§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what protocols are in place for child and adolescent mental health services in dealing with children who sexually abuse. [57186]
§ Jacqui SmithNo national protocols have been set for child and adolescent mental health services. However, paragraphs 6.31 to 6.37 of "Working Together to Safeguard Children" gives guidance for agencies working with children and young people who abuse others. This includes the principle that there should be a co-ordinated420W approach on the part of youth justice, child welfare, education (including educational psychology) and health (including child and adolescent mental health) agencies.
A number of adolescent sexual offenders will have co-existing serious mental health disorders or mental illness. In these circumstances, it is expected that child and adolescent mental health services would assess both the mental health needs of the young person and also the level of risk they pose and provide appropriate treatment for that disorder or illness.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to conduct further research into children and young people who sexually abuse. [57185]
§ Jacqui SmithThere are no current plans to conduct new research on child sexual abuse. It is often an issue that is picked up and explored as part of other studies about interventions with children in need. Relevant departmental funded studies on children or young people who sexually abuse are in the completed study, "Sexually Abused and Abusing Children in Substitute Care" by Elaine Farmer and the forthcoming study, "A Protective Study on the Onset of Sexually Abusive Behaviour in Boys who were Sexually Abused in Childhood" by Professor Skuse at the Institute of Child Health.
§ Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by his Department in implementing a multi-agency model to address(a) the risks posed by and (b) the needs of children and young people who abuse. [57320]
§ Jacqui Smith"Working Together to Safeguard Children", a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children published in December 1999, sets out how agencies should work together to assess the risks posed by and the needs of children and young people who abuse. It is the responsibility of area child protection committees and their relevant constituent agencies to determine ways of implementing this guidance at local level.
§ Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was available for programmes to address the needs of children and young people who sexually abuse in(a) 1998, (b) 1999, (c) 2000 and (d) 2001. [57322]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department has funded two voluntary organisations under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act (1968) to carry out work in relation to stopping child sexual abuse by using public health education approaches to increase public awareness of sexual abuse in a way that empowers people to act responsibly and without panic in the interests of effective child protection. The 'Stop It Now!' project is targeting specific groups of adults including adult abusers and the parents of young abusers. The Lucy Faithfull foundation and the national organisation for the treatment of abusers have been granted £55,000 and £37,000 a year for each year from 2001–02 to 2003–04, with additional funding from the Home Office of £50,000 a year for the same three-year period for the Lucy Faithfull foundation.