North West Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy

Child sexual abuse is abuse from adults or children, including within and outside family environment: child sexual exploitation, by networks of offenders or within institutions, online, or technology assisted sexual abuse.

What you need to know about child sexual abuse | CSA Centre

Joint targeted area inspections of the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment

Please utilise the updated CSA true to us template to support your review of safeguarding effectiveness on Child Sexual Abuse and to inform your multi agency planning on this can be further improvement and strengthen. 

The child sexual abuse response pathway - Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway | CSA Centre

An interactive online resource to guide professionals through how they can protect and support children and their families when there are concerns of sexual abuse. The Response Pathway sets out how to respond to concerns of child sexual abuse at key points: from first concerns and early help safeguarding through to child protection and criminal justice responses. Throughout, it focuses on meeting the needs of children and their families.

Signs and indicators of child sexual abuse | CSA Centre

Designed to help professionals to gather the signs and indicators of sexual abuse and build a picture of their concerns. The Signs and indicators template provides a common language amongst professionals to discuss, record and share concerns that a child is being, or has been, sexually abused.

Communicating with children | CSA Centre

Communicating with children guide gives all people working with children guidance in talking about child sexual abuse, explaining what may be going on for children when they are being sexually abused; what prevents them from talking about their abuse; and what professionals can do to help children communicate what is happening. It brings together research, practice guidance, and expert input – including from survivors of abuse – to help give professionals the knowledge and confidence to act.

Supporting parents and carers | CSA Centre

Resource to help professionals understand more about how child sexual abuse affects parents and their children, when concerns have been raised or identified, so that they can support them effectively. It explores the impact of child sexual abuse carried out in different contexts, and how such abuse can affect families differently. It explains why parents need to receive a supportive response from professionals, and what this involves, and it provides lists of resources and sources of support for professionals to support their work and share with the parents they are working with.

Resources for education settings | CSA Centre

Three resources to help education professionals to identify and respond when they have concerns of child sexual abuse or behaviour. Developed by professionals for professionals, this series of resources, bring together research, practice guidance, and expert input – including from survivors of abuse – specifically for those working in education settings to support response.

Managing risk and trauma after online sexual offending | CSA Centre

A guide to help professionals safeguard the whole family when a parent has accessed child sexual abuse material. Written in collaboration with The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, this guide provides the latest research and practice-led information to help professionals to confidently safeguard and support families at a time of great emotional distress. The guide is split into four sections, describing the impacts on the whole family in the home, what is known about the risks posed by those who access, possess, or share child sexual abuse material for considerations in assessment, advice on providing effective support and how professionals can look after their own wellbeing and contains a list of useful resources.

Sibling sexual abuse and behaviour | CSA Centre

Child sexual abuse takes many forms, but research suggests that a significant amount of sexual abuse is carried out by people known to the child – which can include by brothers and sisters. This resource helps professionals negotiate the complexities raised by these sexual behaviours. This guide is split into two parts: Part A covers the identification and understanding of sibling sexual behaviour and Part B covers the professional response.

Support Matters Compassionate, consistent support can be crucial in mitigating the impacts of child sexual abuse, lack of access to support can have a profound impact on many victims, survivors and families seeking to heal and move forward. Support Matters is a comprehensive study of the current landscape of service provision in response to child sexual abuse in England & Wales Support Matters | CSA Centre

Get support | CSA Centre 

Data insights hub Instant access to local and national data on child sexual abuse in England and Wales. Data Insights Hub | CSA Centre

Funding and commissioning child sexual abuse services | CSA Centre 

A guide designed for funders and commissioners across a wide range of local, regional and national arrangements, including Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities, NHS England and Wales and Integrated Care Boards.  Funding and commissioning child sexual abuse services guide is designed to build understanding of where and how to address these gaps in provision. In four parts, the resource signposts each stage of the commissioning cycle: analysing local need for support, planning targeted interventions, delivering effective support services, and rigorously reviewing outcomes.

Using supervision and team meetings | CSA Centre

Guide to using supervision and team meetings to improve responses to child sexual abuse helps professionals start discussions about child sexual abuse within their teams in a supportive space, reflect on the experiences of children and families they are working with, explore their team’s and their own welfare, and consider how the evidence might inform and develop their practice. It helps managers and supervisors support professionals at all stages of their careers across the children’s services workforce, including those in child protection, working with children with disabilities, children in care, adult social care, youth offending or early help.