Child sexual abuse (CSA) victims will get improved provision through up to £50m in funding to expand a service praised by experts.
The funding will enable the expansion of the Child House model, currently only available in the north London area, to every NHS region in England.
It also responds to a key recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), for child victims of CSA to be guaranteed specialist and accredited therapeutic support, fully funded by government.
About the Child House model
The Child House model, based on Iceland's Barnahus service, is designed to provide child victims and non-abusing parents with multi-agency support in a welcoming, home-like setting, to prevent them from having to repeat their stories and to aid disclosure.
It involves the provision of services including therapy, family counselling, healthcare and advice, alongside medical examination and forensic interviewing.
The existing Child House, known as the Lighthouse, was set up in 2018 and is run by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and the NSPCC.
IICSA praised the model but said there were long waiting times and insufficient specialist support for child CSA victims, with severe negative consequences.
'Severe consequences' from inadequate support
"Support workers for child victims and survivors of sexual abuse confirmed that when young victims and survivors received timely support this reduced long-term detrimental impacts," it said.
"Delayed or inadequate support can have serious consequences, with some young victims and survivors developing physical or mental health issues, dependency issues, or antisocial or criminal behaviours."
It concluded there was an urgent need to provide specialist therapeutic provision for child victims, prompting its recommendation to the UK and Welsh governments to provide a national guarantee of support.
CSA provision 'has decreased at alarming rate'
The Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) said the funding, announced by the Home Office before Christmas, would enable the creation of six new Child Houses.
Director Ian Dean said: "This much-needed investment in support services for children affected by sexual abuse is very welcome, and the Child House model is an excellent example of multi-disciplinary, child-centred support.
"It is now vital that this new investment is supported by ongoing, consistent funding for the wide range of existing services that are currently working with many of the thousands of children and adults who need help following child sexual abuse."
The CSA Centre estimates that one in ten children will experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16, but Dean said it had found that "support provision has decreased at an alarming rate in recent years".
"In 2024, three in four support services faced funding uncertainty, potentially leaving thousands of children and adult survivors with nowhere to turn for help," he added.
Victims 'should not have to repeat story'
Children's Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza also welcomed the funding, saying she had long argued for the creation of a network of Child Houses.
"Child victims should never be forced to repeat their testimonies to different professionals, again and again," she said.
"Child Houses will bring services together in a way that offers victims proper therapeutic support and protects them from what many of them tell me is a bewildering and often re-traumatising criminal justice process."
