Key Summary
- Every area in England to have dedicated referral services for women and girls affected by violence and abuse
- The ‘steps to safety’ initiative will connect patients to specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services through their GP
- The child sexual abuse survivors will have access to specialist, trauma-informed care in one place
The NHS has come up with a slew of initiatives to improve the support systems for the victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence across England.
This comes along with the government’s move to launch a nationwide crackdown on violence perpetrated against women and girls, which Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has termed a "national emergency".
These changes will help victims and survivors get the support and treatment they need as the government looks to halve violence against women and girls.
There will be dedicated referral services for women and girls affected by violence and abuse in every area of England by 2029.
The government aims to end the postcode lottery where support depends on where you live.
This ‘steps to safety’ initiative will connect patients to specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services within their local area through their GP.
Training will be offered to GP practice staff in all regions so they can better identify and respond to domestic abuse and sexual violence.
The government's new strategy aims to stop violence before it starts, by challenging misogyny and promoting healthy relationships and apprehending abusers by putting specialist rape and sexual assault teams in every police force.
In the last year alone, one in every eight women was a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking.
Child abuse
The NHS will also set out separate measures to tackle child sexual abuse.
The child sexual abuse survivors will also have access to specialist, trauma-informed care in one place as the multi-agency Child House model expands to all NHS regions in England, backed by up to £50 million.
The Child House model specifically focuses on supporting child victims of sexual abuse, regardless of gender.
Each Child House model will have specially trained staff who understand trauma.
Services include therapeutic support, advocacy and ongoing care that continues long after initial intervention.
Children only need to share their experiences once, rather than reliving difficult moments through repeated interviews with different agencies.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said, "Victims and survivors of abuse need more than promises - they need change.
"No child should also face their darkest moment alone or be forced to relive their trauma repeatedly to multiple professionals."
As part of the steps to safety service, a specialist support worker will be made available across groups of general practices to support GP staff and ensure victims and survivors are connected with local specialist services.
Jess Phillips said, "This government has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency. For too long, these crimes have been considered a fact of life. That’s not good enough. We will halve it in a decade."
She says the new strategy will have three goals: Firstly, preventing boys and men from ever becoming abusers in the first place; secondly, bearing down on perpetrators so those who have offended do not do so again; and finally, supporting victims so that they get justice when they seek it, and the closure that they deserve.
The initiatives follow the appointment of Jess Asato MP as the government’s Violence Against Women and Girls adviser on health, and an investment of £550 million for the victims support fund.
In February, this government launched Raneem’s Law, embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms in the first five police forces.
More than 1,000 victims have been protected through Domestic Abuse Protection Orders since their rollout last year.
