215; 448 c220-1W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Children Abuse Health services

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk