Training

Click Path to Protection

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The Click Path to Protection: Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA) remains a model of intervention designed to equip practitioners from all fields with the knowledge, and skills to enhance their response to all forms of online sexual abuse. The course referenced in research (1) encourages a development of practice that can be applied within existing frameworks when working with children, young people and families. The learning throughout is a blend of lived experience, practice experience of those at MCF and research, with a key element of the course reflecting the charities ethos, that no matter what we do, we do no further harm. 

The training sessions can be delivered to multi-agency groups or individual organisations and will cover different aspects including, discovered and disclosed abuse, TACSA impact, victim blaming practice and support needs. Participants will hear survivors share their experiences by highlighting the significance professionals can play during their recovery. Victims and survivors will also reflect on the occasions when an officer or practitioner helped with their recovery through their interaction and how this increased their confidence during the investigation or intervention. 

Effective Communication with Children

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Difficult conversation with children is never easy, especially when the discussion is of a sensitive nature.

Research into professionals’ confidence and understanding of the importance of obtaining the ‘child’s voice’ shows that a significant proportion of professionals either do not see it as a priority or expressed low confidence in this area.

Therefore, the Marie Collins Foundation has developed a half day facilitated training course on effective communication and engagement with children within an evidential framework. This course aim to increase delegates confidence and knowledge around initiating conversations and barriers to effective communication. The course was designed on current established theories regarding communicating with children, and participants will have the opportunity to understand some of the key principles to communication, and identify techniques that will enhance their practice.

Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB)

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In our role working alongside children, young people, parents, and carers we often talk about behaviour being a form of communication, yet when it comes to sexualised behaviours it is not always spoken of so easily. We might find it difficult, embarrassing even to talk about sex; concerned about what to say, how to say it and whether we are doing the right thing. 

Since Ofsted released the Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges in 2021 highlighting that sexual harassment an online sexual abuse in schools ‘are so commonplace that [victims] see no point in reporting them’ it is evident just how important it is that we talk about sexual behaviours. 

The Marie Collins Foundation has designed a one-day training course around Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) with the aim of expanding practitioner knowledge of harmful sexual behaviours and increasing confidence in our response whilst doing no further harm. The course will focus on the working holistically with the complexities of HSB with an emphasis on technological influences, ensuring we hear the voice of victims and survivors through all that we do.