1. The need for increased provision of support for victims and survivors was a recurring theme in the Inquiry’s work. Support needs vary greatly and can change over time, triggered at different points in a victim’s lifetime, sometimes in unpredictable ways.^[1] Recovery is often a non-linear process and victims and survivors might need practical support about how to report abuse and obtain medical assistance, advocacy support as well as therapeutic support such as counselling and psychotherapy. Other issues of concern to victims and survivors include accommodation, education, benefits and general healthcare. Enabling access to records also has a clear support function, with many victims and survivors considering that their recovery was dependent on being able to understand their history.

2. Timely and effective support, particularly therapeutic support, can make a significant difference to recovery. It is therefore vital that the government guarantees that appropriate support is available. To achieve this, the Inquiry makes two recommendations: to introduce a national guarantee that child victims of sexual abuse will be offered timely specialist therapeutic support, and to require further guidance about the retention of and access to records about child sexual abuse.