I have been a qualified and registered social worker for over 40 years working primarily in safeguarding within a local authority setting. I work with children and their families in crisis where a risk of neglect, physical emotional or sexual abuse exists.
I support a Signs of Safety/Strengthening Families approach based on collaboration between professionals and service users. I am committed to GIRFEC – getting it right for every child and believe that children’s voices must be heard at every stage.
For the past eight years I have been a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) in England allowing me to extend my safeguarding to specifically protect children from inappropriate behaviours of those in positions of trust.
I am also a safeguarding trainer who has run various levels of multi-agency child protection courses as well as more specialist training around child sexual abuse.
My particular area of expertise is the assessment and management of CSafe – sexual abuse within the family setting. For the last 18 years I have carried out assessments of those who pose a risk of sexual abuse. My main approach for this work is cognitive behavioural with a trauma informed lens.
I am totally committed to the protection of children from abuse and feel this can best be achieved by good multi agency collaboration and communication. I believe that whatever sector you are working in – adult or children, voluntary, private or statutory – children should be safeguarded and we all have a duty in this respect.