Hot on the heels of the Communicating with Children Guide that we mentioned in the last newsletter, the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual abuse have published an initial trio of resources for professionals on their website.
The Supporting Parents and Carers Guide helps professionals to support parents and carers by:
• Explaining why parents and carers of abused children need support
• Outlining how professionals can support parents effectively
• Providing detailed advice to supporting parents and carers for professionals in particular roles and contexts
• Advising and encouraging professionals to look after their own well-being when working with families affected by child sexual abuse
With support from professionals, parents and carers will be better able to help their child by:
• Supporting them through the immediate and longer-term impacts of the abuse
• Providing – and encouraging – access to services and professional support
• Protecting their child from further abuse, especially in cases where a child doesn’t understand what they have experienced is abuse
• Ensuring their child feels believed and understands that their parents/carers do not blame them for the abuse or its consequences
• Creating a protective environment which is appropriate to their child’s needs and stage of development
This is the third in their new series of practice resources, designed by professionals for professionals to build knowledge, skills and confidence in identifying concerns of child sexual abuse; communicating with children and supporting parents and carers when there are concerns of child sexual abuse. This group of resources will be accompanied by a series of films explaining the need for and role of the resources. Keep an eye out for further resources, which will be published over the coming months!
