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CYSCP Documents and Resources

CYSCP Tools


Acknowledgment of, and insight into, the lived experience of children provides essential understanding that is required to safeguard, promote positive infant mental health, and realises the human rights of infants and very young children.

The Capturing the Lived Experience of the Pre-Verbal Child - PRESENT Tool is to be used to support direct observation of pre-verbal children, record keeping, report writing, personal reflection, reflective discussions, and professional supervision. It can be adapted for use with non-verbal children.

Please note this tool should only be used after reading the PRESENT Tool Practice Guidance and watching the PRESENT Training presentation which is available on the CYSCP E-learning platform.

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The CYSCP Child Exploitation Screening Tool is to be used as an aid by practitioners to help them consider the level of risk a child or young person might be at, through thinking about their individual needs via their behaviour and known information.

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The Early Help Assessment Tool can be used by any practitioner.

See further information and documentation in relation to support for partners in delivering Early Help for families.

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The CYSCP HEAT Lite Tool is intended for use by practitioners to be completed jointly and with the consent of parents/carers at a first visit to their home.

This tool aims to enable open and supportive conversations and a shared understanding of the areas that may cause concern and enable support to be provided where required.

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The PAMIC Tool is to be used when considering how likely and with what severity an adult’s mental ill health will impact on a child. It involves the practitioner thinking about the nature of risk and also the protective factors for the child so it includes the practitioner’s professional judgement.

See multi-agency online training for details of the PAMIC tool - Impact of Parental/Carer Mental Ill Health on Children online training course.

Tees Esk Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust have produced a PAMIC poster for professionals, which is a useful reminder about the impact of parental mental health and the PAMIC Tool.

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The CYSCP recommend using the Hackett Continuum if you have concerns about responding to children and young people displaying harmful sexual behaviour:

1. Normal:

  • Developmentally expected
  • Socially acceptable
  • Consensual, mutual, reciprocal
  • Shared decision-making

2. Inappropriate:

  • Single instance of inappropriate behaviour
  • Socially acceptable behaviour within peer group
  • Context for behaviour may be inappropriate
  • Generally consensual and reciprocal

3. Problematic:

  • Problematic and concerning behaviours
  • Developmentally unusual and socially unexpected
  • No overt elements of victimisation
  • Consent issues may be unclear
  • May lack reciprocity or equal power
  • May include levels of compulsivity

4. Abusive:

  • Victimising intent or outcome
  • Includes misuse of power
  • Coercion and force to ensure victim compliance
  • Intrusive
  • Informed consent lacking or not able to be freely given by victim
  • May include elements of expressive violence

5. Violent:

  • Physically violent sexual abuse
  • Highly intrusive
  • Instrumental violence which is physiologically and/or sexually arousing to the perpetrator
  • Sadism

NSPCC have produced a useful one-page summary advising how to respond to children and young people displaying harmful sexual behaviours.

Further advice and guidance about harmful sexual behaviour is available on the NSPCC website.

Although this information is targeted for health professionals, all professionals will benefit from this information.

Children and Young People Presenting with Harmful Sexual Behaviours is a toolkit for professionals produced by The Children’s Society as part of the National CSAE Prevention Programme for England and Wales, in partnership with Victim Support and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).

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