Rotherham sex abuse victims face counselling delays

The report was drawn up for Rotherham councillors

Victims of childhood sexual abuse are waiting months to get counselling, a report has revealed.

More than 100 survivors of the Rotherham abuse scandal are on waiting lists of up to six months to get access to support.

The service was set up by the council and the town's NHS clinical commissioning group in 2016.

A report to local councillors said more people had approached the service for help than was anticipated.

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More than £500,000 was allocated for three years when the service established after the independent inquiry in 2014 reported that an estimated 1,400 children were abused in the South Yorkshire town between 1997 and 2013.

The internal council report warns that the 131 people on waiting lists in April this year could see an increase in the length of time they wait to receive help due to a reduction in the project's budget, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"Long waiting times mean that people are not getting the right care at the right time and may lead to negative consequences," the report said.

"As investigations progress and engagement activity with victims and survivors increases, it is very likely that demand for and pressures on commissioned and non-commissioned services will increase."

The report adds that mental health and counselling services in Rotherham are trying to identify alternative ways of getting the support victims need.

NHS England and the Justice Department have provided an additional £250,000 to work with victims involved in the National Crime Agency's Operation Stovewood investigation into sexual abuse in Rotherham.