Seen and Heard – Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation eLearning Module

Introduction

Can you spot the signs that could change a child’s life?  1 in 20 children in the UK has been sexually abused.  Many of these young people wanted to disclose their abuse at the time – but didn’t feel like they could.  Sadly, too often the signs that children and young people are being sexually abused or exploited are being missed because healthcare, and other professionals, don’t know what to look for.  When a child or young person has been sexually abused they need to be Seen and Heard!

To address this, the Department of Health (DoH) commissioned The Children’s Society to develop an engaging and interactive elearning course.  This is designed to enable practitioners to spot the signs of child sexual abuse and explotation and help them create an environment where young people are more likely to disclose.  Young people are at the heart of the campaign and were involved from the early development stages.  They have been candid about how it feels to be a young person accessing health services and how difficult it can be to make a disclosure – especially if a practitioner appears disinterested, short of time, or fails to ask basic questions.

eLearning Module

The elearning module, which takes approximately one hour to complete,  features a young boy called Tyler and his family.  The module is free and registration can be made via the Seen and Heard website.  Once you have completed the course, you will be able to download a certificate for your CPD records.  Remember, it is only one hour of your time and could result in you making a vital difference to a child or young persons life.

Seen and Heard Champions

Once you have completed the elearning module yourself, why not become a Seen and Hard ‘champion’ and spread the word about the course to colleagues?  There are a number of resources available to enable you to do this – both digital and printed downloads.

More Information

To find out more, view the Seen and Heard website or e-mail

seenandheard@childrenssociety.org.uk

You can also view a trailer (30 seconds) and the full film (20 minutes) on The Children’s Society YouTube Channel.