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Adult survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation are to get a formal advisory role in shaping government policy. The Government announced on 26 October 2026 that it will fund a new panel, run independently by the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales, to carry survivors experiences and recommendations straight to ministers.
Up to £1 million will be spent over the next three years. The panel is expected to begin work in spring 2027, once the Victims Commissioner has opened recruitment to the public.
At a Glance
- The Government will invest up to £1 million over three years to fund a new Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Victim and Survivor Advisory Panel.
- The panel will be operated by the independent Victims Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman OBE, not by a government department.
- Public recruitment of members is due to open shortly, and the panel is expected to start its work in spring 2027.
- Adult survivors who feel able to take part are being encouraged to apply.
- The announcement sits alongside £100 million this year to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation and £550 million over three years for victim support services.
What the New Child Abuse Survivors Panel Will Do
The body is formally called the CSAE Victim and Survivor Advisory Panel. According to the Government, it will give survivors a safe and supportive forum to share their experiences, insights and recommendations directly with government, with the stated aim of producing better outcomes for victims and survivors.
The panel delivers on an existing government commitment to make sure real, lived experience shapes how child sexual abuse and exploitation, known as CSAE, is tackled. The announcement says it was developed in partnership with victims and survivors, and draws on evidence and expertise from the child sexual abuse sector as well as successful international examples.
Satvir Kaur MP, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, framed the change plainly. She said victims and survivors know better than anyone what changes are needed, yet too many decisions are still made for them instead of with them.
Why the Victims Commissioner Is Running It
Hosting the panel in the Office of the Victims Commissioner, rather than inside a Whitehall department, is a deliberate choice. Claire Waxman OBE, the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales, said the panel would be built on independence, trust, transparency and proper support, so members can contribute knowing their voices will influence change.
She also said survivors have been clear that they want to be listened to, not spoken for, and described the panel as a chance to move beyond tokenistic engagement towards a meaningful role in shaping the policies, practices and services that affect them. Her message to potential applicants was direct, if you are an adult survivor and feel able to, consider applying.
Duncan Craig OBE, chief executive of We Are Survivors and a member of the Commissioner's Victim Sector Advisory Board, said the office was the right home for the panel because lived experience has always been central to its work. He spoke as a victim of CSAE himself, alongside his leadership of a victims organisation.
How the Panel Is Expected to Take Shape
- The Victims Commissioner will open recruitment to the public shortly after the announcement.
- Adult survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation who feel able to take part can apply.
- The panel is expected to begin its work in spring 2027.
- Government funding of up to £1 million covers the first three years of operation.
What Rape Crisis, NAPAC and the NSPCC Said About the Panel
The Government's announcement carries a long list of supportive statements from the sector. Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis England and Wales, said survivors bring vital knowledge and that she hopes their involvement leads to practical improvements and holds government to account.
Gabrielle Shaw, chief executive of NAPAC, said the panel presents a powerful opportunity to ensure national policy is directly shaped by survivors, and commended the work done to prioritise ethical engagement and survivor wellbeing. Anna Edmundson of the NSPCC said the charity welcomes the commitment to putting lived experience at the heart of how society, public services and government respond.
Dr Daniel Taggart, a reader in clinical psychology at the University of Essex, pointed to the earlier survivors consultative panel at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. His own research into lived experience panels, he said, shows survivor knowledge brings something unique to policy work.
Several smaller organisations also contributed. Mankind UK said its Lived Experience Network helped shape the panel and welcomed the Commissioner's assurance that male survivors voices can keep influencing access to support services. Restitute said it hopes the panel includes people who continue to struggle and whose voices are heard less often, not only those who have made a significant recovery.
£100m and £550m, How the Panel Fits Wider Abuse Funding
The Government says the announcement shows its commitment to cracking down on child sexual abuse and exploitation. It describes £100 million this year as record funding to tackle CSAE in all its forms, support victims and survivors, strengthen the police response, and pursue offenders. We covered that package in our explainer on the £100 million grooming gangs funding.
Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Victims, Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls and International Justice, said the Government is also investing an unprecedented £550 million in support services over the next three years. She said that includes holistic, trauma informed support for victims of sexual abuse. That wider victim support money is the same national scheme that is funding local services, as we reported when West Yorkshire received £11.4 million.
How to Apply for the Survivors Advisory Panel
Applications are not open yet. The Victims Commissioner will open recruitment to the public shortly, according to the Government, so the panel can begin work in spring 2027. The announcement is aimed at adult survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation who feel able to take part, and details of how to apply are expected from the Commissioner's office, whose website is listed in the sources below.
Panel Size, Pay and Powers, What Isn't Confirmed Yet?
The release leaves some practical questions open. It does not say how many members the panel will have, how long individual terms will last, whether members will be paid, or how ministers will be required to respond to the panel's recommendations. Those details may matter to survivors deciding whether to apply.
It also does not give a firm recruitment date beyond saying the process will open shortly. The spring 2027 start is the Government's stated expectation, not a fixed deadline. This article is based on the Government's announcement and the statements it contains, so it does not assess how the panel will work in practice.
Key Takeaways
- The new CSAE Victim and Survivor Advisory Panel will be funded with up to £1 million over three years and hosted by the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales.
- The panel will let adult survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation share experiences and recommendations directly with government.
- Recruitment is due to open to the public shortly, with the panel expected to start its work in spring 2027.
- Claire Waxman OBE says the panel will be built on independence, trust, transparency and proper support for its members.
- The announcement does not yet confirm panel size, member terms, pay or how government will respond to its recommendations.