23. Working with young children (under 10) who display sexually inappropriate behaviours

Course overview

This course is designed for any professionals and carers responsible for the assessment, intervention and care of young children (under 10) who display sexually inappropriate or sexually abusive behaviours. It focuses on pre-adolescent children and explores their behaviour within the context of their age, development, and their experience of trauma, loss, separation and change. This course will assist those workers who undertake initial and core assessments, section 47 investigations, specialist assessments of sexually inappropriate behaviours and those involved in constructing and implementing child protection and care plans. It is also of use to carers who are responsible for the care of such children. It aims to help carers, professionals and agencies provide safe and therapeutic care and intervention for children and will focus on both assessment and intervention issues.

The course will 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 presentation, exercises, video and discussion and each participant will receive a handout pack.

Course aims

• To enable participants to distinguish between 'normal' sexual development and problematic sexual behaviours
  
  
• To help workers explore their feelings, values and personal issues about child sexuality
  
  
• To provide an understanding of why and how children develop sexually inappropriate behaviours
  
  
• To consider the impact of victim issues and the dynamics of trauma
  
  
• To consider intervention in the context of our knowledge about adult offenders
  
  
• To consider the feelings, needs and risks to carers
  
  
• To provide frameworks, tools and ideas for direct work with children and their carers / families
  
  
• 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