Identifying and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse

The Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) aims to reduce the impact of child sexual abuse through improved prevention and better response. 

We do this by collating and analysing existing research, policy, practice and the real experiences of those affected, and filling the gaps we identify with new research, insights and analysis.  We use this evidence and insight to develop new approaches and to create accessible resources for frontline professionals to use in practice. 

We are a multi-disciplinary team that works closely with key partners from academic institutions, local authorities, health, education, police and the voluntary sector.

This series of webinars aims to improve the knowledge, skills and confidence of social workers in working with children and families affected by child sexual abuse.  Focusing on five areas of work undertaken by the CSA Centre, which are particularly pertinent to social workers, each webinar will provide delegates with an understanding of the subject and introduce them to resources to use in practice.

You must book onto each webinar individually.

Webinar 4:  Supporting parents and carers – working with families affected by child sexual abuse

7th December 2023 12-1.30pm

For parents and carers, discovering that their child may have been sexually abused is one of the most devastating events they can experience.  Understandably, when we think about sexual abuse, we often think about the impact of the abuse on the individual child. However, it is important to remember that sexual abuse of a child affects the whole family and parents and carers are likely to feel overwhelmed by shock, anger, confusion and disbelief.

Working effectively with non-abusing parents and carers in cases of child sexual abuse is fundamental to the support and protection of children who are at risk of abuse or have been abused. This session will equip social workers with an understanding of the issues facing non-abusing parents/carers whose child has been sexually abused within or outside the family (including by the other parent/carer).  In reference to the CSA Centre’s Supporting Parents and Carers Guide, we will explore the impact of child sexual abuse on the whole family and best practice in engaging and supporting parents and carers. 

Webinar 5:  Managing risk and trauma after online offending

14th December 2023 12-1.30pm

In 2021, there were over 850 arrests across the UK for accessing child sexual abuse material, including sexual images of children under 18, every single month. Of these arrests, many individuals will have been likely to have children of their own or in their wider family. In fact, research shows that compared with those convicted of other forms of sexual offending, people who access child sexual abuse material are more likely to be married and have children.

For the partners of people who have offended in this way, discovering that the person they love has been viewing or sharing child sexual abuse content can bring feelings of shock, fear, and confusion. For children the impact can be devastating; they may feel ostracised at school and in their community, experience verbal abuse, miss their offending parent, or worry about what will happen to them. There is also a significantly increased risk of suicide among men arrested for these crimes - and so mitigating this risk is paramount for the whole family's wellbeing.

This session will introduce the CSA Centre’s new resource for social workers, providing the latest research and practice-led information to help you to confidently safeguard and support families at a time of great emotional distress.

Speaker Biography - Anna Glinski, Deputy Director, Knowledge and Practice Development

Anna is a qualified social worker and has worked within statutory front line child protection and specialist services as a practitioner and manager throughout her career. She specialised in child sexual abuse work, acting as an expert witness in the family courts on child sexual abuse cases. She was previously the CSA Centre's Practice Improvement Advisor for Social Work and, before that, the practice development lead for child sexual abuse within her local authority and contributed to local and regional service and policy development. Anna developed and led a multi-disciplinary specialist sexual abuse team, which provided assessments, interventions, supervision, consultation and training.

Anna is a member of the Children and Families Thematic Group at the British Association for Social Workers and co-chair of the Child Sexual Abuse Special Interest Group for the Association of Child Protection Professionals.  She is an Associate Tutor at the University of Sussex and is the Editor of NOTA News, the quarterly magazine for members of the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abuse.

BASW members who are unable to view a personalised message above are encouraged to log-in prior to booking for this event to ensure professional development is recorded within your membership record & to ensure you are able to attend for free.

Taster session available for non-members of BASW.* Non-members of BASW keen to learn more on the benefits of membership and receive updates on the valuable work we do are welcome to sign-up to our communication updates here. When you sign-up, you’ll automatically receive a registration code that can be used to waive the admin fee. 

*Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.