Recommendation 86: Review CSA support services expenditure (England)
From Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published 25 April 2018.
Recommendation
The Chair and Panel recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office work together to establish current levels of public expenditure, and the effectiveness of that expenditure on services for child victims and adult survivors of child sexual abuse in England.
In brief (written by this site)
In February 2020, HM Government reported that the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Education and the Home Office had reviewed public expenditure on services supporting victims and survivors of abuse, covering 2018/19 spending alongside ongoing and future commitments (Ministry of Justice, Feb 2020). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse noted in October 2022 that the departments had carried out this review, adding that the government's forthcoming strategy on child sexual abuse would seek to take a whole-system approach to providing support services (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
63. The Government agrees that more clarity is needed on the effectiveness of public expenditure on services for victims of child sexual abuse. The recently published Victims Strategy includes commitments to undertake deep dives into key areas of support, including support for victims of child sexual abuse, and to review the provision of victim support services across Government to improve coordination and targeting of funding. In part, this will involve collating information from across departments on the methodologies they use to measure the effectiveness of spend on services for victims of child sexual abuse. The Government will present these findings to the Inquiry within one year.
64. The NHS recently published its Strategic Direction on Sexual Assault and Abuse (SAAS). Governance of SAAS is through the SAAS Partnership Board, which includes representatives from NHS England, MoJ, Home Office and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. Given its overview of the funding landscape for sexual violence, the SAAS Partnership Board has agreed that it will supervise the implementation of this recommendation.
Delivery
UK Government says in progress (26 February 2020)
For the purposes of this response, the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education and the Home Office have reviewed public expenditure on services which provide support to victims and survivors who have experienced abuse rather than broader safeguarding, prevention or early intervention services (although these are referenced where the support may benefit victims and survivors of child sexual abuse). This includes all services designed specifically for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, as well as broader sexual violence funds, and covers both past expenditure (2018/19), and ongoing and future spending commitments.
From: Reply to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA): Recommendation 17
Site note: The government's reply on recommendation 17 of the Interim Report, 26 February 2020. It is one document from the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and the Home Office, published by the Ministry of Justice, so the site files it under the UK Government.
Earlier statement on delivery (1)
UK Government (22 July 2019)
The MoJ has established a cross-government working group with DHSC, DfE and Home Office. Through the group, the MoJ has gathered data on the current level of public expenditure on services dedicated to providing tailored support for child victims and adult survivors of sexual abuse; and it is considering the effectiveness of that expenditure. A progress report will be submitted to the SAAS Partnership Board in September. Work is on track to present these findings to the Inquiry by December 2019.
Site note: The UK Government's progress update on the Interim Report, 22 July 2019. For each recommendation it restates the "Government commitment - December 2018" and gives an "Update"; it states no new position on the recommendation. The position is in the response of 20 December 2018.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (6 October 2022)
On 22 July 2019, the UK Government stated that the Ministry of Justice had established a working group through which it has gathered data on the current level of public expenditure on support services for child victims and adult survivors of sexual abuse. The Ministry of Justice intended to present their findings to the Inquiry by December 2019. On 26 February 2020, the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education and the Home Office reviewed the public expenditure on services which provide support to victims and survivors who have experienced abuse rather than broader safeguarding, prevention or early intervention services. The review notes that the UK Government’s forthcoming strategy on child sexual abuse will seek to take a whole-system approach to addressing the provision of support services.
From: Recommendations - Interim Report
Site note: These are the Inquiry's own words, from its recommendations page for the Interim Report, captured by the Internet Archive on 6 October 2022. They are the Inquiry's account of what the body told it, not the body's own words.
Site note: The government's own words are recorded on this recommendation: its response of 20 December 2018 and its progress update of 22 July 2019.
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response, delivery statement - Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Finding