Dame Nicole Jacobs calls for urgent funding for domestic abuse services, stating that without a rescue package the government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade will fail.
The gulf between need and provision is so great that in some cases this “may have left children in unsafe situations and at risk of further harm,” warned a statement from the commissioner’s office accompanying the publication of a report: 'Victims in their own right? Babies, children and young people’s experience of domestic abuse'.
“Without these services, children affected by domestic abuse are often at risk of long-term harm, including serious mental and physical health issues,” said the statement.
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More than a quarter of domestic abuse services (27%) surveyed by the office of commissioner reported turning children away from vital support.
Just over half (51%) of respondents in England and Wales stated they had to place children on waiting lists due to high referral rates.
The commissioner also says that the response to children witnessing domestic abuse has so far failed recognise their legal status as victims under the Domestic Abuse Act, which came into force in 2021.
Drawing on a survey of more than 260 domestic abuse services providing support to children, along with 168 statutory agencies responsible for commissioning domestic abuse services, the findings reveal the "immense financial pressure specialist services are under and how children are paying the price", adds the statement.
More than half of services (56%) surveyed had experienced cuts to their funding over the past five years.
This had left over a quarter (29%) needing to make the difficult decision to stop providing a specialist support service to children.
Similar concerns came from organisations that commission services, who reported that funding will be at risk of being cut or reduced for over 40% of services when the current allocation comes to an end.
The emergency is compounded by statutory services – such as education, social care and health – lacking the resources, training and guidance to provide child victims with timely and sufficient support, forcing already overburdened domestic abuse services to step in.
Services including counselling, play therapy, learning about healthy relationships and emergency accommodation, are described as a lifeline.
However, the 2024 autumn budget did not include the level of funding needed, “particularly for specialist domestic abuse services that support children”, to meet the government’s pledge to halve VAWG, the commissioner says, urging that the 2025 Spending Review addresses the problem.
Jacobs said: “For too long child victims of domestic abuse have been failed – often treated as an afterthought and left to navigate their recovery alone, which is having devastating consequences on their health, education, relationships – and futures.
“This has to change. Providing children with the stability and support they need to recover – and thrive – is vital if the government wants to meet its commitment to halve violence against women and girls within the decade.
“Investing in children’s futures must start now. The upcoming spending review is a critical moment for the government to provide specialist domestic abuse services with the funding they need to pull them back from the brink and ensure they can be there for any child affected by domestic abuse.”
Susie McDonald MBE, chief executive of healthy relationships education charity Tender, whose youth board was involved for the report, called on the government to invest in prevention, with a focus on relationships and sex education (RSE) in schools.
McDonald said: ‘Children and young people are facing a new and dangerous reality.
"With support services at breaking point, the government must invest in preventing this abuse from happening in the first place.
"All children need specialist relationships education to learn to recognise abuse and build the confidence to seek help. But this is only possible with expert RSE in every school and specialist support services in place should they need them.
"This report listens to those who matter most: children and young people – including those from Tender’s Youth Board.
"They say they need more support from their schools, they say they need help in recognising abuse – from staff with specialist knowledge in these issues.
‘But the government must listen too. Specialist relationships education can prevent abuse and the lifelong trauma it imparts: if they are truly committed to ending violence and abuse, it’s time they provide the funding and resources to make it happen."
