Sexual Offenders in the Family

NOTE. This course should be preceded by Multi Agency Sexual Offenders Awareness unless the delegate has evidence of previous training and experience.

The course aims to give delegates theopportunity to improve their understanding and skills in working with non abusing partners to protect their children in situations involving the risk of sexual harm and family reconstruction.

All over the country social workers are working with families where there is a known level of abuse or where, under a balance of probability, abuse is likely to have happened. The abuse may have taken place in the offender’s current family or at an earlier stage in their life. Many convicted sexual offenders who have been prevented from living with their families find – or make – new ones. This may be with the intention to abuse or through their misguided belief that they no longer pose a risk to children. The new partner is often faced with their first knowledge of the previous offending long after the relationship is well established. Courts are more reluctant to break up families and the real or perceived risks must be managed sensitively and effectively.

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