Course Details

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How can you tell which individuals pose the most significant risk to children?

Accurately identifying and interpreting risky behaviours is the key to successful risk assessment and offender management. Grounded in practical application for frontline safeguarding, this course trains participants in how to acquire and analyse the relevant information and then how to accurately report the risk.

Topics covered include:

• What is risk?
• How to recognise risky behaviours & what to do next
• Critical facts about risk assessment
• Specialist risk assessment tools to take away and how to use them
• Interview protocol for identifying risk factors
• Clinical risk assessment skills
• Use of polygraph
• Overview of static & dynamic risk factors
• Management in the community

What Participants Gain

This course is essential for all those who work with children, have a safeguarding responsibility and want to develop a culture of safety within their organisation. It provides core knowledge and skills for those who work either directly or indirectly with offenders and their families. It is particularly relevant to offender managers, social workers, and public protection officers.

By the end of the course, participants are able to:

• Identify critical facts about risk assessment
• Recognise risky behaviours and know what to do next
• Understand specialist risk assessment tools
• Comprehend issues related to the implementation of approaches to clinical risk assessment
• Understand the benefits of polygraph
• Better understand the key issues related to managing sex offenders risk in the community
• Ask the right questions to facilitate a more accurate evaluation of risk

Dr Sullivan is a Registered Forensic Psychologist, holding a PhD in Forensic Psychology, a Masters Degree in Criminology, a Diploma in Psychology, a Degree in applied Social Sciences, and a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work. Dr Sullivan is an honorary lecturer in Forensic Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Dr Sullivan has worked with police officers, social workers, probation officers, faith groups and educationalists to provide insights into the motivations, thoughts and behaviours of child sex offenders. He undertakes assessments for Social Service Departments, Probation, Churches and Education bodies and is an expert witness in the criminal, civil and family courts.

Dr Sullivan has worked extensively in law enforcement, assisting police forces with investigations into the sexually motivated abduction, murder and assault of children. Dr Sullivan was the Chief Forensic Psychologist in the Behaviour Analysis Unit at CEOP, receiving a Chief Constable's Commendation for his contribution to the investigation of the sexually motivated abduction and murder of a child in 2001.

Dr Sullivan has also undertaken assessment and therapeutic intervention work with women who sexually abuse children and adults accused or suspected of professional sexual misconduct. Part of his work also includes the assessment and treatment of adult survivors of child sexual abuse.

Dr Sullivan has published and presented papers to national and international conferences on the techniques he uses for engaging, assessing and interviewing sexual offenders.