Pre Trial Therapy Protocol Update
As many of you will be aware there have been considerable issues regarding the contents and publication of the new Pre Trial Therapy guidance. (For anyone who is not aware this is the guidance that therapists need to work to if you have a client who has reported sexual abuse to the police or who is currently going through the criminal justice process).
The original protocol was published in 2001 and has been under review for a long time (5 years or more!). The biggest issue with this old protocol being the total prohibition on discussing the actual circumstances of the sexual abuse with the client.
To briefly summarise; the ‘new’ protocol was published in 2020 and was put out for public consultation which ended in October 2020. It was published on the CPS website, then withdrawn. We were advised this was due to concerns expressed by the Information Commissioners’ Office relating to the nature of the consent that needed to be obtained from clients before therapists released notes to the police. It is our understanding that these issues were resolved, but that the CPS then decided to further delay publication because the Attorney General’s office was conducting a review of their recently revised (December 2020) disclosure guidelines.
Effectively this has left therapists in an unacceptable limbo – we know that the new protocol has significantly revised the position concerning therapy and what can be discussed but whilst it remains as a draft most therapists have felt obligated to follow the old protocol often to the detriment of their clients.
Sally has persistently lobbied the CPS for information and to try and highlight the difficulties therapists and clients are experiencing. We do now have some information to share with you, albeit it is incomplete because the CPS have still not confirmed the timescales.
We will be holding training events as soon as the guidance is published. Having already had a lot of enquiries about this we know there will be a big demand for this training. We are therefore planning to put on 3 different types of CPD (no dates as yet because we don't know the date of the publication):
If you would like to register your own or an organisational interest in any of this training (without any obligation) that would be helpful. Simply email us back to say which training you would be interested in, and include numbers or whether you want an individual organisational training. Once the protocol is finalised we will then come back to you as a priority booking.
Training - back "in the room"
We've now done 2 trainings "in the room" - both for supervisors. And it was brilliant!
We're still delivering the majority of our workshops on zoom, mainly because most people seem to prefer it. However, we recognise there will be some who don't. So if you want in the room training, email us and let us know! We'll then be able to see how much appetite there is for it.
Zoom delivery of our courses
Who knew that we'd find delivering courses on Zoom as rewarding as it has been!
We've had great feedback - see below. From what delegates have said our courses have been just as informative, interactive and engaging as they are in the room!
All courses for the time-being (other than the supervisors course) are being run on Zoom.
We made this decision due to the continuing uncertainty around Covid restrictions and because we have had such a positive response to our Zoom training. The benefits we see & hear from delegates are
Fab feedback from our "Working with Trauma: what about us?" workshop - delivered to an organisation - April 2022
“It was helpful to learn what signs to look out for with compassion fatigue and what chronic signs to look out for further on down the line if burnout is suspected and the ways in which it can adversely affect how we interact with and support our clients."
"I loved sharing my experience with and listening to other therapists/caseworker’s experiences as it was supportive and validating."
"It was helpful to check in with self through doing the Professional Quality of Life Scale (PROQOL) which helped me score my compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress. I learnt it would be valuable for me to do the PROQOL at regular points in the year to monitor my wellbeing.”
“Useful to talk with others in similar roles about ways to manage the impact of working with trauma survivors. The material on visualisation was also helpful.”
From the manager: "Staff were buzzing about it the day after when I saw them at the centre"
Fabulous feedback from our Zoom courses
"Thank you, it's been so impactful and given me areas I know I now need to go and work on."
"This has been the best training I've been on, got such a lot from it, and you made it so engaging."
The information was great also, I came away feeling well informed and confident about my practice."
From "How to set up a successful Private Practice" course
Fabulous feedback from our course on Working with Adult Survivors: Dissociation & Boundaries
“I like the relaxed style of learning. I have been engrossed in the content & this is down to Sally & Lynsey. Thank you!”
“Lots of gems & ‘aha’ moments in understanding & joining some dots.”
“Knowledgeable & natural trainers”
“Practical, thoughtful & informative”
“The freedom of the style of facilitation & challenging pre-conceived ideas.”
“Brilliant course – loved the variety”
“Thoroughly enjoyed it – great content & pace!”
“right/left brain stuff, window of tolerance, fragmented selves – all of it!!”
