Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and
Violence Against Women and Girls (): I am today announcing
the establishment of an advisory panel for adult victims and
survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation, fulfilling a
commitment made by the former Home Secretary in 2025. The Panel
will be established independently by the Office of the Victims'
Commissioner for England and Wales, supported by up to £1 million
of Home Office funding over the next three years.
Too often, victims and survivors tell us that policies are
developed for them rather than with them. This new advisory Panel
will help to change that by placing victim and survivor voices at
the heart of the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse
and exploitation. It will give victims and survivors living in
England and Wales a stronger voice in shaping relevant policy,
including the support they receive.
The Panel will be established and operated independently by the
Office of the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales. The
Victims' Commissioner plays a crucial role in championing the
interests of victims and witnesses across the criminal justice
system. Locating the Panel within the Commissioner's Office will
enable victims and survivors to contribute independently and
share their views openly with Government and its partners. The
Office will use its position and influence to enable consistent
and meaningful engagement between the Panel and Government.
We have taken a thoughtful and considered approach to developing
this Panel because we recognise that participation must be safe,
trauma-informed and shaped by people with lived experience.
Victims and survivors have been involved in its development from
the outset. It also draws on evidence from wider participation
models, including those established by the Independent Inquiry
into Child Sexual Abuse, alongside expertise from the specialist
child sexual abuse sector and relevant international practice.
I would like to thank each and every victim and survivor who has
given their time and insight to help shape this Panel, including
those who contributed through the NSPCC-facilitated Committee. We
are committed to honouring the legacy of their work by carrying
forward what they have shared and ensuring that their
experiences, perspectives and recommendations continue to inform
the development and future work of the new Panel.
The Panel will comprise a core group of members, supported by
wider routes for engagement so that a broader range of victims
and survivors can contribute to its work. This model recognises
that no single group can reflect every experience of child sexual
abuse and exploitation and will help ensure that the Panel's
advice is informed by diverse voices, perspectives and
experiences.
The Victims' Commissioner will lead the recruitment of Panel
members through a fair, transparent and trauma-informed process.
Recruitment will open later this year, with the Panel expected to
begin its work in 2027. The Government will support the
Commissioner to publicise the opportunity widely and encourage
applications from people with a broad range of experiences,
perspectives and backgrounds.
Victims and survivors know better than anyone where systems fail
and where they need to improve. Their insight can help us build
services that respond more effectively to the needs of victims
and survivors, both now and in the future. This Government is
committed not only to listening carefully to the Panel's advice,
but to ensuring that its advice meaningfully informs policies,
services and outcomes for those affected by child sexual abuse
and exploitation. Our ambition is that the Panel will help turn
that insight into lasting change.
