Whether you are seeking advice for yourself or because you are supporting someone you care about, you deserve to be treated with care and respect. Many people take time before they feel able to speak about abuse, especially when the person responsible held authority or influence. There is no single “right” way to respond, and no pressure to take any step before you feel ready.
At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we support survivors and families through civil abuse claims with sensitivity and discretion, while building cases carefully and thoroughly. Our work is recognised in the leading independent legal directories, with our personal injury team ranked in Tier 2 by The Legal 500 2026 and in Band 2 by Chambers & Partners 2026. The Legal 500 also highlights Bolt Burdon Kemp’s child abuse compensation claims team as the largest specialist team in the country, with “enormous depth, experience and expertise”. We also have strong links with specialist organisations supporting survivors, including NAPAC and SurvivorsUK.
If you would like to talk things through, we can arrange a confidential conversation. We will listen, answer your questions, and help you understand what options may be available.
What does “abuse by a person in a position of trust” mean?
A “position of trust” is a relationship where someone has authority, influence or responsibility over another person. That power imbalance can make it harder to refuse, leave, or report what is happening. In many situations, the issue is not only what the person did, but the way they used their role to gain access, control, or silence.
Many safeguarding and legal frameworks use the acronym PIPOT (Person in a Position of Trust) to describe this specific form or exploitation, which can arise in many settings, including:
- Healthcare and therapy (for example, a doctor, therapist, counsellor or psychiatrist)
- Education and training (teachers, tutors, lecturers)
- Sport and extracurricular activities (coaches and instructors)
- Faith settings (religious leaders)
- Care and support services (care workers, social workers)
- Professional relationships where someone is trusted with decisions or money (for example, a solicitor or trustee)
If the person who abused you is not mentioned here, but you feel they used a role of authority, influence or responsibility to take advantage of you, please get in touch and we can talk through whether a claim may be possible.
Who can a claim be made against?
In many position of trust cases, the claim is made against an organisation rather than only against the individual. That might be a school, hospital, local authority, care provider, sports club, religious body, or another institution.
There are two common reasons for this:
First, the law can hold an organisation responsible for abuse carried out by someone closely connected to it, such as an employee or someone in a role “like employment”. This is often known as vicarious liability. It is a way of recognising that organisations benefit from people acting in their name and must also take responsibility when those roles are abused.
Second, there may have been safeguarding failures. In some cases, warning signs were missed, concerns were not acted on, or systems did not protect the people they were meant to protect.
Every case is different. Our job is to work out who may be legally responsible and what the most sensible route is.
What can compensation cover?
While compensation may never fully reflect what you have been through, it can help acknowledge the impact of the abuse and make practical support possible. Depending on the circumstances, this may include the cost of therapy, counselling, treatment or medication, as well as the effect the abuse has had on your education, career and ability to earn. It can also take account of any care or support you need, including help at home, and the broader impact on your everyday life and wellbeing. Where someone in a trusted role has also exploited you financially, a claim may include those financial losses too. We will always talk this through with you carefully and realistically, without making assumptions about the outcome.
What to expect if you speak to us
The first conversation is simply a chance to talk things through in confidence. You can contact us for yourself, or because you are supporting someone you care about. Either way, there is no pressure to make a decision straight away, and you can share as much or as little as you feel able.
We will listen first. If it helps, you can start by telling us what feels most important to you now, whether that is what happened, the impact it has had, or the worry you are carrying. We may then ask a few gentle questions to understand the broad picture, such as who the person was, what role or authority they held, the setting involved, and roughly when things happened. You do not need to have perfect dates or documents to hand. Many people only have a general timeframe, fragments of memory, or a sense of how their life changed afterwards. That is enough to begin.
If it looks as though there may be a civil claim, we will explain what the next steps usually involve and why. This may include helping you obtain relevant records from an organisation, taking a statement at a pace that feels manageable, and considering expert evidence where appropriate, for example about psychological impact and what support may be needed. We will also talk to you about the practical issues people often worry about, such as privacy, whether a claim can be brought against an organisation, and how time limits may apply in your circumstances.
Some cases can be resolved through careful investigation and negotiation. Others need a more formal process. Whatever route is right, our role is to keep things clear so you understand what is happening and can make decisions with confidence. We will always be honest about what we can say early on and what needs fuller investigation before anyone can reach a view.
We know that funding is often one of the first concerns people raise. We will talk you through funding in plain English, including our “no win, no fee” agreements, so you understand what that means in practice so that you can make an informed choice.
Reporting to professional regulators
Some survivors want to explore whether concerns can be raised with a professional regulator or safeguarding body, particularly where the person still works in a trusted role.
If that is something you want to think about, we can explain the options in a calm and practical way, including what the process may involve and what to expect, while keeping the focus on your wellbeing and your preferences.
Contact us today
If you are thinking about bringing a claim for abuse by someone in a position of trust, or you are supporting a loved one who is, we know this can feel like a very difficult step. At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we approach these cases with care, discretion and respect, giving you the space to speak in confidence and at your own pace.
Our team brings together the sensitivity these claims require with the experience needed to investigate them thoroughly. Bolt Burdon Kemp is ranked in Tier 2 by The Legal 500 2026 and Band 2 by Chambers & Partners 2026, and The Legal 500 highlights our child abuse compensation claims team as the largest specialist team in the country, recognising its depth of experience and expertise. We also work closely with organisations supporting survivors, including NAPAC and SurvivorsUK, which reflects our wider understanding of the issues survivors and families may be facing.
When you contact us, we will listen carefully, explain your options in clear language, and talk you through the next steps so you can decide what feels right for you. There is no pressure and no obligation, just experienced legal advice from a team that understands how personal and sensitive these cases are.
