Family Support

Support for Families

At Trust House Lancashire we understand that providing support to loved ones following sexual abuse or rape can be really difficult. Knowing that someone you care about has been hurt may leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to best support them.  It’s really important for survivors to have support around so you being there is really important. Receiving concerned and supportive responses from friends and family can make a real difference to their recovery.

Even though you may not always know what to say or do to help, it’s okay to not have all the answers; non-judgmental listening and simply being there can be all that is needed to make a difference.

It’s important to let your loved one know that you care, that they are not to blame, and that you believe in them. There are no quick fixes for recovering from sexual abuse or violence, be patient. 

It’s normal for family members and supporters to experience their own sense of shock, anger and devastation about what has happened to someone they care about.   It’s important to look after yourself and address your own feelings. Acknowledge the impact on yourself, and get in touch with us if you need additional help. Looking after your own needs will enable you to better support your loved one.

We offer counselling to parents, partners and supporters of individuals that have been subject to sexual violence or abuse.  You can telephone us on 01772 825288 or email us on support@trusthouselancs.org for a referral or for some advice and guidance.

Trust House has Specialist Family Support Workers who work with non-abusing family members to support them and their child’s recovery following sexual abuse.  

Holistic support includes 1:1 work with the child or young person providing a safe space in which they can recover from the trauma.  There will be a practical element of this supporting the child and/ or parents to address any wider issues that have arisen as a result of their abuse; this may be school issues, or family and wider relationship issues.  Children and young people will have access to therapeutic support where this is needed such as play therapy or counselling. We recognise that in order for children to recover from their experience family members and siblings also need support.  We work with parents to equip them with the knowledge and understanding of what their child might be going through and how to respond confidently to this recognising their child’s needs. We’ll equip parents and carers with the tools and knowledge to support their child’s recovery from abuse and our team will ensure that any additional support such as criminal justice support is in place where an investigation is taking place.

If a child in your family has been affected by abuse and you’d like to be referred for support, you can get in touch with us directly on 01772 825288 or support@trusthouselancs.org or speak to any agency that is already working with you e.g. social care, the police or victim’s services and ask for a family referral to Trust House.