Working With Young People Who Display Harmful Sexual Behaviour 1 - Foundation  (A Level 3 Course)

Course Outline

This one-day course will take participants through the B&NES protocol, assessment model and therapeutic resources for young abusers and their families. The day will also cover multi-agency approaches to intervention, support and service planning.

Aims/Objectives

• To highlight factors that can lead to sexually abusive behaviour in young people.
• To review current research as a basis for informing practice
• To consider the needs of young people who abuse
• To provide information on local mechanisms for assessing and working with young people who abuse and their families
• To look at therapeutic interventions and resources for young abusers in B&NES
• To promote a multi-agency approach to assessing and working with young people who abuse.

Learning Outcomes – at the end of this course participants will:

• Understand the factors/experiences that may contribute to sexually abusive behaviour in a young person
• Be aware of the current research underpinning this area of work
• Be aware of the B&NES protocol for working with young abusers
• Be able to consider the needs of young people who abuse in the context of the multi-agency assessment tool
• Understand their individual/agency role, and the role of others, within the assessment process, therapeutic interventions to address risk and in the provision of services to this client group.

Target Staff

All staff involved in providing services for children and their families in BANES, including managers and front line staff. Participants should be involved with child protection as part of their work and must have completed the Child Protection Practice and Procedures course prior to attending.

Trainers

Jacqui Sayers, Project Leader, Keepsafe, and a representative from the Youth Offending Team.

Related Common Core of Knowledge and Skills

Effective communication and engagement with children, young people, their families and carers

Listening and building empathy

• Understand the role and value of families and carers as partners in supporting children to achieve positive outcomes.

Consultation and negotiation

• Consult the child, young person, parent or carer from the beginning of the process.
• Identify what each party hopes to achieve in order to reach the best possible and fair conclusion for the child or young person.
• Understand the key role and value of parents and carers; know when to refer them to further sources of information, advice and support.
• Inform, involve and help the child or young person to assess different courses of action, understand the consequences of each and, where appropriate, agree next steps.

Child and young person development

Be clear about your own job role

• Have a broad knowledge of the laws and key policy areas related to children.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

Relate, Recognise and take considered action

• Give the child or young person the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting them as appropriate to age and ability and taking their wishes and feelings into account.
• Understand what is meant by safeguarding and the different ways in which children and young people can be harmed (including by other children and young people and through the internet).

Communication, recording and reporting

• Being able to recognise when a child or young person is in danger or at risk of harm and take action to protect them.
• Undertake (formal or informal) assessments and be alert to concerns about a child or young person’s safety or welfare, including unexplained changes in behaviour and signs of abuse or neglect.

Legal and procedural frameworks

• Have awareness and basic knowledge, where appropriate of the most current legislation.
• Know about Government and local guidance and procedure and how they apply to the wider working environment.

Multi-agency working

Know how to make queries

• Have a general knowledge and understanding of the range of organisations and individuals working with children, young people and those caring for them, and be aware of the roles and responsibilities of other professionals.

Procedures and working methods

• Understand the way that partner services operate – their procedures, objectives, role and relationships – in order to work effectively alongside them.

Communication and teamwork

• Work in a team context, forging and sustaining relationships across agencies and respecting the contribution of others working with children, young people and families.