Our Caring Conversations training for social workers increases confidence and competence to address and discuss Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) topics and issues with children and young people within the social care context.
Find out more about why we developed this specialist training programme, and how to commission it for health and social care staff in your setting.
What is RSE and how is it relevant to social workers?
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is a statutory subject in the primary and secondary school curriculum in England, yet young people continue to tell us that it does not always sufficiently meet their needs. For cared for children and young people in particular, this group often miss out on accessing the full curriculum due to disruptions to their education and placement moves. RSE is a key part of safeguarding, helping prevent abuse and exploitation by supporting children and young people with essential knowledge and life skills. Social workers can play a pivotal role in ensuring that all children who come into contact with social care have access to RSE both in school and more informally at home.
Why did we develop training for social workers?
Sex Education Forum developed the Caring Conversations training for social workers and its companion training for foster carers in response to the voices of cared for children, foster carers and social workers who wanted to see more RSE support within the social care context.
Social workers are well placed to support parents and carers to facilitate RSE conversations and to create RSE learning moments more directly with the children and young people they support. Social workers can also advocate for accessible, inclusive and trauma-informed RSE through their role in coordinating services around a child and their family.
How is the Caring Conversations training designed and structured?
Our training is based on research evidence and is designed using a trauma-informed approach, with social care-specific scenarios and case studies to ensure relevance. It aligns with Social Work Professional Standards, Corporate Parenting Principles and the Children’s Social Care National Framework (2023).
Caring Conversations is offered as a one-day training course (online or face-to-face), delivered by Sex Education Forum specialists with social care and / or SEND expertise. The training is highly interactive, with the trainer modelling RSE skills, highlighting teachable moments, and allowing attendees to share practice, learn from peers and put what learning into practice immediately.
Who is the training for?
This training is suitable for all social workers supporting children, young people and families. This may be social workers supporting foster carers and adopters, cared for children and young people, children with SEND, those on Child Protection plans, independent reviewing officers, personal advisers or assessing social workers, and those working with harm outside the home.
The training is also relevant to social care professionals working in ‘family help’, prevention and other children and young people-centred roles.
For those working in residential roles, we recommend getting in touch to discuss the specific needs of your team.
What are the training objectives?
The Caring Conversations training supports participants to...
- Deepen their understanding of children and young people's rights to RSE, its preventative and safeguarding role and how it contributes to the social care plan.
- Increase their confidence and competence to address and discuss RSE topics and issues within the social care context.
- Identify everyday opportunities to proactively and positively have RSE conversations through brief and direct interventions, making every contact count.
- Reflect critically on their own values around RSE topics and how this relates to practice.
- Develop an awareness of the role all trusted adults have to play in a child’s RSE and the wider signposting and support available to children and families.
Commissioning our training
We welcome enquiries from commissioners within local authorities, independent agencies and charities. If you'd like to hear more about the training and whether it's a good fit for you and your team, we'd love to hear from you. Please direct enquiries to [email protected]