ACROSS North Wales, children as young as four whose lives may have been turned upside down by sexual abuse are being helped to rebuild their lives with the support of a dedicated team of NSPCC Cymru workers.

The charity’s Letting the Future In programme helps children and young people who have been sexually abused come to terms with what has happened to them and support them to move on in a positive way.

In 2019/20 there were more than 3,700 child sex offences recorded by police in Wales – the equivalent of 10 a day, highlighting the need for a Welsh Government Child Sexual Abuse Strategy beyond 2021 and therapeutic support programmes like Letting the Future In.

Every week children’s service practitioners like Emma Roberts work with families across the six northern counties.

Since 2013, the Letting the Future In team has supported 229 children, young people and safe carers in North Wales.

“When children come through our door they either want you to fix them or think that because they have lived with this abuse that they are damaged or broken and that there’s nothing that can be done,” said Emma.

“What we do is provide a safe space for children and young people to explore, question and understand the past events of their lives so we can support their emotional and developmental recovery.”

Reflecting on the children and young people she has worked with over the course of almost seven years, she said: “Shame is one of the biggest emotions we help children and young people to overcome, but also vulnerability, embarrassment, anxiety and anger.

“Parents and carers might comment that their child is very aggressive and angry, but when you start to unpick it, it is actually hurt, disappointment and upset.

“Whilst some children display a lot of emotion, others are completely withdrawn and dissociating.

"You would look at them and think that everything was fine. They nod and smile and present like there is nothing about the world that frightens them.

“It’s only by developing a trusting relationship with children over time that you can start to understand and discover that there is an awful lot more going on for that young person.”

Practitioners work with children aged between four and 17 in weekly sessions for up to a year, but it can be longer depending on the child’s needs.

Opening up about how the therapeutic sessions run both remotely and at the children’s charity’s Prestatyn base, Emma said: “Often children don’t have the words to express how they are feeling or what has happened to them.

"Sometimes they have been shut off from their emotions for such a long time because they are trying to self-preserve and they haven’t been able to address their trauma.

“We can help by teaching them more effective coping strategies to help them develop a healthy sense of self and a feeling of well-being.

"We use toys, sand trays, puppets and creative arts to enable children to express how they are feeling, and at the moment because of the pandemic we have an individual resource pack for each child.”

The life-changing work has not stopped during the pandemic and it is anticipated the need for the service will grow as disclosures are made following extensive periods at home for many children and young people.

“For me, one of the most worrying things is that lots of people still think that being at home is safe,” said Emma.

“We are hearing this a lot around the pandemic – stay home and stay safe.

"Unfortunately staying home for some children doesn’t mean staying safe.

"We need to be looking at the emotional wellbeing of children and young people in our communities because we all have a responsibility to keep children safe.”

Even before the pandemic, research in the UK evidenced that one in 20 young people has been forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities, often by someone they know.

Sometimes children won’t understand that what’s happened to them is sexual abuse.

It isn’t always physical – it happens online too – and children may not realise it is wrong.

Children can be referred to the Letting the Future In programme via professionals as well as the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We are committed to working with safeguarding partners to do everything we can to prevent and tackle child sex abuse, in all its forms, and to support children who have been subjected to such abuse.

“Our national action plan sets out clear actions to prevent child sexual abuse, to protect children at risk and to support abused children. It was published in 2019 and actions are to be completed by 31 December 2021.

"The existing plan sets out the next steps which would then be taken, including considering evidence from a review of its implementation, in consultation with stakeholders, to decide on next steps.”

For more information about the Letting the Future In programme in North Wales contact northwales@nspcc.org.uk or 01745 772100.

Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000. Adult victims of non-recent sexual abuse can also get in touch for support.

Childline is available for young people on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.