It is a shameful truth that some of the most alarming health inequalities are those faced by victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence. They can find it harder to get help from NHS services and have a higher risk of poor health. This cannot continue. As this Government launch our violence against women and girls strategy, the health commitments within it set out how the NHS will play its part in keeping the most vulnerable in our society alive, safe and well.
The Prime Minister and the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Yardley (Jess Phillips), are leading a robust cross-Government approach to tackle the scourge of child sexual abuse and exploitation, which are among the most devastating crimes that any child can endure. They sit at the crossroads of violence against women and girls, safeguarding and public health, and the consequences are profound. The trauma inflicted can echo throughout a child’s life, affecting their mental health, relationships, and overall wellbeing. Protecting children from these abhorrent crimes, and supporting those who have suffered them, is not only a moral duty but a collective responsibility that rests with all of us.
Child house model
In April, as part of our response to recommendation 16 of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, we set out ambitious proposals to strengthen therapeutic support for victims. Today, I am pleased to announce a further step in delivering on that promise. The Government will provide up to £50 million in new funding to expand the child house model—the Barnahus model—to every NHS region in England. This internationally recognised model, which is rightly viewed as the gold standard for supporting children who have experienced sexual abuse, will ensure that, wherever a child lives, they can access the specialist, trauma-informed care they need to begin recovering and rebuilding their life.
The child house model puts children, regardless of gender, at the heart of the support they receive, bringing mental health professionals, social workers, police, justice services and specialist advocates together under one roof. Instead of being passed from service to service, children receive holistic, compassionate support in a safe, welcoming environment reducing trauma and strengthening justice processes to hold perpetrators to account.
By creating a single place where services come to the child, the model prevents repeated retelling of experiences and offers wraparound support for families. Non-abusing parents and carers also receive counselling, practical help and guidance, enabling them to be strong, supportive pillars in their child’s recovery. Currently, England has just one child house in north London. By expanding the model across every NHS region, we are addressing this inequality head-on and treating child sexual abuse as the healthcare priority it is.
This investment sits alongside our wider work to transform children’s mental health services. We are committed to reducing waiting times for CAMHS—child and adolescent mental health services—support, accelerating the roll-out of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, and investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training so that school-based teams can better support young people with complex needs, including trauma.
Steps to safety
As health services are often the first place people turn to for help, it is vital that survivors are able to access the specialist support they need when it matters most. We are also training NHS staff to spot the telltale signs of abuse—and, to help victims and survivors take the first steps to safety, we will roll out a new referral service across GP practices nationwide.
From April 2026, we will begin a phased roll-out of this initiative to make sure that support services are established in every region before expansion. Regions will offer: training to all staff in the GP practice so that they can identify and respond to domestic abuse and sexual violence; a specialist support worker linked to a group of general practices to support GP practice staff and support and advocacy for victims; clear links with local specialist services to refer people into. This builds on innovative approaches already operating in England, and we will aim to ensure that dedicated referral services exist in every area of England by 2029. This phased roll-out will end the current postcode lottery where support depends on location.
In addition, we will be launching a new mandatory safeguarding learning programme for the entire NHS workforce in 2026. It will cover all aspects of domestic abuse and improve support for victims across the health system. This will help me ensure that, whenever and wherever a victim or survivor contacts the NHS, it is there for them and treats them with compassion, care and dignity.
I am also delighted that my hon. Friend the Member for Lowestoft (Jess Asato) is bringing her considerable expertise to bear as an adviser to my Department on treating violence against women and girls, so that we deliver on this plan and seize opportunities to go further, faster.
We are clear: the full power of the state will be deployed in the largest crackdown on violence perpetrated against women and girls in British history. These actions mark a decisive turning point: recognising child sexual abuse as a critical healthcare priority and ensuring victims and survivors of violence and abuse receive the best support to rebuild their lives.
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