Association of Child Protection Professionals

❗Last chance to book! 👇

Our Learning Week with the CSA Centre starts on Monday the 13th of November!

Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response consists of lunchtime talks and workshops from established professionals, academics, and researchers throughout the week of the 13th of November.
The agenda for the week includes engaging sessions such as An introduction to child sexual abuse online, Harmful sexual behaviour and technology and Managing risk and trauma after online sexual offending.
Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online are £150 for the full week or £35 per session, with discounts for students and AOCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/07ll96b

The final day of our Learning Week with the CSA Centre is on Friday 17th November 📢

Managing risk and trauma after online sexual offending with Natasha Sabin and Michael Sheath 👇

How to support and safeguard the whole family when a parent has viewed or shared child sexual abuse images.

This session will offer guidance and practical advice, combined with practice examples and case studies. We will round off the week with a Q&A.

Buy tickets for this event or for the entire Learning Week here: https://lght.ly/36bn7b3

Day Four of our Learning Week with the CSA Centre 👇

Thursday 16th November: The law enforcement response to the threat of online abuse.

This unique session will explore the contexts, threats and responses from law enforcement in relation to online child sexual abuse – both nationally and strategically, and through a more local lens.

Buy tickets for this session, or the whole week here: https://lght.ly/17oib6j

Learning Week with the AoCPP and CSA Centre: Day Three 👇

Wednesday 15th November: What’s next? The tech industry’s response to child sexual abuse online.

Leaning on her own research, in this engaging session Professor May-Chahal will explore questions such as:
Do we know which children are more vulnerable to online abuse, and why?
What is the tech industry doing? How can we prevent this harm?
What’s next?

Tickets for this session or for the full week are available here: https://lght.ly/jhemld8

Tuesday the 14th of November - Day Two of our Learning Week 👇

Harmful sexual behaviour and digital technology.

In this engaging session, Professor Simon Hackett and Stuart Allardyce will explore the role of digital technology in harmful sexual behaviour among children.

Simon will share the latest developments in his operational framework for professionals exploring harmful sexual behaviours. Stuart will share findings from action research undertaken in Glasgow working with young people who had displayed harmful sexual behaviours online. He will also describe prevention initiatives developed collaboratively with young people in a school setting drawing on evidence from this study.

Buy tickets for this session as a standalone event, or the whole week with five sessions at a discounted rate: https://lght.ly/ja4e9nm

📢 Learning Week with the AoCPP and CSA Centre: Understanding child sexual abuse online.

Learning Week kicks off on Monday 13th November with An Introduction to Child Sexual Abuse Online 👇

An introductory session exploring the key messages from research and the remaining knowledge gaps, considering how children’s digital and online interactions are changing and what professionals need to understand to respond and support them.

Tickets for Monday's session are available here or buy the full week to attend all five sessions: https://lght.ly/mgkdc5f

We apologise but unfortunately, today's Lunch and Learn with Kate Garbers is being rescheduled.

We will let you know when we have set a new date for Unseen Lives Part Two: Modern Slavery and Child Protection.

📢 The AoCPP and CSA Centre Learning Week is next week!

We are once again partnering to deliver a unique, affordable learning week for professionals focussed on Understanding child sexual abuse online, with online lunchtime sessions running across the week of the 13th of November.

Each session will be 90 minutes and consists of lunchtime talks and workshops from established professionals, academics, and researchers. The agenda for the week includes engaging sessions such as An introduction to child sexual abuse online, Harmful sexual behaviour and technology and Managing risk and trauma after online sexual offending.

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £35 per session, with discounts for students and AOCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/16oj680

Last chance to book❗

Tomorrow, Professor Clare Allely is hosting 'Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sexual Offending and Terroristic Behaviours' as part of the AoCPP's Child Sexual Abuse Special Interest group.

7th November, 11:30-13:30, online.

In this training session, Clare Allely will provide some understanding of how certain features of ASD may provide the context of vulnerability to engaging in sexual offending (offline and online) and terroristic behaviours and involvement with online extremist groups.

FREE for our members! Non-members can attend by purchasing a ticket:
https://lght.ly/nob816k

This Month at the AoCPP 📢

November sees the return of our Learning Week held in partnership with the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse - Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response.

Join us from the 13th to the 17th of November for a week of lunchtime online events!

A recent US survey on child sexual abuse found that around 16% of respondents were abused through technology - this is likely underreported, and the true proportion may be far higher. With one in ten children in England and Wales experiencing some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16, understanding the role of technology and online contexts in sexual abuse is incredibly important.

Tickets are £150 for the full week or £35 per session, with discounts for students and AOCPP members. Tickets and further information are available here: https://lght.ly/g8o5bc

Learning Week 2023 line-up 👇

Our Learning Week returns for the 2nd year, in partnership with the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse.

These individual events form part of our Learning Week - Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response.

Tickets are available for each session at £35 or the whole week for £150. Reduced rates are available for AoCPP members and students.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: https://lght.ly/bfga2eo

Coming up at the AoCPP - Kate Garbers returns with 'Unseen Lives Part 2 - Modern Slavery and Child Protection.'

This session will look at the impact of the current political climate, the modern slavery legislation and how this is enacted in relation to children.

This is a standalone event but it follows on from Kate Garber's Lunch and Learn held in June. Members can request the recording of the previous session if you didn't attend it at the time.

This Lunch and Learn runs at the regular time of 12-13:30, on the 9th of November. Tickets are available here:
https://lght.ly/2f5om5k

📢 Do you have any practice-based learning or research findings that you'd like to share with our membership?

The AoCPP are currently developing our Lunch and Learn 2024 programme, and we'd love to hear from you if you would like to be part of our upcoming line-up!

Would you like your work to be seen by our vast network of child protection professionals? Email us at [email protected] to be part of next year's event schedule.

To see what we have coming up, please visit: https://lght.ly/ka6611m

The deadline to submit your CPD records for your re-registration is fast approaching!

At the AoCPP, we are committed to offering the highest quality CPD opportunities that are open to both members and non-members.

See the range of upcoming events here: https://lght.ly/n2eo059

Or if you're looking for CPD that you can access at your leisure, access our range of digital resources from past events by visiting our shop: https://lght.ly/i2m7e27

Next Week! 👇

'Abuse Linked to Accusations of Witchcraft and Spirit Possession' with Jordan Alexander

Jordan Alexander, the Director of Safeguarding and Strategic Development for Palm Cove Society, has led multiple investigations in his career in safeguarding to help recognise this abuse and prevent it, leading a police investigation in 2017 that resulted in the first-ever court case in the UK where ‘spiritual possession’ was recognised as the reason for a child being taken for a ritual to remove evil spirits from it by his parent. He has also developed the only CPD-accredited training programme in the UK on this subject, bringing awareness and understanding to organisations across the UK on this form of abuse, and how to manage reports where it takes place.

The input will provide insight from a UK leading expert in this area on how prevalent this abuse is in the UK and the effect it is having on our children, and that through raising awareness, understanding and respect for different cultures and communities’ beliefs, we can make a significant difference to safeguard all children at risk of this abuse.

Tickets available here: https://lght.ly/4ddnikd

Next month at the AoCPP!

We welcome Professor Clare Allely to speak at our next Child Sexual Abuse Special Interest Group - 'Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sexual Offending and Terroristic Behaviours'.

Rather than being the perpetrators of offending, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to be the victim of crime. However, there is nevertheless a small subset of individuals with ASD who do offend.

In this training session, Clare Allely will provide some understanding of how certain features of ASD may provide the context of vulnerability to engaging in sexual offending (offline and online) and terroristic behaviours and involvement with online extremist groups.

Tickets are available FREE to our members!
Non-members may purchase a ticket OR join our membership and attend this and other events for free 🙌
https://lght.ly/cjimd6i

Meet the Speaker! 🌟

Jordan Alexander, the Director of Safeguarding and Strategic Development for Palm Cove Society, will host a Lunch & Learn session on the 17th of October titled 'Abuse Linked to Accusations of Witchcraft and Spirit Possession'.

This event will see Jordan provide an insight into how prevalent this abuse is in the UK and the effect it is having on our children, and that through raising awareness, understanding and respect for different cultures and communities’ beliefs, we can make a significant difference to safeguard all children at risk of this abuse.

Association of Child Protection Professionals members can attend this event for free, and non-members can buy a ticket here: https://lght.ly/6ka6o67

📢 Learning Week with the AoCPP and Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse.

Join us from the 13th to the 17th of November for a week of lunchtime online events!

The agenda for the week includes engaging sessions such as An introduction to child sexual abuse online, Harmful sexual behaviour and technology and Managing risk and trauma after online sexual offending.

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £35 per session, with discounts for students and AOCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/1m7oeo1
As a special membership rate to celebrate this learning week, new members can join for £200 and take advantage of the full weeks’ sessions (normal membership is £120 alone).

This Week at the AoCPP! 👇

Dr Michaela Rogers launches the Domestic Violence and Abuse Special Interest Group.

Register for your place at this event here: https://lght.ly/h6b8km1

The purpose of the Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) Special Interest Group is to provide an opportunity for child protection professionals (both researchers and practitioners) to share, learn, and discuss up-to-date and relevant research as well as new developments in policy and practice in the area of DVA.

A key aim is to promote evidence-informed approaches by strengthening the relationship between research and practice.

The DVA SIG will provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share and discuss contemporary practice challenges exploring the ways in which researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience can collaborate to address those challenges.

Tickets are FREE to our members, and non-members can purchase a ticket OR sign up for an AoCPP membership today, and take advantage of our free member events!

Next Week at the AoCPP! 👇

'Female Ge***al Mutilation (FGM): Learning from the Female Ge***al Mutilation Sister Study: translating research into practice'.

Dr Laura Jones' Lunch & Learn session is next week - register for your place now!

https://lght.ly/hgkbi8

This interactive lunch and learn session seminar will provide an overview of FGM, the study, present a summary of the main findings, and highlight recommendations for how we might translate the research findings into policy and practice.

New Event announcement 🌟

Lunch & Learn - 'Abuse Linked to Accusations of Witchcraft and Spirit Possession' with Jordan Alexander.

This session will provide insight from a leading UK expert in this area on how prevalent this abuse is in the UK and the effect it is having on our children, and that through raising awareness, understanding and respect for different cultures and communities’ beliefs, we can make a significant difference to safeguard all children at risk of this abuse.

📆 17th October 2023 - 12.00 - 1.30 PM

Tickets are free to our AoCPP members and available to purchase for non-members: https://lght.ly/0co2l6a

Last chance to book onto tomorrow's Special Interest Group!
'A Romale, A Chavale' is the 2nd in our Gypsy Roma Traveller SIG lead by Dr Dan Allen, and this time he is joined by linguist, filmmaker, and producer Juice Vamosi.

By attending this Special Interest Group, you'll deepen your understanding of the challenges faced by Central and Eastern European Roma people in Britain. After introducing the history and heritage of Roma people, contemporary issues related to family and child welfare will be considered.

Throughout the session, they will invite questions from the SIG and draw on the films, documentaries, and some unseen footage, to consider ways to stand in solidarity with Central and Eastern European Roma people to help bring about fairness and family justice.

After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to talk to Juice about his experiences of producing films and documentaries with Roma people across Europe.

AoCPP members can book your free place here, and non-members can buy a ticket to join the event:
https://lght.ly/bg71f12

📢 The Association of Child Protection Professionals (AoCPP) and the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) are once again partnering, to deliver a unique, affordable learning week for professionals focussed on understanding child sexual abuse online.

With one in ten children in England and Wales experiencing some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16, understanding the role of technology and digital communication in sexual abuse is incredibly important.

Join us for a week of lunchtime sessions, starting on Monday the 13th of November 📆

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £30 per session, with discounts for students and AOCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/6gmed0p

Learning Week with the AoCPP and CSA Centre - Day Five 👇

'Managing risk and trauma after online sexual offending.'

How to support and safeguard the whole family when a parent has viewed or shared child sexual abuse images. This session will offer guidance and practical advice, combined with practice examples and case studies, followed by a Q&A and a week wrap-up.

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £30 per session, with discounts for students and AOCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/hca5h11

Learning Week with the AoCPP and CSA Centre - Day 4 👇

'The law enforcement response to the threat of online abuse'.

This unique session will explore the contexts, threats and responses from law enforcement in relation to online child sexual abuse – both nationally and strategically, and through a more local lens.

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £30 per session, with discounts for students and AOCPP members.

Join DI Catherine Cox and DI Fiona Gray for this session, or purchase your tickets for the week-long line-up of events here: https://lght.ly/l5p44m7

AoCPP and CSA Centre Learning Week - Day Three 👇

'What’s next? The tech industry’s response to child sexual abuse online'.

Leaning on her own research, in this engaging session Professor May-Chahal will explore questions such as:
❗Do we know which children are more vulnerable to online abuse, and why?
❗What is the tech industry doing? How can we prevent this harm?
❗What’s next?

Join us for this session or for the full week line-up of online lunchtime events.

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £30 per session, with discounts for students and AoCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/gia5ejk

Learning Week with the AoCPP and CSA Centre - Day Two 👇

'Harmful sexual behaviour and digital technology'.

In this engaging session, Professor Simon Hackett and Stuart Allardyce will explore the role of digital technology in harmful sexual behaviour among children. Simon will share the latest developments in his operational framework for professionals exploring harmful sexual behaviours. Stuart will share findings from action research undertaken in Glasgow working with young people who had displayed harmful sexual behaviours online. He will also describe prevention initiatives developed collaboratively with young people in a school setting drawing on evidence from this study.

Tickets are available now for this session as a standalone event, or you can buy tickets for the full week: https://lght.ly/fhee12f

Learning Week with the AoCPP and CSA Centre is back for 2023! 📢

The Association of Child Protection Professionals and the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse are once again partnering to deliver a unique, affordable learning week for professionals focussed on Understanding child sexual abuse online.

The week-long programme of lunchtime online events kicks off on the 13th of November with 'An introduction to child sexual abuse online' - an introductory session exploring the key messages from research and the remaining knowledge gaps, considering how children’s digital and online interactions are changing, and what professionals need to understand to respond and support them.

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £30 per session, with discounts for students and AoCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/2mbokj0

The Association of Child Protection Professionals is excited to partner with the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) for the second year running to deliver a unique, affordable learning week for professionals, this time focussed on Understanding child sexual abuse online.

Understanding child sexual abuse online: A learning week to support professional response consists of lunchtime talks and workshops from established professionals, academics, and researchers throughout the week of the 13th of November.

Tickets to Understanding child sexual abuse online: A Learning Week to Support Professional Response are £150 for the full week or £30 per session, with discounts for students and AoCPP members. Book your ticket here: https://lght.ly/fjaa988

Unseen Lives Part 2 👇

Join us for the second instalment of the 'Unseen Lives' Lunch & Learn series with Kate Garbers - 'Modern Slavery and Child Protection,' taking place on the 9th of November.

This session will look at the impact of the current political climate, the modern slavery legislation and how this is enacted in relation to children.

Participants will learn about current trends in modern slavery specifically linked to children and the roles and statutory obligations that are placed upon them.

Although this session works as a standalone, it follows on from Kate Garber's Lunch and Learn in June. Members can request the recording from the June event.

🕒 As always, our Lunch & Learn event will run from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM.

🎟️ Reserve your spot for FREE if you're an AoCPP member. Non-members are invited to purchase tickets: https://lght.ly/32828dn

Meet the Speaker! 🌟

Professor, expert witness, and author Clare Allely will host a session with Chair Anna Glinski on the 7th of November as part of the AoCPP Child Sexual Abuse Special Interest Group.

'Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sexual Offending and Terroristic Behaviours' will see Professor Clare Allely and Anna Glinski provide some understanding of how certain features of ASD may provide the context of vulnerability to engaging in sexual offending (offline and online) and terroristic behaviours and involvement with online extremist groups.

Association of Child Protection Professionals members can attend this event for free, and non-members can buy a ticket here: https://lght.ly/hehhae

Meet the Speaker: Dr Clare Ives 🌟

Senior Deputy Head and EDI lead at Sevenoaks School, Dr Clare Ives will be hosting our next Gender Dysphoria Special Interest Group on the 11th of October.

'Building Effective Transgender Policy and Procedures' will consider how to build an effective transgender policy and then translate this into effective procedures. It will draw upon Dr Ives' experience within the education sector as well as her personal experience as a mother of a transgender child. Clare will cover the importance of language when discussing trans issues with those who identify as trans as well as their family and friends, and how to build a supportive, open culture whilst dealing with opposition with respect.

Association of Child Protection Professionals members can attend this event for free, and non-members can buy a ticket here: https://lght.ly/c57if1d

🌟 International Day of Charity 2023 🌟

The Association of Child Protection Professionals exists to help children and families get the best possible support, by working with the professionals around them. In fact, we are the only charity specifically devoted to supporting child protection professionals and researchers in the field.

Join us in making a difference. Your contribution can help us create a safer, happier world for young people and families https://lght.ly/cd4eiki

New Event Details 👇

The Association of Child Protection Professionals welcome Professor Clare Allely to speak at our Child Sexual Abuse Special Interest Group, with 'Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sexual Offending and Terroristic Behaviours'.

This event will take place on Tuesday the 7th of November, and tickets are available now: https://lght.ly/9e318k1

In this training session, Clare Allely will provide some understanding of how certain features of ASD may provide the context of vulnerability to engaging in sexual offending (offline and online) and terroristic behaviours and involvement with online extremist groups.

Our AoCPP members can attend for FREE, non-members may purchase tickets.

Meet the Speaker: Dr Michaela Rogers 🌟

Senior Lecturer Dr Michaela Rogers will launch the AoCPP Domestic Violence and Abuse Special Interest Group on the 5th of October.

The purpose of the Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) Special Interest Group is to provide an opportunity for child protection professionals (both researchers and practitioners) to share, learn and discuss up-to-date and relevant research as well as new developments in policy and practice in the area of DVA. A key aim is to promote evidence-informed approaches by strengthening the relationship between research and practice.

The DVA SIG will provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to disseminate their work to a practice audience and to build networks of shared interests and activity. The DVA SIG will provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share and discuss contemporary practice challenges exploring how researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience can collaborate to address those challenges.

Association of Child Protection Professionals members can attend this event for free, and non-members can buy a ticket here: https://lght.ly/mkb6h3b

🌟 Meet the Team!

We continue our introductions this week with Edge Hill University Senior Lecturer and AoCPP Trustee Dr Ciaran Murphy 👋

Dr Ciaran Murphy is currently employed as a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Edge Hill University's Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine. Ciaran continues to lead on specialist children and families; research; and safeguarding modules. Before working in academia, Ciaran practised for 10 years in the areas of child protection, substance misuse and education welfare. Ciaran remains a qualified and registered social worker, specialising in child protection and risk assessment. Moreover, he is an active researcher with a particular interest in elucidating the lived experiences of practising child protection social workers and how we can better promote child-centred child protection and social work practice.