Child sexual assault and the forensic examination (Level 3+)
This two day course is structured to equip paediatricians with both the technical and forensic skills to obtain high quality samples, and the knowledge and understanding of the physical, emotional and procedural considerations of managing children who have experienced suspected sexual assault.
What is the course about?
This two day course is structured to equip paediatricians with both the technical and forensic skills to obtain high quality samples, and the knowledge and understanding of the physical, emotional and procedural considerations of managing children who have experienced suspected sexual assault.
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Target audience
- Consultant paediatricians and experienced doctors currently working with children who have experienced suspected sexual assault
- Paediatric specialty (ST5-7) trainees with a declared specialist interest in child safeguarding (including participation in the safeguarding SPIN module) intending to work in the field of paediatric sexual offences medicine in the near future
Course aims and learning outcomes:
Aim:
- To equip paediatricians with both the technical and forensic skills to obtain high quality samples, and the knowledge and understanding of the physical, emotional and procedural considerations of managing children who have experienced suspected sexual assault.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Recognise and accurately describe findings associated with child sexual assault
- Take high quality forensic samples from children and young people that can be used in police investigations
- Recognise organic conditions which may be found incidentally or which may present as possible child sexual abuse and other injuries
- Appropriately screen for STIs, risk of pregnancy and risk of Hep B and HIV and initiate appropriate treatment
- Write high-quality evidence-based statements.
Faculty leads
Dr Jamie Carter
Dr Jamie Carter, FRCPCH, LFFLM is a Consultant Paediatrician working in the Sussex children's SARC and is the Designated Doctor for Child Protection for Sussex ICB. He has completed a Fellowship in the Child Protection Unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Australia and is trained in the forensic assessment of children who have been suspected of being sexually abused.
Jamie completed a Fellowship in the Child Protection Unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Australia and is trained in the forensic assessment of children who have been suspected of being sexually and physically abused. Dr Carter has developed and delivered training on a number of topics, abusive head trauma in particular, to a wide range of audiences as well as working as an expert witness in the area of child protection (male sexual abuse signs). Dr Carter was Assistant Child Protection Officer with the remit of overseeing Education in Safeguarding and Child Protection at the RCPCH until 2018, leading on the development of the Forensic Sexual Assault Best Practice Course. He has been involved in the 2023 update of the RCPCH 3rd edition physical signs of child sexual abuse.
Jamie runs a service assessing children with possible FASD and developmental trauma as part of a multi-disciplinary team with a specialist OT and clinical psychologist. He completed the Washington FASD training course in 2013 and has been involved in setting up a local FASD assessment process and peer-review in a CDC as well as co-leading the RCPCH FASD training course. He has been involved in developing national guidance on FASD, working closely with voluntary sector organisations.
Jamie is the Designated Paediatrician for Child Deaths, Sussex and is a member of the ACDRP exec, leading on the training for the ACDRP.
Dr Jo Gifford
Dr Gifford is a Consultant Community Paediatrician in Coventry and Designated Doctor for Child Safeguarding Coventry & Warwickshire. She is the current Child Sexual Abuse Expert Lead on the RCPCH Child Protection Standing Committee, and RCPCH rep on the FFLM Academic Committee. She is Project Co-Lead on the Physical Signs of Child Sexual Abuse 3rd Ed purple book. Specialising in CSA since 2005, she is an experienced paediatric forensic examiner and Expert Witness. She has previously been Clinical Lead for a large regional Paediatric SARC service. She has teaches widely on child safeguarding and child sexual abuse topics, including having developed a comprehensive CSA training package, on which this course is based. She help develop the equivariant experience route to FFLM licentiate in sexual offences medicine (child) and has recently submitted her own portfolio and COVE.
Delegate feedback
In my regular work I will be more aware of looking for signs of child sexual abuse when talking to the child or young person. In SARC work in the future, I feel the course has given me a good foundation for examining and looking for signs of CSA.
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and was actually quite sad it came to an end. The knowledge of the speakers was amazing, and I could have sat and listened all day - brilliant course. The practical side and assessment were well organised.