The Lighthouse is a service serving the five north central London boroughs offering a safe space to support children and young people (CYP), aged up to 18, in their recovery from sexual abuse or exploitation. It also supports adults aged 18-25 with learning disabilities if the service best meets their needs.

The Lighthouse focuses on getting CYP the right help at the right time, by putting all the services needed to respond to sexual abuse under one roof. Medical, therapeutic, ISVA and child and family support is delivered from one child-friendly place, providing a coordinated approach to supporting CYP.

The service is provided by University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and NSPCC to provide the Letting the Future In service as part of the wider therapeutic offer. 

Following significant evaluation of the Lighthouse pilot (2018-21), the service has been commissioned to support approximately 220 CYP per year. 

The level of support offered to children will be determined by a multi-disciplinary team on a case-by-case basis depending on the complexity of the case and the individual’s needs. In broad terms, this could be:

• consultation to the professionals network already actively engaged with the CYP to provide expertise and advice around sexual abuse
• multi-disciplinary assessment at the Lighthouse, followed by recommendations, which could lead to a shorter or longer-term MDT intervention at the Lighthouse.

Consultation criteria

• CYP is already actively engaged with professional network who are providing health, education and emotional wellbeing support
• there is a need for expertise and advice to the professionals’ network regarding sexual abuse
• local services could support the CYP and family with the right level of support from the Lighthouse; including attendance at Strategy Meetings, professionals meetings and individual/group consultation to the child’s network
• the CYP’s experience of CSA forms part of a range of wider complexities in their life which are a greater priority at this time; therefore sexual abuse needs to be considered as part of a wider care plan in the first instance.
• a referral may be considered in the future, and advice is needed to enable the CYP to be safely seen at the Lighthouse.

Lighthouse assessment criteria

• a holistic, multi-professional assessment and support from a specialist CSA service is required. The service is unlikely to provide a single professional assessment
• the experience of CSA has had a significant impact on the CYP’s emotional wellbeing and physical health
• there is an open police investigation and the CYP would benefit from child-friendly justice in the Lighthouse
• the local services are not appropriate or sufficient to meet the CYP’s needs
• it is agreed that support from the Lighthouse is appropriate and timely as part of the CYP’s wider care plan
• the CYP needs specialist sexual health support because of their age
• CSA disclosures should be reported to the police prior to an assessment taking place.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

• CYP aged 0-18, up to 25 for young people with learning disabilities
• recent and non-recent sexual abuse, outside of the forensic medical window
• any type of sexual abuse and assault, regardless of what happened or who the assailant was
• resident in or under the care of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington

Each referral will be triaged to define the minimum level of input required against our referral criteria. The triage process will include liaison with professionals and use of standardised screening measures.

Exclusions

• CYP requiring acute forensic medical examination. These CYP will be referred to the CYP Havens
• CYP who have experienced CSA, and who also engage in harmful sexual behaviours, or are at high risk of sexual offending, without the prior agreement of commissioners. These CYP will be signposted to suitable HSB services
• Those where an exploratory interview is required to determine whether or not sexual abuse has occurred, and to provide an opportunity for disclosure. The Lighthouse will support social care colleagues through consultations in the community undertaking direct work with the CYP
• CYP currently requiring a CAMHS crisis intervention or intensive adolescent mental health support in order to stabilise and address clinical risk issues (Getting Risk Support within the Thrive model) as their primary presenting need.

The Lighthouse recognises that there is an ongoing risk of unmet demand, and this risk will be continually reviewed with commissioners and local providers.

How to Refer

Locations

The Lighthouse