In light of findings of I Wanted Them all to Notice and The Myth of Invisible Men, the aim of this briefing is to enable teams to increase practitioner awareness of the systemic lack of consideration of male carers in safeguarding assessments and interventions, and to challenge gendered assumptions that focus primarily on mothers.
Briefing objectives
Working through this briefing will support teams to:
- Seek greater and more nuanced understanding about lives and behaviours of male carers, including factors that may lead them to abuse
- Improve confidence and sensitivity of practitioners as they identify and support supporting children experiencing sexual abuse in their home environments
Team activities
- Full team discussion: Why is it important to focus on male carers and the risks they may pose to children in their care?
- In two smaller groups (or one group if your team is only small): Consider the recommendations from these two recent national reviews and reflect on the key best practice principles which are reflected in the findings of:
- Back in your full team: Having identified best practice principles, consider what you already do as a team which reflects these best practice principles
- Now, as a team, agree four further actions which can be implemented by your team, to embed learning and further enhance your practice
What is your one takeaway from this team exercise?
Use these briefing discussions, this and others available on other webpages, as part of an ongoing programme of team development. All team briefings are linked to a range of resources which are focused on supporting practitioners to deliver positive outcomes for children