Multi-agency team of professionals sat around a table chatting

Practice resources

Improve your knowledge, skills and confidence in identifying and responding to child sexual abuse.

Professionals play a vital role in identifying, responding and supporting children who have been sexually abused.

Sadly, there remains a wide gap in the number of children identified by services and what surveys tell us the true scale of sexual abuse to be. Currently, one in ten children in England and Wales are estimated to experience some form of child sexual abuse, before the age of 16. That’s three children in every year 11 classroom.

At the CSA Centre we want professionals to feel equipped, and children better protected. We use the latest evidence and insights from practice and experts by experience to develop new approaches and apply learning in practice.

Explore our free practice resources

Build your knowledge and skills for working with children and families, and have the confidence to act.

Nurse talks to mother and daughter at desk

Medical examinations

When child sexual abuse is disclosed or suspected medical examinations can have wide benefits, including: identifying forensic and evidential findings and providing a holistic assessment of the health and wellbeing of children who have experienced sexual abuse. It’s important that professionals who engage with children prior to a possible referral for medical examination have the knowledge and confidence to provide information and advice to children and non-abusing parents and carers.

Our scoping review presents the available, up-to-date evidence on the role and purpose of the medical examination and the lived experience of, and impacts on, children and young people of having an examination. Whilst our resource for professionals aims to help professionals and practitioners involved in advising, referring and supporting children and families make decisions and explain processes to children and families.

Read the review and resource

Supporting practice in tackling child sexual abuse

The films in this series explore the subject of child sexual abuse and set out how we can best support children, families and carers. They distil key information from our core resources quickly and accessibly for professionals in just 12 short films.

They are designed for anyone whose role brings them into contact with children and young people under 18 years old or their parents or carers; including social workers, teachers, police officers, health professionals, voluntary-sector workers or faith leaders/workers – whether they are new to the role, still in training or highly experienced.

Presenting the English series is Anna Glinski, Deputy Director, Knowledge and Practice Development – a qualified social worker with experience in statutory front line child protection and specialist services as a practitioner and manager.

The film series can be watched in full, one video at a time, or in sections. We would recommend watching the videos and then taking further time to read and reflect on the actual resources.

Watch the series

Other helpful resources