Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support is available for children who have been abused to avoid long-lasting psychological problems; and if he will make a statement.

NHS England published a Commissioning Framework for Adult and Paediatric Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) Services in August 2015 which outlines the core services in SARCs and referral pathways to other services. These are now being rolled out throughout England.

Local Transformation Plans will set out how local organisations will use the additional investment of £1.4 billion the Government is making during the course of this Parliament to transform local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. All clinical commissioning groups working closely with their partners in local government, Children’s Services and education, have developed plans to transform their local offer. These plans cover the full spectrum of mental health issues: from prevention and resilience building, to support and care for existing and emerging mental health problems, as well as transitions between services and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. The guidance issued by NHS England in August specifies that the plans should set out what will be done to address the needs of children and young people who are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems including, for example, those who have been exposed to sexual abuse or exploitation.