New course for professionals on non-recent child sexual abuse disclosure

The online training, that has been co-produced with survivors and professionals, is now open for booking

We have just opened bookings for our pioneering new course – Child sexual abuse disclosure: how to support adult survivors. This vital online training aims to support professionals and volunteers in their understanding of the impact of child sexual abuse and the barriers that may prevent disclosure.

Co-produced in collaboration with the Tavistock Trauma Service, a Lived Experience Advisory Panel of survivors (LEAP) and the Network for the Promotion of Change: NRSCA, the course represents a significant step forward in understanding the impact of child sexual abuse on survivors, families, organisations and society. Our professionals with expertise in this area want to share this understanding with individuals so that they can recognise, and respond in a helpful way, to disclosures of non-recent child sexual abuse in their work.

The training has been developed in the context of a growing recognition of the reality of child sexual abuse in our society. The Jimmy Savile scandal and subsequent police investigations, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and The Truth Project have all highlighted the wide range of institutions in which sexual abuse occurred, and contributed to an increased awareness.

According to the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 7.5% of adults aged 18 to 74 years in England and Wales have experienced some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16, amounting to around 3.1 million people. Elsewhere, it has been estimated that at least one in ten children in England and Wales are sexually abused before the age of 16 (Karsna and Kelly, 2021).

Laura Salter, Course Lead and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust said: “There is a growing survivor movement which contributes to the work being done in trauma-informed care in health, social care and education, as well as strengthening the voice of the survivor in the community. However, we still know many people do not disclose and potential opportunities are lost. This training will provide professionals with a better understanding of survivors and what professionals can do to support them in disclosing sexual abuse in their work setting.”

All professionals come into contact with survivors every day of their working lives, even though they may not realise this because many survivors choose not to mention their history of child sexual abuse – making this course relevant for any professional who wants to learn more, and for any organisations who may be interested in providing guidance to their staff. The self-study format has been carefully designed so that learners can participate in the course at a time, pace and location that suits them. Learners will benefit from a blend of video interviews, interactive sessions, reflective activities, poems and artwork – placing lived experience, and the voices of survivors and their needs, at the heart of the content.

Laura Salter added: “We bring our unique experience of working with survivors in the Trauma Service here at the Tavistock, as well as our connection with organisations and survivor groups that are committed to improving the quality of the dialogue between survivors and professionals. I am really pleased and privileged to be involved in bringing together the many different voices that have contributed to this course.  I know that through putting this course together, I have learnt an enormous amount which has had a big impact on my thinking and practice.”

Dr Susanna Alyce, Trauma Consultant and Therapist, said: “Co-production is often spoken about and, in my experience as a child sexual abuse survivor, rarely well executed. We survivors have felt valued and respected in all aspects of the design and delivery of this important training resource. It has been wonderful to feel valued and powerful in shaping the training in a way that centres survivors’ experiences, and honours our wishes. We hope as a learner you will see immediately and clearly how it is our lives that speak to you from your screen.”