News

Harmful sexual behaviour and young people with additional support needs

The first of two interconnected events took place on Monday 4th February at Norton Park Conference Centre in Edinburgh. Both events focus on the subject of harmful sexual behaviour and young people with additional support needs, and exploring inclusive strategies for prevention and early intervention. These are being organised in partnership between SOLD, the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice, and the Scottish Transitions Forum.

 

Staying Safe: Exploring the needs of young people with additional support needs who experience or present with Harmful Sexual Behaviour and their families, was attended by 80 delegates, and the findings from discussions are intended to inform our follow-up event:-

 

Prevention, Intervention & Inclusion: Harmful Sexual Behaviour and young people with additional support needs.

 

Wednesday 3rd April 2019, Insight Institute, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow


Prevention, Intervention & Inclusion: Harmful Sexual Behaviour and young people with additional support needs

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Insight Institute, Collins Building, Scottish Universities Insight Institute, 22 Richmond Street, G1 1XQ. 9am registration for a 9.30am start.

In partnership between Supporting Offenders with Learning Disabilities (SOLD), the Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice (CYCJ), and the Scottish Transitions Forum, this free one-day conference will look at how preventative and early intervention can support young people with additional support needs who present with Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB).

While there is a lot of good work being done to develop new and effective ways to intervene with young people who exhibit signs of HSB, and to protect people from harm, this work is largely focused on young people in the general population. It is therefore important to ensure that young people with learning disabilities; autism; speech, language and communication needs; and/or other additional support needs are not unfairly disadvantaged or excluded, and that they have equal opportunity to benefit from preventative approaches and early intervention.

This event will aim to develop a better understanding of HSB in this context and explore the ways in which preventative and early intervention approaches should be adapted to meet the needs of young people with additional support needs. It will also build on the insights gained from a consultation event, held on February 4, 2019: Staying Safe: Exploring the needs of young people with additional support needs who experience or present with Harmful Sexual Behaviour and their families.

Speakers at the event will include Stuart Allardyce (Stop It Now! Scotland), Clare Allely (University of Salford), Beth Hannah (University of Dundee), and Jana de Villiers (Forensic Network).

Workshops will explore issues including intervention with young people and their families, early speech & language therapy intervention, one-to-one support to achieve behaviour change, relationships, accessible sexual health and parenthood education (RSHP), and the impact of online pornography. Others will be confirmed in due course. There will also be opportunity for further debate and discussion during a Q&A session.

This event is now full. If you wish to join the waiting list, please use the link below:

https://www.cycj.org.uk/event/prevention-intervention-inclusion-harmful-sexual-behaviour-and-young-people-with-additional-support-needs/

Staying Safe: Exploring the needs of young people with additional support needs who experience or present with Harmful Sexual Behaviour and their families

The most recent SOLD event was held on Monday 4th February at Norton Park Conference Centre in Edinburgh.

 This was the first of two interconnected events being organised in partnership between SOLD, the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice, and the Scottish Transitions Forum. Both events focus on the subject of harmful sexual behaviour and young people with additional support needs, and exploring inclusive strategies for prevention and early intervention.

There is a lot of good work being done to intervene effectively with young people who exhibit signs of Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB). However, this work is largely focused on the general population. It is important therefore to ensure that young people with young people with learning disabilities; autism; speech, language and communication needs; and/or other additional support needs are not unfairly disadvantaged or excluded, and that they have equal opportunity to benefit from early intervention.

The event was attended by 80 delegates from a range of backgrounds including professionals from education, social work, academia, voluntary sector organisations, and the Scottish Government, and parents. Insight from young people with additional support needs was included anonymously. These included pre-recorded case studies and findings from academic research.

Keynote presentations came from Carole Murphy, Practice Development

Advisor, Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice; Paula Jacobs, PhD

Student, University of Edinburgh; Joanne Barrie, Community Sexual

Health Educator, NHS Forth Valley; and Shona Robertson and Stewart

Evers, The HALT Service.

 

We are also proud that this was the first SOLD event to have been Chaired by a person with learning disabilities. Our thanks go to Steve Robertson of the SOLD user group for his outstanding contribution.

 

In round table discussions, delegates considered three key questions:

 

  1. What has worked well in your experience?

 

  1. What were the barriers or challenges to achieving successful outcomes?

 

  1. What could help or how could things be improved?

 

The findings from discussions and presentations are currently being collated, and a report will be published shortly.

The findings from this event will inform a follow-up conference on Wednesday 3rd April: Prevention, Intervention & Inclusion: Harmful Sexual Behaviour and young people with additional support needs. The venue is the Insight Institute, Collins Building, Scottish Universities Insight Institute, 22 Richmond Street, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. G1 1XQ.

This event is now full, however more details can be found here: https://www.cycj.org.uk/event/prevention-intervention-inclusion-harmful-sexual-behaviour-and-young-people-with-additional-support-needs/