Support for professionals.
To support as many children who have experienced sexual abuse as we can, we need a community full of professionals with the understanding and confidence necessary.
Through our consultation service you can access phone or online support from our specialist practitioners. This includes advice, resources, and space to think about the young person and their family with a trauma-informed lens in relation to recovery after child sexual abuse.
You can seek professional consultation even if your young person doesn’t meet all of our criteria for therapy or group support (see below).
Please be aware, we are in the process of recruitment and therefore professional consultation requests will be placed on a waiting list.
Why professional consultation?
We can provide consultation outside some of our usual criteria. For example:
- When child sexual abuse hasn’t yet been reported to social care or the police.
- Young people up to the age of 25 (if the sexual abuse was prior to the age of 18)
- If a young person is on the wait list for other Green House support services
- When the young person doesn’t want to engage in therapy or other support from The Green House – the professional they are working with can.
Types of Consultation:
Pre-referral Enquiry: Talk with a practitioner about a potential referral or ask some general question about supporting a child (this can be anonymous if you don’t have consent).
1:1 Consultation: have up to 4 consultation sessions to help you support a child, young person or family (consent from the YP/parent needed)
Team meeting: You can also invite us to attend your organisation’s team meeting to offer a brief overview of our services and the key themes.
Groups consultations: Sessions are generally 1:1, however, please talk to us about your specific needs for groups.
What you might gain?
- A space to think about your work with a child or family in relation to sexual trauma
- Trauma informed resources, approaches and signposting to support your work
- Confidence in thinking and talking about sexual abuse with children and families
- Stronger working relationships and trust with children and their families to support recovery
- Support to guide and advocate for each young person and their family on the support pathway for healing from sexual abuse
- Advice and resources from our Bluestar project establishing best practice for pre-trial therapy and support services
What we can’t offer
- Support around an individual child or young person where consent has not been gained from the family or child or young person (16+) (unless it is an anonymous one-off session)
- Guidance and consultation purely around safeguarding processes where this needs to be discussed with social care first
- Support where the primary focus is on Harmful Sexual Behaviour or Child Sexual Exploitation (although signposting may be offered in these cases)
Testimonials
“…extremely helpful providing space and facilitation to help me reflect on what was working for our student and family… to reflect from a trauma informed, child centred perspective what was working, what wasn’t helpful to them or what could be tried in terms of our school support”.
“I am conscious that there is a gap in my knowledge when it comes to sexual abuse and that is why my initial contact was looking for training. The links and literature that you have provided are useful and helps me to gain more knowledge around the subject and provides sources to go to for information.”
“… the whole process from when i made the first contact felt supportive and I had a clear sense that there was a real person listening and trying to offer personalised support at the other end.” (Dance Movement Psychotherapist)
“This is a brilliant service and provides a window into specialist practice that is invaluable for those working with these complex, sensitive cases… Most importantly, I was given advice on how to make therapeutic interaction trauma-informed. This involved paying attention to power dynamics within the room in close detail.” (Associate Clinical Psychologist)
“At the beginning it felt as if everything was blurry about where support for this family and young person were coming from – but all the services you’ve sent through are really relevant. They’ve been what she ‘s needed” (Play Project Worker)
It was a helpful space to discuss the family with a focus on trauma and themes of sexual harm. (Social Worker)
I feel less alone; I hold so much and it's such a relief to talk to people who understand. Thank you. (Special Educational Need Coordinator)
This was so helpful, thank you. It'll be really good to call with referral enquiries again in the future - Getting Advice Team
This has been an invaluable service, the resources and knowledge I received have been of great gain to my professional practice - School Thrive Worker