The Development of Guidance for Responding to Disclosure of Non‐recent Child Sexual Abuse within a Large Provider of Health Services for Adults and Children

Abstract

In a large community health organisation, following high-proile cases of non-recent(historical) child sexual abuse, there was an increase in such disclosures and in uncertainties voiced by clinicians, both medical and non-medical, about the most appropriate response to them. Practitioners within the safeguarding children team realised that there was little clear practice guidance available on this subject. This paper explores the process of how guidance for responding to disclosure of non-recent child sexual abuse was developed and how, in the face of initial considerable anxiety and concern from clinicians, successful implementation was ultimately achieved.