Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that children who have witnessed domestic abuse can access age-appropriate counselling and therapeutic interventions.

Improving mental health support for children and young people is a priority for the Government and the National Health Service. Since 2018, NHS England has invested significant additional funding to ensure that more children and young people, including those who may have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse, are able to access mental health support.

However, we need to do more. Too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that. As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future, we will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, introduce open access Young Futures hubs in every community and recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult services to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice provides funding for vital victim and witness support services. This includes community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, in addition to the core funding the Ministry of Justice provides to Police and Crime Commissioners to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need. This includes support for children and young people.

In December 2024, the Ministry of Justice confirmed grant awards for the provision of domestic abuse and sexual violence services in 2025/26. Grant recipients provide services, including trauma-informed counselling, based on their local assessment of need.