Abuse victims forced to wait for counselling

CHILD abuse survivors have complained of delays in accessing State-run counselling services because of waiting lists for appointments.

One in three people seeking to use the services are forced to wait up to six months to be allocated a regular counsellor after their initial meeting to assess their needs.

Half of those found the delay upsetting as it came while they were feeling vulnerable after disclosing painful childhood experiences during the initial meeting. However, despite some problems arranging prompt sessions, the quality of service provided has been rated very highly, with 83% of clients reporting the experience has helped them deal with the difficulties stemming from their childhood ordeals.

Almost 6,000 people have been referred to the National Counselling Service (NCS) since it was set up in 2000 to provide counselling free of charge to anyone who had suffered abuse as a child, but particularly those abused in orphanages, industrial schools and other institutions. A survey conducted on behalf of the service found over 90% of respondents had high praise for the sensitivity, trustworthiness and listening abilities of their counsellor.

Complaints were limited mainly to accessibility of services, with one in three people surveyed saying they had trouble knowing where to go to contact services and recommending more publicity to generate public awareness.

Some users also expressed reservations about the location of services and felt their anonymity was compromised when counsellors were based in health centres, hospitals or other very public places. Others said they had difficulty using public transport while visibly upset in the immediate aftermath of an emotional session.

In response to the issues raised in the survey, the ten health boards running the services are coming together to set up a national telephone helpline for survivors to use for additional support while waiting for counselling or between sessions.

The helpline, to be funded by the Department of Health, will be available on a round-the-clock basis by December. A spokesman for the NSC said the ten regional directors were also looking at ways to speed up the appointments system.