Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-3074, in the name of Marilyn Livingstone, on survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
I ask members who are leaving the chamber to do so as quickly and quietly as possible. [Interruption.] One word from me and they do what they like.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes the invaluable work done by local groups, such as Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project (KASP) in Kirkcaldy, in providing services for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and welcomes the Scottish Executive's announcement to the Cross Party Group on Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse on future strategic action; further welcomes the creation of a reference group which would include adult survivors and cross party group representation; welcomes the appointment of a lead professional to assist implementation of this strategy following the report of the Short Life Working Group and the establishment of a survivors' fund of £2 million to pump-prime activity; welcomes the intention of the Executive to publish a document which will highlight mainstream Executive initiatives that already benefit survivors; welcomes the proposed scoping of what community health partnerships and managed clinical networks could offer, given that survivors are not yet aware of the potential benefits these could bring; further welcomes the creation of a network of professionals and adult survivors, which could be virtual, and the commissioning of NHS Education for Scotland to undertake self-help training and public awareness-raising, and welcomes the call for bids for demonstration projects to be met from the survivors' fund.
I thank all the members of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on survivors of childhood sexual abuse, many of whom are with us in the public gallery, for their tireless effort and support. I thank my colleagues Margaret Mitchell—our vice convener—and Maureen Macmillan for her work with Highlands and Islands survivors groups.
Our cross-party group was established in 2000 following a petition by Kingdom Advice Survivors Project in my constituency. I thank Anne Macdonald for bringing the issue to me as the local MSP and, indeed, for bringing it to the Parliament's attention. Anne has continued to give us all tremendous support as vice-convener of the cross-party group and for that we are greatly indebted to her. I have heard first hand from young children, parents and adult survivors, all of whom have been victims. Their experiences have made me determined to continue to work towards eradication of this heinous crime.
I want to take a few minutes to outline the road that we have travelled together. The cross-party group was established as a forum for an agreed programme of debate on childhood sexual abuse, its long-term effects and its links with mental health problems, alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. We were also determined to create greater public awareness and understanding in order to combat the many myths that surround sexual abuse and its impact on our society. The group, which includes a wide range of professionals and—importantly—survivors, has helped us not only to highlight concerns but to determine solutions to this very complex problem.
Following the successful "One Year On" event, the then Minister for Health and Community Care agreed to commission a short-life working group in the Executive to progress the issues that the cross-party group raised. Most important, our group was well represented and was able to contribute to the report that the short-life working group compiled in 2004. Before and after that report's completion, we met the Minister for Health and Community Care, Andy Kerr, to discuss the next steps and the way forward. I thank him for staying to listen to this evening's debate; indeed, I want to take this opportunity to put on record our sincere thanks for his help, support and commitment, which have been beyond belief. We really appreciate what he has done. I also thank Cathy Jamieson, Peter Peacock and Malcolm Chisholm for their support in developing the strategic response to child sexual abuse.
At our meeting with Andy Kerr in June, we discussed common themes that had emerged from the cross-party group's discussions and the short-life working group's report. That has resulted in action that the Executive will undertake to address our agenda. This evening represents a major landmark for us and for all survivors, and we thank everyone involved in helping us to move forward towards achieving our objectives.
We very much welcome the creation of a reference group that will include adult survivors and cross-party group representation, to help us to implement key policy objectives, and we welcome the appointment of a lead professional to assist the strategy's implementation. We believe that such a move is important; we need someone who can help us to drive forward the agenda.
We also welcome the commitment to scope what community health partnerships and managed clinical network structures can offer, and we welcome the important establishment of a £2 million survivors fund to pump-prime activity. The Executive will call for bids for demonstration projects to be met from the survivors fund—I am sure that the minister will give us more details on that this evening. Information about a raft of other measures can be accessed on the cross-party group's website and I am sure that my colleagues will mention some of them during the debate.
The reference group's work will be crucial in ensuring that abuse of children is at the forefront of policy in Scotland. There are no short-term solutions, but such actions will ensure that survivors throughout Scotland will feel that they are being listened to. We must remember that, no matter whether we are talking about past or present crimes, those crimes were and are being committed against innocent children. It is our society's responsibility to protect the children of today and tomorrow as well as to support yesterday's children, who are today's adult survivors.
The cross-party group believes that the partnership that we have developed with survivors, survivor agencies, professionals and the Executive shows true commitment to addressing child sexual abuse. We are all aware of the challenges that we face and that there are no short-term fixes or easy solutions. Abuse of children will not end without real commitment and determination, so we must tackle it strategically, responsibly and with a cool head.
The cross-party group's vice-convener, Anne Macdonald, has likened the way in which our society must address sexual abuse of children to the way it has addressed attitudes to other behaviour that we know to be wrong such as slavery, domestic abuse and apartheid. Our generation has acknowledged that abuse happens, so it must find a solution. It is our duty not to stand back and be fearful, even though the subject is sometimes too frightening to contemplate. We are in the 21st century, in our first Scottish Parliament in 300 years, and we have within our grasp the opportunity to contribute something lasting that will change people's lives for ever.
We can give hope to survivors, while sending a clear message to perpetrators that they can no longer depend on the silence that they have imposed on their victims. We will throw light on the shadows that they cast on the most vulnerable people in our society: our children.
I am delighted to support and speak to Marilyn Livingstone's motion and I congratulate her on securing the debate. As deputy convener of the cross-party group on survivors of childhood sexual abuse, I know how much hard work Marilyn and the members of the group have put into addressing the enormity of the challenge of trying to meet the needs of survivors.
The motion gives a clear indication of just how much has been achieved since the short-life working group on care needs for survivors of CSA was set up in 2003 by the then Minister for Health and Community Care, Malcolm Chisholm. Those achievements include: the Scottish Executive's future strategic action plan; the creation of a reference group, which includes survivors and cross-party members; the establishment of the £2 million survivors fund to pump-prime activity; the commissioning of NHS Education for Scotland to undertake self-help training and public awareness training; and, crucially, the appointment of a legal professional to assist in implementation of the strategy following the short-life working group's report.
I pay particular tribute to the Minister for Health and Community Care, Andy Kerr, who, following the moving debate on child abuse last December, met adult survivors of CSA at the cross-party group to listen to concerns and to discuss a possible way forward.
Three key issues were discussed at that meeting. First, it was made clear that adult survivors of CSA were, sadly, not a new population that once identified will impact on health and other social care services. They are already in the system, but for the most part they are not recognised as survivors. Instead, they are to be found among other specific groups including substance abusers, homeless people and psychiatric patients. Secondly, it was recognised that there was no clear mechanism or responsibility for identifying and supporting adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, either in the health service or in other public services. Thirdly, it was recognised that the voluntary sector has considerable expertise in helping adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and in substantial data collection.
In response to those points, and in recognition of the fact that it is a cross-cutting issue, it is greatly to the minister's credit that he was prepared to appoint a lead professional to co-ordinate and maintain meaningful dialogue with the various departments and personnel—health, education, social services and so on—who have a part to play in delivering the Executive's strategy. Without that action from the minister, there is little doubt that the considerable achievements that are listed in the motion would not have been possible.
For too long, we have been treating the symptoms of childhood sexual abuse—attempted suicide, self-harm and drug abuse—rather than addressing the cause. I am confident that the strategy that has been outlined, with its emphasis on training professionals, early identification of survivors and promotion of greater awareness of the prevalence of CSA, will make a positive and significant difference to all those who are involved with this complex and vexing issue.
There is one final plea that I would make to the minister; namely, that in determining bids to be met from the survivors fund for the demonstration projects, the voluntary sector, with all its expertise and experience in dealing with survivors of childhood sexual abuse is not sidelined. There is little doubt that, as non-statutory bodies, voluntary sector organisations attract and encourage people of all ages and from all walks of life to take the first tentative steps towards confronting their past experience, secure in the knowledge that there will be no official record of what is discussed. When determining bids and when allocating funding generally, I urge the minister to keep that in mind.
Finally, Presiding Officer, I have been asked by the convener of the cross-party group to remind members that we will be meeting after the debate in committee room 3.
As is customary, I pay tribute to Marilyn Livingstone for securing the debate and for the terms of her speech, but my tribute has to go beyond that. This issue is one in which there are few votes, if any, and Marilyn Livingstone has championed and pursued it with vigour. The Parliament owes her a debt of gratitude for that. As she said, the issue has been hidden away and not spoken about. It is incumbent on Parliament to address such matters.
As someone who had a happy childhood and who has fond memories of it, I can only imagine the trauma that must exist for someone who grew up in an environment in which there was physical and sexual abuse, which was made worse because it came either from an adult within the family or an adult who was trusted by the family. I find it hard to imagine the difficulties, but we are duty-bound to address them and I am grateful that the Executive is ahead of the game in doing so.
I am not aware of local strategies but I am grateful that things are progressing. However, we have to marry local activity with the national strategy. Much depends on an individual's needs and the ability of the people who best relate to that individual to deal with them. There has to be an overarching strategy to address that.
It is clear that there is no single simple solution; what is done depends on the needs and wants of every individual, which makes matters much more difficult for the Executive. This is not an issue in which we can simply draw down an amount of money to put into a particular area because the problem is huge and diverse. The needs of a person in Kinghorn are not necessarily the same as the needs of a person in the north of Scotland. It is not so much a geographical difference; what matters are the needs and wants of the individual.
There is a cultural matter to be addressed, which might require some unity within Parliament. Earlier this year I met a Scots émigré who said that they were a psychotherapist. As a Scottish male of middle age, my mind boggles at the term "psychotherapy". Just what are we talking about? When I put that question to some of my friends, responses went from it being something in the region of psychobabble to it being something effeminate. We in Scotland still have this attitude that something should be dealt with by just getting a grip or giving yourself a shake. The attitude is that big boys do not cry, although clearly they do. We have to change our cultural attitudes. Although that will cause difficulty for the Scottish Executive and it will take time, it has to get around the problem.
We have to invest in solutions to such problems. From the learned Dr Jill Scharff, I understand that it is easier and cheaper to invest in solutions. We have to persuade people not only that it would be better and more beneficial for the person who is suffering, but that it is cheaper than attendance at an accident and emergency unit and cheaper than the self-harm that Margaret Mitchell and Marilyn Livingstone commented on and the abuse of drink and drugs. We have to invest in allowing people to work back.
We cannot remove the trauma that victims have gone through. There is nothing that we can do but try to learn lessons so that we can ensure that it does not happen to other youngsters. We cannot do anything physically for those individuals, apart from seeking to work with them in order to allow them to work through their problems and seeking to address their current difficulties. That will mean that the Executive has to take action; to its credit, it is addressing the issue.
A change in attitude in Scotland is also needed. We must acknowledge that the investment is not a luxury or a frippery, but is of fundamental importance because such victims' injuries cannot be dealt with by putting on a sticking plaster. It is much more complicated than that.
Not only is it necessary that we work with individuals, it is absolutely essential if society is to repay the debt that we owe those individuals for allowing the abuse to occur in the first place. From the points of view of the taxpayer and of the Government, it is much cheaper to help people work through their problems than it is to address their symptoms.
I am pleased to speak to welcome the Executive's further commitment to support adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. I congratulate Marilyn Livingston, Anne Macdonald, Margaret Mitchell and the many members of the cross-party group on the hard work that they have put in to achieve that result.
I congratulate the cross-party group members from the Highlands—Maureen from rape and abuse line and Bill from criminal justice social work—who regularly made the long trip down to Edinburgh to attend the cross-party group meetings.
Much of what I want to say has already been said. Childhood sexual abuse is not a topic that society is comfortable discussing, but such abuse takes place in rural and remote areas as well as in urban centres. It can result in mental health problems, self-harm, suicide, alcohol and drug misuse, eating disorders, relationship problems, aggression and criminal activity. Therefore, a range of agencies can be involved in dealing with problems that have a single root cause that may not always be disclosed. If it is disclosed, the person to whom it is disclosed needs training to know how to deal with it.
Inspired by the cross-party group, Highland abuse survivors project was set up in 2001 and it set itself the task of examining what services were available in the Highlands and how effective they were in reaching survivors. The project comprises representatives of statutory and voluntary organisations as well as some adult survivors and I join its meetings when I can. With funding from NHS Highland's choose life fund and the lottery's Community Fund, research was commissioned from Linda Hayward, who surveyed agencies in the Highlands that might have contact with survivors to find out where gaps in services lay.
The research found that no single organisation in the Highlands is funded solely to oversee the development, promotion, support and training that is involved in dealing with survivors of childhood sexual abuse. That has implications not only for survivors but for workers in agencies who are unable to offer adequate services to deal with the range of conditions with which a survivor may repeatedly present. At the moment, we have a revolving door; survivors are treated for the symptoms rather than the cause.
The research found that the psychology service was the most helpful of all the services that are provided by statutory organisations. However, there is a shortage of psychologists in the Highlands and waiting lists are long. That needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
After the psychology service, voluntary organisations were found to be the most helpful. In the Highlands, we are lucky to have the Children 1st centre at Killen in the Black Isle and a rape and abuse helpline in Dingwall. The latter receives calls from the whole of the north and north-east of Scotland and beyond. Both those organisations deal specifically with childhood sexual abuse survivors and they do excellent work in providing counselling—whether that be via phone lines or face to face—from well-trained, supervised counsellors. As a result of HASP being set up, we now have two self-help groups—in Dingwall and in Inverness—which are run by survivors.
The research concluded that there are specific difficulties with access in the Highlands, as members might imagine. We need a specific service such as open secret or KASP to work towards meeting the needs of survivors in the Highlands and to provide outreach services to remote areas. We need training for staff who could deliver services in which a disclosure might take place. We also need materials and information, such as a resource centre or a website, to be easily accessible to survivors and to workers in those various fields. The Executive's announcement of the creation of a reference group and of a possible virtual network of professionals and survivors should help us considerably in realising those aspirations.
The research was presented at HASP's conference this summer. As that coincided with the publication of the Executive commitments that are outlined in Marilyn Livingstone's motion, there was detailed and sympathetic press coverage, which I hope has encouraged other survivors to seek support. The prospect of funding for survivors being available is very cheering. In fact, the Executive's announcement was greeted with absolute delight at the conference. In the Highlands, we aspire to fund a co-ordinator to bring together the different statutory and voluntary organisations, to forge links between them and to access training and education for professionals. All that we need to know from the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care is how soon we can put in our bid.
I, too, congratulate Marilyn Livingstone on securing tonight's debate, on the work that she has done on the cross-party group on survivors of childhood sexual abuse and on the support that she has given to the Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project.
To mark its 10th birthday this year, KASP will host a series of events throughout October and November. In marking the 10 years of its existence, the project is trying to raise awareness, which is very important. It will hold events in both Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy. Too many youngsters who have been abused grow into adults without the issues being resolved. That is central to the debate.
It is important that organisations such as KASP are at the front line and that people who have been abused can go to them. For many people, it is a traumatic journey. These are abused, abandoned and damaged individuals, and organisations such as the project need to give the kind of support that most of us simply could not provide.
Many of the people who have been abused and damaged have come from children's homes—institutional care—as well as from a family setting. We owe those people a colossal debt. The apology that Jack McConnell, the First Minister, made last year to victims of childhood sexual abuse in institutional care was welcome, but we need to do much more than that. Many people who have been abused, damaged and abandoned feel lacking in worth. The work of the short-life working group and the strategy that has been established must be followed through, because we need to ensure that survivors of abuse recognise how valuable they are to society.
We must try to repair some of the damage. We wish that it had not happened and, as Marilyn Livingstone said, we need to take steps to ensure that such things do not happen in the future, but we must grasp the opportunity to ensure that those who have been damaged get some sort of healing so that they can feel part of society once again.
I thank Marilyn Livingstone for all the work that she has done. I know how much that work is appreciated in the Fife area. I also commend the minister for the work that he has done and the interest that he has taken in this subject, which we all recognise. We must take steps to ensure that the kind of support mechanisms to which the motion refers are put in place as quickly as possible, especially in the areas where no effective voluntary organisations are carrying out the healing work that is done elsewhere.
I thank Marilyn Livingstone for lodging the motion and congratulate her on securing today's debate. I also thank all the other members who have spoken and contributed to it.
The debate is very valuable, not least because it gives me the opportunity on behalf not just of Andy Kerr, who has taken a close and active interest in this area, but of other ministerial colleagues who have taken a similarly active interest in it, to acknowledge the work of members of the cross-party group on survivors of childhood sexual abuse and of the groups that have worked with the cross-party group and with us on the issue. It also gives me an opportunity to say, on behalf of the Government, to the survivors of abuse that we are listening and that we want to work to help them break down in a very public way the wall of silence around abuse.
Sexual abuse and the trauma that results from it have been hidden by the silence of the victims, but in recent years many more survivors have spoken out about their experiences. That can only help them and others who might otherwise be at risk of abuse. It also helps policy makers to respond by developing a strategy to support adult survivors, to give them a voice and to work to protect children.
Those who have spoken in the debate have commented on the history of our involvement with the issue, from the establishment of the cross-party group through to the setting up of a short-life working group to examine the care needs of people who have survived childhood sexual abuse and to consider its links with mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence and homelessness.
Ministers have considered the short-life working group's recommendations and agreed that we need a national strategic approach to develop better local services. We have established a survivors fund of £2 million to pump prime activity. We will call for bids for demonstration projects, to which a number of members have referred. We have agreed to establish a survivors network, which will include survivors and professionals who will work with them, to help people find a voice.
We have also set up a survivors reference group to help us implement action. The group met for the first time earlier this month. It is designed to be—and is—an inclusive group: it includes adult survivors, social and clinical care representatives, and members of voluntary organisations. The role of the cross-party group is also reflected in the membership of the group.
It is for the reference group to develop the detail of the wide strategic approach that we want to take to achieve lasting progress. We have provided some ideas on that and today I have made other thoughts on the issue available to Marilyn Livingstone as the convener of the cross-party group. I will make those thoughts widely available and they will form part of the agenda for the next reference group meeting.
It is also for the reference group to consider how best to use the funding. Far be it from me to suggest that members take their bids elsewhere, but I am sure that they will welcome the fact that the reference group will set the criteria, consider the applications and disburse over the next two financial years the funds that we have provided. I have no doubt that the reference group will be aware of the particular strengths of the voluntary sector in this regard, as Margaret Mitchell suggested, and that it will be aware of the work in Fife, the Highlands and elsewhere when it considers the bids.
The policy will link with a number of initiatives in the Executive. It falls naturally into the work of the national programme for mental health and well-being as it links into mental health promotion, the prevention of mental illness, tackling stigma, reducing the risk of suicide and enabling recovery.
Our aim is to improve access to and the quality of services for adult survivors in Scotland. We aim to encourage better joined-up working among health, social care, education, community and voluntary organisations to improve access. We recognise that the earlier people access services, the better is the chance of their risk of illness and suicidal behaviour being reduced and of aiding recovery.
We want to increase public awareness of childhood sexual abuse so that people will feel more comfortable about disclosing the experience at an earlier stage and thereby reduce the risk of longer-term damage to their physical and mental health. As Marilyn Livingstone said, citing Anne Macdonald, there is useful experience to draw on from the work on domestic abuse and other matters.
We have heard during the debate about the many difficulties that people who have been victims face. The problems are immense and the reference group intends to address them. There is an enormous need for people to work together and it is our expectation that that will happen.
Our approach is also reflected in what is being done through "Respect and Responsibility", the national sexual health strategy, which contains a number of actions to address issues related to sexual abuse, including issues for adult survivors.
As has been said—the number of ministers who were referred to at the outset reflects this—the effects of childhood sexual abuse are not the sole responsibility of the Health Department: they extend to the departments with responsibility for education, justice and communities. We recognise that barriers can exist between services and that overcoming them can be a challenge. I am convinced that the strategic approach that we have suggested is the best way to achieve that aim.
On the health and community care side, we will scope what community health partnerships and managed clinical network structures can do to make survivors aware of the benefits that they may be able to offer. We will also commission NHS Education for Scotland to undertake self-help training and public awareness raising.
I acknowledge the work that has been done by the cross-party group and by the short-life working group to create greater awareness and I welcome the continued support throughout the chamber for the work of the reference group in taking forward that agenda.
In the past four years, we have sought to listen to survivors, who I know have often felt that their needs have gone unrecognised, and to begin to dispel the many myths that surround sexual abuse and its impact on society as a whole. Those are challenging commitments. We are working towards them, but we recognise that we cannot afford to be complacent when dealing with these issues. The commitments are not end points or even horizons; they are markers in our progress towards the bigger purpose of enabling survivors to live their lives to the full. Nothing less than that should be our goal.
Meeting closed at 17:45.