Experts warn thousands of survivors are being failed as vital services teeter on the edge of collapse
Support services for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse across England and Wales are facing unprecedented pressure, with many warning they may be forced to close or drastically reduce operations due to an ongoing funding crisis.
According to new research by the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA Centre), over three-quarters of support providers surveyed said they were uncertain about their future funding, and one in five reported they were considering full or partial closure unless adequate financial support is confirmed in the coming months.
The centre, which is primarily funded by the Home Office and hosted by Barnardo’s, conducted a survey of 124 services across England and Wales. The results reveal a sector straining under demand, with shrinking budgets and limited capacity leaving victims waiting months—sometimes years—for the help they urgently need.
Since the CSA Centre’s last national survey in 2023, 23 services have already shut their doors, leaving just 363 specialist services nationwide. With an estimated average of 16,500 victims and survivors now relying on each remaining service, experts are warning of a system under near-breaking strain.
“This report starkly illustrates the huge shortfall in support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse,” said Ian Dean, director of the CSA Centre. “Thousands of children and adults are still left waiting months or even years to access support, with services struggling to meet rising demand on increasingly overstretched budgets.”
Despite recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in its final report nearly three years ago—chief among them a call to guarantee access to specialist therapeutic support for child victims—progress has been painfully slow. The CSA Centre argues that the government has failed to act decisively, allowing funding instability to threaten the very services survivors rely on for recovery.
The nature of the funding has also come under fire, with many providers pointing to the insecure and short-term financial arrangements that make long-term planning and consistent care all but impossible.
Fay Maxted, CEO of The Survivors Trust, echoed the warnings: “This research powerfully sets out the impact that the current funding crisis is having on specialist services and the challenges victims and survivors are facing in accessing the support and help they need and are entitled to.”
Ms Maxted added that victims often experience re-traumatisation when forced to wait for support or are turned away altogether due to lack of capacity, compounding the psychological toll of their abuse.
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Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said the findings reveal a deeply concerning picture. “The need for specialist services has never been greater, yet funding for these very services continues to decline,” she said. “The Independent Inquiry rightly called for guaranteed therapeutic support. We urge the government to use the upcoming spending review to invest in these vital services and to seize this opportunity to make sure no child misses out on the support they need to work towards a positive future.”
Ms Perry also called on the Chancellor to take immediate action in the next spending review, warning that failure to do so would risk letting down thousands of vulnerable children and adults who have already endured significant trauma.
As the government prepares its fiscal plans, pressure is mounting to ensure the long-standing recommendations of the IICSA are not left to gather dust. Campaigners argue that without swift and decisive investment, a generation of abuse survivors may be left behind, denied the vital care that could help them rebuild their lives.
