Children and young people who have suffered sexual or domestic abuse risk missing out on the help they need due to a lack of support from local authorities, the NSPCC has warned.
It says access to specialist support services for those affected is ‘simply not available for many children across England and Wales’.
In a survey of 119 councils by the charity only 23% said they provided dedicated support and trained advisors for children who have experienced sexual and domestic abuse.
It showed 50% of local authorities had no records on how many children had experienced sexual or domestic abuse in their area even though this information is readily available.
The NSPCC has called on the Government to ensure the forthcoming Victims and Prisoners Bill means all young victims of abuse are offered specialist support when they need it.
Clare Kelly of the NSPCC said: ‘Local authorities should have a duty to deliver specialist community-based support for young victims of abuse.
‘However, only half of local authorities are across the numbers of children living in their area who need help.
‘The Government needs to urgently address these major shortfalls in care for vulnerable young people.
‘They can do this through the Victims and Prisoners Bill but, in its current state, the legislation still has a long way to go if it is to deliver a much-needed transformation of support for child victims.’
