WORK to improve the support for children who are the victims of sexual abuse will begin this week.

Julia Mulligan was re-elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire last month, and pledged to improve forensic examination services for children who have been sexually assaulted, provide new support for parents and families affected by child sexual exploitation, and extend support services for children.

She aims to address a situation that can see police having to drive local children who have been sexually assaulted on long journeys to get a medical examination needed to prosecute their abuser.

Adults who have been sexually assaulted currently undergo a forensic examination which is available 24 hours a day at York’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which typically means they get help within 90 minutes.

In contrast, children who have been sexually assaulted are referred to York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to see a specially trained paediatrician as part of a service that only operates between 12 noon and 4pm weekdays.

Because of its limited hours, children sometimes have to wait to be seen or are sent as far afield as Manchester.

Mrs Mulligan said she had taken part in discussions last week, with more expected in coming weeks, and outlined research being done to help determine the future of care in the region.

She said research was set to begin with victims and staff at York Hospital next week which will last for about a month.

Mrs Mulligan said the research will look at the service people have received and "assess if there are any gaps or if things need to be delivered in a different way".

She said: "As part of commissioning process for the service we are very keen to find out how people feel about the experience they have had - both from victims and people who care for them. We will be talking to victims at the hospital and trying to understand more fully what they need from the service and to make sure the service put in place meets their needs."

Whoever the new service provider is, a new contract must be in place by April 2017.