Childhood sexual abuse is prevalent in the UK. A 2020 study found that most victims and survivors have not accessed support services and, of those who have, most experienced delays and rated them inadequate. I want to support others to recover by looking at specialist support services in New Zealand and considering how lessons might be applied by UK statutory and voluntary agencies.

I am currently the Criminal Justice Evidence and Change Lead at the Youth Endowment Fund, a What Works Centre which aims to prevent children becoming involved in violence. I was previously Head of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit in His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service.

Through my Fellowship I hope to develop feasible recommendations as to how best practice developed in New Zealand might be adapted by UK service providers. I plan to develop templates for success measures and milestones for recovery that reflect the diversity of experiences, and interpretation and impact of experiences, while making it easier for statutory and voluntary support providers to be ambitious and accountable for the accessibility and quality of service provision.