“We need mental health support, for as long as it is needed.”

On Budget day, Imkaan calls for investment in mental health support that understands Black and minoritised survivors’ needs and lasts for as long as it is needed.

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One hundred days into Andy Burnham’s government, the Budget is an opportunity to put resources behind the needs of Black and minoritised survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG). This means investing in the people who provide mental health support, the training that informs their responses, and the specialist organisations survivors rely on.

Survivor activist Sylvie’s call to Government brings these priorities into focus:

“It would help to have people who look like us within the services, who can help signpost us.”

Her words highlight the importance of representation within mental health services. She calls on Government to: “Invest in opportunities and resources for Black and brown people to get into mental health services, so there are more people for us to see”

Alongside a more representative workforce, Sylvie identifies the need for staff across services to understand and respond to Black and minoritised survivors’ experiences: “It would also be great to have training for everyone, regardless of race, about how Black and brown survivors present.”

Survivors have different experiences and support needs. Recognising those differences must be part of how mental health services work, supported by investment in training that helps staff respond appropriately.

Funding must reach specialist support

Meeting survivors’ needs also requires examining which services receive funding, and which do not.

Imkaan’s Out of Sight, Out of Mind report (2026) highlights a gap in the commissioning of specialist therapeutic support. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests were sent to all 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England. Of the 41 that responded, none reported commissioning a specialist ‘by and for’ VAWG service to provide therapeutic support for Black and minoritised victim-survivors.

Integrated Care Boards help plan and fund NHS services locally. Their commissioning decisions matter to whether survivors can access specialist support, and whether specialist Black and minoritised women’s organisations have the resources to provide it.

Funding must reach these organisations through long-term partnerships that enable them to support survivors for as long as that support is needed.

What Government must do

Sylvie’s call and the research findings point to three priorities for Government.

• Invest in people. Resource a more representative mental health workforce and training that helps staff recognise and respond to Black and minoritised survivors’ needs.

• Fund specialist support. Ensure ICBs fund and work with specialist Black and minoritised VAWG services through long-term partnerships.

• Strengthen oversight. Monitor whether Black and minoritised survivors can access the mental health support they need.

These priorities must be backed by resources and accountability. The Budget is an opportunity for Government to demonstrate how it will support services to meet survivors’ needs and sustain that support.

Being believed matters. So does support that lasts. The Budget must help make both possible.

Explore our Out of Sight, Out of Mind campaign, including the full report and our joint letter to Government for the evidence and our calls for change. Share the campaign and help hold Government and health commissioners accountable for ensuring Black and minoritised survivors can access the support they need.