The Lighthouse is the UK’s first Child House and is based on the international Barnahus model. It is run by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and the NSPCC. As part of the Lighthouse therapeutic services, the NSPCC offer the Letting the Future In intervention.

Background

In 2015, NHS England London commissioned the ‘Review of the pathway following Children’s Sexual Abuse (CSA) in London’. The review recommended the development of improved forensic services for children and young people at The Havens (London’s sexual assault referral centres), a pilot of the Child House model and, as a first step, the establishment of CSA hubs in London. In the same year, the Child House model was further recommended by the Children’s Commissioner for England.

In 2018, the Home Office, NHS England, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Department for Education funded a pilot Child House in North Central London.

In 2022, following a successful pilot, UCLH was commissioned to provide a sustainable Child House service – the Lighthouse, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and the NSPCC. The Lighthouse is funded by NHS England, North Central London Integrated Care Board, MOPAC and the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Everyone deserves to be safe and happy.”