Lifespan News and Events

*** latest news ***

NEW courses and workshops in Attachment Style Interview (ASI) and Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse measures
download flyer

CATS and NatCen to conduct Europe's first study of online grooming - read here

New research project: Metropolitan Police - Child Victims in the Investigative Process read here

Succesful JISC funding for Lifespan Initiative for the Research and Data Archive Repository (RADAR)

Lifespan Collections
Data collected from 10 years of MRC programme funding with over 500 families in London, is currently in the process of being preserved and archived
click here for futher information

for Lifespan training courses visit ASI and CECA websites

Past Events


Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (CATS)
newly opened across two universities
click here for futher information on CATS or
here read about CATS launch

CATS Child Internet Safety Event at the House of Lords
read here

JISC and Lifespan RADAR study day
Research, Access and Consent study day on 18 November at Lifespan RADAR - the ethical and legal implications of archiving and secondary analysis in social-scientific research, addressing themes surrounding the preservation and access management of sensitive life histories

Kingston Local Safeguarding Children’s Board
ONE DAY CONFERENCE

Use of Evidence-base Measures in Child and Family Practice:
The Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) interview assessment

was held on
16 December 2008
at The Kings Centre, Coppard Gardens, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2GZ

Speakers: Professor Antonia Bifulco, Royal Holloway, University of London; Professor Julia Davidson, Kingston University; Sue Jackson, District Judge, Court of Protection; Sue Skrobanski, Royal Holloway, University of London & Child & Family TrainingFor full conference details download the flyer

Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies officially launched

A new Centre for research, practice and training, focussed on issues of abuse and trauma, has launched across two universities in London, Royal Holloway University of London, Kingston University and University of Westminster. The Centre is directed by Prof Bifulco (RHUL – the Lifespan Research Group) and Prof Davidson (KU). The scope of the Centre will draw on research expertise, teaching and knowledge exchange on both sites to further the understanding, treatment and policy implications of abuse and trauma and its consequences.

The Centre, welcomed by a wide variety of professionals involved in abuse and trauma issues, will provide research, consultancy, media advice, practice training, continuing professional development, knowledge transfer and learning in a broad range of abuse related topics across the lifespan, including both the victim and perpetrator perspective in areas such as child and family abuse, elder abuse, social work, bullying and victimisation, internet abuse and internet safety, forensic science and criminology, government policy and human rights, and psychological disorders associated with abuse and trauma. The centre aims to disseminate such knowledge in the scientific, policy, public and community domains. In the words of Commander Peter Spindler, of the Metropolitan Police: “There has never been a more important time for the academic community to step forward and provide their perspective on the challenging world of (child) abuse. Professionals are so immersed in addressing the symptoms and manifestations of abuse they rarely have the time or resources to analyse the issues and tailor their response accordingly. I am convinced CATS will be a valuable asset to this never-ending fight for the most vulnerable in society.”

www.cats-rp.org.uk

dowload CATS brochure

CECA One Day Workshops for Social Workers

In addition to our long-running CECA Training Courses, Lifespan is now offering a series of four 1-day CECA Workshops: Neglect, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse and Psychological Abuse, with each workshop being self -contained and attendees able to cover any one of the four, or all of them.The 1-day CECA workshops have been designed primarily for practitioners working with children and families; specifically social workers in family support, Child Safeguarding and Looked After; Psychologists or psychiatrists working in child, adolescent and adult mental health and Forensic Services. Each workshop covers implications for practice of assessment of neglect and/or abuse and its context, including detailed definitions of abusive experiences and questioning and rating guidelines. The workshops are presented by Toni Bifulco, Sue Skrobanski and Geraldine Thomas with Dr Julia Davidson, expert in criminology and internet abuse from Westminster University and CATS centre contributing to the sexual abuse workshop.Lifespan is pleased to say that the first series of CECA workshops, which took place on various dates in April, May and June, were a success! The evaluations were all positive and the workshops were attended by social workers in child protection and adoption, psychologists and practitioners in education. The level of discussion generated was very sophisticate, around assessment issues, definitions of different types of abuse and practice issues around identification of risk. We appreciated the positive and constructive feedback received. We plan to run the workshops again. This can also be commissioned on site by agency teams.

Download the following pdf documents for further information on the workshops and to read trainers' biographies.

Neglect workshop
Physical Abuse workshop
Sexual Abuse workshop
Psychological Abuse workshop

for further information or to book a place on future workshops please contact:
Natasa.Blagojevic@rhul.ac.uk