Parents & Carers

As a parent or carer of a child or young person who’s experienced sexual violence, you might have questions about the kind of support BSARCS can offer your child and how you can be involved in the process. We’ve put together this page to try and answer some of those questions and help you decide whether BSARCS services are right for your child.

For more information, you can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions.

 

 

Children's support to report

Our Support to Report service for children and young people is provided by trained and qualified Children’s Independent Sexual Violence Advocates, known as CISVAs.

We offer sessions in our safe spaces here at BSARCS, or at home if needed. We have different activities and approaches we can use to help children and young people express how they’re feeling about what they’ve been through. We understand that each person is unique and we will work with your child in whatever way feels best for them and you. There’s no pressure to talk about what’s happened if you’re not ready or don’t want to.

Our CISVAs can provide support throughout the criminal justice process, including going with you to appointments and court. They can also help with getting access to other services your child might want and need, like health.

Depending on your child’s age, there might be information we have to share with relevant authorities, but we will talk to you or them (depending on their age) about this before we do. We work with the police to help us meet your needs, but we don’t work for them. We are an independent charity and our main priority is your child and their needs.

You can find more information about how to refer a child you’re caring for to our Support to Report service.

Children's Therapy

 

Our children’s therapy team at BSARCS is made up of highly trained and skilled professionals with experience of supporting children and young people who’ve been through child sexual abuse.

We recognise that a child’s safe parents or carers are the experts on their own children and hugely important in helping their children recover from their experiences.

We encourage parents and carers to be part of their child’s therapy, including by attending our Trauma-Informed Parents (TIPs) group.

Depending on your child’s individual needs, you may be in the therapy room with your child and their therapist for all or some of the sessions. Whether you come into the sessions or not, you will be asked to complete some activities at home with your child to help support them between sessions. You will also meet regularly with your child’s therapist to talk about their progress and your child’s therapist will support you to support your child.

At BSARCS we recognise that safe parents and carers are the most important people who will help their children to heal and so it’s important you have what you need – whether that’s information, reassurance, support, or a referral for your own support or counselling.

Our services for parents include:

● A six-week TIPs group

● A weekly Parents’ & Carers’ Support Group

● Our adult counselling service for parents, carers and relatives who are supporting a child affected by sexual violence

● Individual reviews and psycho-education with the Therapist who is supporting your child

You can read more about how your child can access Children’s Therapy.

 

Useful links and resources

Useful Websites/Links

NSPCC

NSPCC underpants rule

Thinkuknow

CEOP – Child Exploitation & Online Protection

BICTD

PACE

Books

Here are some suggestions of books available to buy that you might find helpful for you and your child.

Do you have a secret? – Jennifer Moore-Malinos

Exceptional Children’s Guide to touch – McKinley Hunter Manasco

Webster’s bedtime  – Hannah Whaley

Chicken Clicking –  Jeanne Willis

My body belongs to me – Dagmar Geisler

Therapeutic Parenting in a Nutshell – Sarah Naish

Please explain anxiety to me – Laurie E. Zelinger

The Panicosaurus – Kay Al-Ghani

 

Helpful Information

We have put together a range of websites which may help answer any questions.

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