Child abuse has a profound effect on the individual and can impact on all aspects of their life. On average, it takes someone seven years to disclose that they have been abused, and for many, this will be much longer. Without help, support, therapy and intervention, the abuse can affect many areas of the individual’s life including mental health problems including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, difficulties within relationships, trust issues, housing, employment and the victim/survivor may even turn to substance misuse as a way of coping with what they have experienced.
However, at WillisPalmer we believe that everyone has the capacity to recover if they receive the right kind of support that is tailored to their individual needs.
Child Abuse
The Crime Survey for England and Wales published in January 2020 estimated that one in five adults aged 18 to 74 years experienced at least one form of child abuse, whether emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or witnessing domestic violence or abuse, before the age of 16 years. This equates to 8.5 million people.
Yet, many cases of child abuse remain hidden. Around one in seven adults who called the National Association for People Abused in Childhood’s (NAPAC’s) helpline in the latest year had not told anyone about their abuse before.
There are a number of factors as to why someone does not wish to disclose abuse. These include:
- Shame over what has happened.
- A feeling that they are to blame for the abuse.
- The stigma surrounding child abuse.
- Misplaced loyalties to their abuser.
- Fear of the repercussions as to what will happen if they disclose abuse.
- Fear of the perpetrator of abuse, particularly where threats have been issued.
- Recognising the life will not be the same following disclosure.
- Not recognising that abuse is not ‘the norm’.
- Fear they will not be believed.
Negative experiences in childhood are strongly associated with poorer social functioning later in life. This includes an increased risk for:
- disease
- disability
- conduct problems
- early mortality
- PTSD (Survivors of CSA have a five times higher risk of developing symptoms of PTSD in adulthood)
- personality related problems
- depression
- anxiety
- dissociative symptoms
Rehabilitation support
It may seem difficult to comprehend, but victims and survivors can recover from abuse. However, it is essential that they receive the right support for them and every individual will require a different package of measures to help them to deal with their past trauma.
WillisPalmer aims to provide survivors of childhood abuse, and their families where appropriate, with a safe and supportive environment in which to discuss and develop their vision for themselves in their future. We work collaboratively with victims and survivors to support you in your recovery and re-establishing the life you deserve to have.
There is a wide range of support which we can help you to access ranging from practical support such as helping you to establish which benefits you may be entitled to or help with housing through to psychological services to support your mental health and help you to overcome the trauma you have experienced.
WillisPalmer can offer support or assistance with:
- Housing issues or concerns
- Understanding what benefits you might be entitled to and help claiming them
- Drug or alcohol problems
- Help to return to education or training
- Help to get into or return to work
- Therapy
- Specialist psychological support.
We offer bespoke packages entirely tailored to your needs.
How does the process work?
If you decide you would like to talk to us to find out more about our service, we will arrange for one of our trained Support Case Managers to call you for an initial discussion about what help you would like from us and about the services we can offer you. There is no obligation to continue with the process if you do not feel ready or comfortable.
However, if you like what you hear, and feel you can trust the person you are talking to, then with your agreement they will arrange to come and meet you in person.
At that meeting, they will talk with you in more depth about the issues and concerns you are facing. If you agree to meet in person you will also agree on a location that you feel comfortable with. The discussion and pace of it is set by you. Your Support Case Manager may need to meet you on a few occasions over four to six weeks so you have plenty of time to get to know them and to discuss your situation with them. Once you both feel that they have a really good understanding of what help and support you require they will draw up a plan with you on how they can best support you with the issues you want to address.
We work closely with The Survivors Trust, an umbrella agency for specialist sexual violence and abuse support services with 130 member agencies across the UK, who provide specialist counselling and therapy along with a range of other support services for women, men, young people and children affected by sexual abuse.
We also have working relationships with a number of charities and other organisations that can offer you ongoing help and support and will signpost you to those that are most suitable for you.
We are completely independent and our sole aim is to help you get your life back and get on the road to recovery in a way that puts you in control of your life and your future. We look forward to supporting you on that journey.
Benefits
The benefits of a case management approach include:-
- Identification of needs through the development of a supportive professional relationship with the client
- Assist claimants representatives through acting as communication facilitators or through provision of emotional and practical support
- Support Case Managers will identify suitable interventions and provide flexible support based on individual needs
- Collaborative approach whereby all parties place the needs of the client at the centre
- Claimants can be helped to move forward in their life through access to education and employment and improved support networks through family and in the wider community.
Child abuse litigation cases are often highly complex and require specialist knowledge and skills to understand how best to help abuse survivors and their families. This is especially true because many people who have experienced abuse and/or exploitation have most likely suffered trauma, often on multiple levels.
Child abuse is likely to challenge the foundations of one’s innate belief systems relating to trust and the reliability of others. Those representing survivors of abuse (solicitors) and those with an interest in helping to resolve the issues (insurers and the courts) therefore need expert professional help to manage the case and advise on appropriate interventions.
This service aims to do this through the provision of experienced, skilled social workers, support staff and occupational therapists who have significant experience in child abuse work.
Outcomes
The services aims to provide the victim/survivor with the following:
- Education about the impact of trauma and common reactions to it.
- Help identifying and coping with a range of emotions.
- Developing personalised stress, emotional and behavioural self-regulation skills.
- Helping clients focus on future opportunities and solutions to complex difficulties
- Helping children and parents communicate with each other about the traumatic experiences and the issues deriving from them.
- Help modifying clients (and family member’s) unhelpful, maladaptive trauma-related thoughts.
- Help support clients and family members to cope and manage difficult and challenging behaviours and emotions deriving from their traumatic experiences.
- Provide practical advice and advocacy for issues such as education, employment, housing, relationships and leisure.
- Help accessing statutory services such as social care, health, education and welfare.
- Referrals to external providers (where appropriate and where resources have been agreed) to assist with therapeutic and recovery interventions.
Contact Us
For further information or to make an initial enquiry email enquiry@wpcmservices.co.uk or telephone 01206 878175.
