Barbara is calling on the Government to take action to ensure that all children who experience abuse receive the critical therapeutic support they need.

Barbara has pledged her support for the NSPCC’S “It’s Time” campaign which is calling on the Government to start counting the number of children who have been abused and who are in need of mental health support.

Every year the equivalent of two children in every primary school class experience abuse. Research has found that up to 90% of children who are abused at an early age will develop mental health problems by the time they are 18. Despite this, many children are not receiving the therapeutic support they need to rebuild their lives.

Barbara is criticising Ministers for failing to do enough to address the gap in mental health services and failing to meet the mental health needs of children and young people. She is calling on the Government to act to ensure that all children who have experienced abuse receive the help and support they need as quickly as possible.

Barbara said:

“I was deeply concerned to hear that many children who have experienced abuse are not receiving the critical mental health support they need until they reach crisis point. Even more worrying is that some children are receiving no help at all.

“Mental health services for children and young people must be improved, which is why I have pledged my support for the NSPCC’s “It’s Time” campaign. The charity is calling on the Government to start counting children who have been abused and who are in need of help. This information is urgently needed to address the current gap in mental health services. The Government must act on this. Access to this information would ensure that children who have lived through abuse receive the therapeutic support they need to help them to overcome the trauma of abuse and to be able to rebuild their lives.

“I will be putting pressure on the Government to take action to ensure that every child from Salford and from across the country who has experienced abuse, can receive the mental health support they need, when they need it.”