Responding to Adolescent Neglect (Level 3)

Course Description

This one-day course will enable multi-agency professionals to develop their knowledge base and skills in the use of a variety of evidence based, analytical assessment tools and frameworks to understand and evaluate risks to Adolescents in terms of neglect and to use specific intervention strategies to safeguard and promote the young persons development.

Participants will understand that the process of assessment, analysis and intervention has to be within the child’s developmental timeframe so that, with positive changes to their care, they can recover from neglect and thrive. This training can act as the update or refresher required for Level 3 compliance with the requirements of statutory or professional organisations.

Intended Audience

The training will meet the continuing developmental needs of multi-agency professionals working with, young people and/or their parents/carers and who could potentially contribute to assessing, planning, intervening and evaluating the needs of an unborn child or young person and parenting capacity where there are safeguarding/child protection concerns. This may include staff who complete section 47 enquiries, GPs, mental health staff (adult and CAMHS), child psychologists, child psychotherapists, adult learning disability staff, designated person (including child minders/ foster carers), police, health professionals working in substance misuse services, youth offending team staff, sexual health staff, school nurses, social workers, health visitors, all children’s nurses, midwives, child psychologists, obstetricians, all paediatricians, Designated/Safeguarding leads within a school, college, early years and childcare settings, organisation or agency and those who work with complex cases co-ordinate assessments of children in need. 

Learning Outcomes

Name the key elements of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly neglect strategy and their roles and responsibilities within this.

Recognise the different types of neglect.

Understand the legislation and guidance that underpins neglect.

Understand how neglect within the home may impact on a child’s behaviour and emotional wellbeing and how this may increase their vulnerability to risks outside of the home

Understand children’s behaviour in the context of trauma

Recognising the impact of parents having limited capacity due to mental health or substance misuse and the sharing of information when safeguarding concerns are recognised

Understand the importance of working with parents to reduce neglect of older children

Understand the importance of the voice of the child and assessment tools available to strengthen approaches to neglect of children.

Understand the importance of working with families to address the neglect of older children

Recognise the services available

Use the Strengthening Families Framework to assess and identify risk and protective factors, strengths, further areas for assessment and historic factors which may identify transgenerational neglect.

Apply the resilience/vulnerability matrix to analyse the lived experience of a child who is living with adversity, and the protective factors required to promote their resilience.

Recognise the use of the risk assessment toolkit and approach such as the Graded Care Profile

Be aware of the local and national picture in relation to neglect of older children.

Explain the impact of personal and professional values and beliefs when working with issues of neglect.

Establish mechanisms through supervision and peer support to embed learning into practice.