News and Resources

Life Support Productions

Just released, The Primary Guide to Growing Up, Relationships and Sex as part of the range of SRE/PSHE DVDs. Based on the popular SRE DVD for older children and young people 'The New Guide to Relationships and Sex', the new title is specially tailored to the needs of primary aged children.

To celebrate the new release they have reduced the prices of all DVDs (including titles for people with learning disabilities). To order online please visit www.lifesupportproductions.co.uk/order.php.

Please visit the website www.lifesupportproductions.co.uk  for more details, online previews etc. To preview The Primary Guide to Growing Up, Relationships and Sex please use the user name preview and password scl1077.

Wilf Parsons
Life Support Productions
PO Box 2127
London NW1 6RZ
t/f 020 7723 7520
www.lifesupportproductions.co.uk

Good Practice guide for those involved in Serious Case Reviews where there are parrallel criminal proceedings, drafted by John Fox

These are the aims as stated in the guidance:

  • Enhance understanding between the Parties about the process of a serious case review and how it may affect the conduct of a criminal investigation/ prosecution.
  • Build on the principles contained in Chapter 8 of the Government Guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010) by providing a suggested operational framework for requesting a delay in all or part of the SCR Process, or an alteration to the planned activity of the SCR Review Team.
  • Provide a suggested framework between the parties for the sharing and exchange of relevant information generated by serious case reviews and a criminal prosecution

The finished product has been adopted and endorsed by ACPO and the CPS as well as Herefordshire and Bedfordshire LSCB's.

Please click on this link to read the full guide

Researching Family Involvemet in Serious Case Reviews

Relatively little is currently known about the family experiences of participation, the differing local arrangements and the components of good practice in this challenging area. BASPCAN is funding research which aims to address some of the learning needs arising from the expectations of participation and in so doing also seeks to ensure harmful policies and practices are avoided. 

For full details and information on how to get involved please view the full information sheet .

University of Nottingham logo UEA logo


Action for Children

We are pleased to announce the findings from our latest research evaluating the outcomes for children and families who have suffered the trauma of sexual abuse and have received therapeutic services from Action for Children.

This independent evaluation was commissioned by Action for Children with funding from the DCSF and has been undertaken by Esther Coren from Canterbury Christ Church University.  The aims were to evaluate the effectiveness of our working practices and provide empirical evidence of outcomes for children/young people who have received child sexual abuse support services.

The outcomes have been defined by practitioners and this report makes a relevant and significant contribution to the existing evidence base.  The study highlights the impact that sexual abuse can have, the need for early intervention and an increase in therapeutic support services is needed.

Key findings include:

  • Demand for services currently outstrips supply.
  • A range of different therapeutic approaches is the best way to meet individual child and family needs.
  • Between the baseline assessment and the follow up, statistically significant improvements occurred in the deplay of sexualised behaviour and self-harming behaviour.  There was also a slight decrease in the number of children involved with other therapeutic services.  These variables were assessed using the baseline and follow up forms provided by Canterbury Christ Church University and were completed by therapists.
  • The same forms also showed significantly lower numbers of children/young people displaying violent and/or aggressive behaviour, and experiencing sleep problems and nightmares.
  • Mental health symptoms, social relationships and emotions and feelings were assessed using the SDQ.  Significant decreases were found in the total difficulties experienced by young people and the negative impact that these difficulties had on their daily lives was also significantly reduced.  The SDQ also indicated fewer emotional problems following the therapeutic intervention.  

You can find the research on our website research pages or follow the link to the full report and the summary document here:

www.actionforchildren.org.uk/research

If you would like to know more about this research or the work of the Safe and Secure network please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sarah Leitch Service Manager


Latest Childline Casenote from the NSPCC

ChildLine Casenotes is a series of reports based on analysis of calls to ChildLine, a free confidential helpline for children and young people in the UK provided by the NSPCC.


'Children talking to ChildLine about loneliness' is the latest report, published in March 2010, and is based on detailed analysis of calls to ChildLine about loneliness from April 2008 to March 2009. Click here to read Children talking to ChildLine about loneliness (PDF, 384KB).