CCATS offer psychoeducational work to assist in the safeguarding of children from sexually harmful behaviour, by supporting the caregiver in maximising an understanding of risk and safety monitoring. The work is based on the empirically supported Connections programme, written by Jill Levenson (Social Worker) and Dr. John Morin (Psychologist).
The work generally takes place over eight sessions and is delivered by an experienced CCATS therapist. The first session typically introduces the programme, seeks informed consent to take part, and a pre-assessment. The following sessions cover a range of issues, including:
- Prevalence of sexual offending and the reasons why some people sexually offend;
- Differences between healthy sex and abusive sex;
- The immediate and long-term effects of sexual abuse on children and families;
- Offence cycles, denial, and grooming;
- Guidance on protecting children from sexual abuse generally;
- Development of a collaborative safety plan, including risk management;
- Completing reviews of this safety plan.
The final session includes a post-assessment in order to gauge any change in knowledge and understanding.
CCATS staff trained in psychoeducational work:
- Various