Sexual health safeguarding guidance and information related to children and young people

Evans Management and Professional Training — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 18:22:07 +0000

Some Legislative Framework, guidance and standards related to sexual health and foster care:

Fostering Services Regulations (England) 2011: Regulation 13 (3) – Behaviour management and children missing from the parent’s home
Fostering Services National Minimum Standards 2011, 4.1 – Children’s safety and welfare is promoted in all fostering placements. Children are protected from abuse and other forms of significant harm (e.g. sexual or labour exploitation)
Fostering Services National Minimum Standards 2011 – Standard 5 – Children Missing from Care
Fostering Services National Minimum Standards 2011, 12.1 – Children are supported to: a. establish positive and appropriate social and sexual relationships; b. develop positive self-esteem and emotional resilience
Children’s Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Service, Chapter 3 – Ensuring the best for children and young people (paragraph 3.88. to 3.94)
Sexual Offences Act 2003
The Children’s Homes and Looked After Children (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013 (Section 29 (a)
The Children and Families Act 2014
(Fostering Services) Training Support and Development Standards (Safeguarding actions specifically related to subsections: 6.1 a, b, 6.2 b, c, d, 6.3 a, b, c, d, e, 6.4 a, b, c, 6.5 a, b, c, d) regarding understanding how to promote good sexual health with children and young people as well as enabling children and young people to develop a positive sexual identity with regard to their sexuality (5.7 a & 5. 7 b)
Ofsted Framework for Inspecting Independent Fostering Agencies (2014;19) area 46, the incidence of children or young people going missing and/or being at risk of sexual exploitation is monitored rigorously. Adults take action to protect children and to review plans for them where they continue to be at risk

http://www.londoncp.co.uk/chapters/sg_sex_active_ch.htm
http://www.mscb.org.uk/pdf/Kent%20and%20Medway%20Procedures%20and%20practice%20guidance%20for%20working%20with%20children%20who%20are%20sexually%20active%202014.pdf
http://www.westsussexscb.org.uk/parents-carers/sexual-abuse/
http://www.essexequip.nhs.uk/images/file/Safeguarding%20Guidance%20%20no%203%20working%20with%20sexually%20active%20under%2016s%20cluster%20NEC005%20V%202%20Jul%2012.pdf http://www.fosteringresources.co.uk/documents/HEALTHTSDSlinks.pdf
The NHS choices web site provides useful information and guidance related sex and young people. It covers issues such as boy’s/girls bodies, alcohol and sex, it’s OK to say no, pregnancy tests, peer pressure, am I gay, lesbian or bisexual and much more.
http://bromleychildcare.proceduresonline.com/pdfs/sexual_health_policy.pdf
The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 4, states that ‘the experience of being cared for should also include the sexual education of the young person’. On the one hand, past guidance around sexual health sexual health and children in care, such as the National Children’s Bureau, have suggested that staff and foster carers often feel too shy and embarrassed to talk about sex education with children and young people in public care’. On the other hand, there is also evidence that failure to intervene when a problem is first identified can result in the behaviour escalating.
Thus, fostering services should ensure that as well providing training around sexual health matters for fostering household members – an effective sex and personal relationships policy is put in place as a means of meeting current foster care standards and providing a clear framework for managing sexual health matters related to children and young people.

guidance and standards related to sexual health and foster care – EMPT London

Sexual health safeguarding guidance and information related to children and young people