13. Caring for young children (under 10) who display sexually inappropriate behaviours: an introductory course for foster carers
Course overview
This course is designed for foster carers and professionals supporting and working with carers. It focuses primarily on the care of younger, pre-adolescent children and will be of use to experienced or new carers. It is recommended that participants should attend the earlier course on 'Understanding Child Sexual Abuse and Trauma'.
The course aims to help carers and practitioners distinguish between 'normal' sexual development and those behaviours that elicit adult concerns and present a risk to the child or others. It will focus upon explaining why children develop such behaviour; assessment skills; assessment and intervention work with children and carers; the needs and feelings of children, carers and professionals; intervention and risk management strategies; and on how to provide safe and therapeutic care environments for children. The course will involve a mixture of taught material, exercises, demonstrations and handouts.
Course aims
- To enable participants to distinguish between 'normal' sexual development
and problematic sexual behaviours.
- To help carers explore their feelings, values and personal issues
about child sexuality
- To provide an understanding of why and how children develop sexualised
behaviours
- To consider the needs of children who have 'dual status' as 'victim'
and 'abuser
- To consider intervention in the context of our knowledge about adult
offenders
- To consider the feelings, needs and risks to carers
- To explore barriers to communication with sexualised children and
their families (including working with denial)
- To help participants identify and evaluate risk.
- To provide ideas for risk management and safe care.
- To help practitioners identify when specialist assessment / intervention
is required
- To consider the requirements of child protection procedures
For further information and to discuss your individual needs please contact the Training Co-ordinator on 01527 591922 or email: training@lucyfaithfull.org.uk