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“A great trainer with great knowledge.”

Natasha, Kedleston Group, High Peak

Course Summary

Navigating the complexities of Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) and peer-on-peer risks requires more than just vigilance; it requires a specialised toolkit. This Level 3 course is specifically designed for those on the frontline of social care — residential care workers, foster carers, and support teams who work with vulnerable children and teenagers whose sexual development has been disrupted by trauma or adversity.

We move beyond the panic and clinical labels to look at the "whole child," focusing on how early-years trauma, attachment difficulties, and neurodevelopmental differences manifest as concerning sexualised actions in later childhood and adolescence. By attending this course, you will gain a deeper understanding of the environmental and relational "why" behind these behaviours and learn how to provide support that is both compassionate and evidence-based.

From Developmental Understanding to Proactive Safeguarding Interventions

To provide the best care, teams must understand the evolving nature of sexualised risk. This course provides an in-depth look at how practitioners can adapt their practice to meet complex requirements:

  • The Developmental Spectrum: Understanding the boundary lines between natural sexual curiosity, boundary-testing, and genuine Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB).
  • Trauma & Attachment Dynamics: Analysing how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), sexual abuse, and neglect alter a young person's understanding of boundaries and consent.
  • Digital Safeguarding: A vital look at the modern online landscape, focusing on how social apps and pornography drive risks like digital grooming, sexting, and image sharing.
  • Evidence-Based Models: Practical insights into using industry-recognised tools like the Brook Traffic Light System and the Ignore-Divert-Confront framework to guide daily decision-making.
  • Contextual Safeguarding: How to evaluate risk outside the home, mapping peer networks and environmental influences to build effective risk assessments and behaviour support plans.

This training doesn't just focus on the young person; it focuses on you. We dedicate time to reflective practice and staff wellbeing, ensuring that your team has the emotional resilience and objective documentation skills to manage disclosures and allegations safely. This holistic approach ensures that your setting remains a place of safety, stability, and trauma-informed care, perfectly suited for professionals seeking to enhance their impact in the social care sector.

Course Learning Outcomes

Review the learning objectives below. Expand each aim to view the detailed criteria this course covers.

1Understand healthy, problematic, harmful and concerning sexualised behaviour.
  • 1.1Define and compare healthy, problematic and concerning sexualised behaviour using current safeguarding terminology.
  • 1.2Explain how sexual development typically progresses across childhood and adolescence.
  • 1.3Evaluate historic and contemporary theories relating to sexualised behaviour in young people.
  • 1.4Analyse how trauma, attachment and neurodevelopmental differences can influence sexualised behaviour.
  • 1.5Explain the difference between 'developmentally expected behaviour' and behaviour that indicates risk, harm or unmet needs.
  • 1.6Analyse how cultural norms, gender expectations and social attitudes influence how sexualised behaviour is interpreted.
  • 1.7Describe the difference between sexual curiosity, boundary‐testing, and harmful sexual behaviour (HSB).
2Understand types of physical and non‐physical sexualised behaviour, including peer‐on‐peer behaviour.
  • 2.1Explain the meaning of peer‐on‐peer sexualised behaviour and how it fits within the wider safeguarding framework.
  • 2.2Define the difference between physical and non‐physical sexualised behaviour.
  • 2.3Identify examples of problematic or concerning behaviours across both categories, including; touching, exposure, coercion and online behaviours, image sharing, sexting, digital grooming.
  • 2.4Describe how digital technology, social media and online platforms influence sexualised behaviour.
  • 2.5Explain the role of contextual safeguarding when assessing peer‐on‐peer behaviour.
  • 2.6Analyse how power, age, cognitive development and consent impact the interpretation of behaviour.
  • 2.7Describe indicators of escalating patterns of behaviour and early warning signs.
3Understand influences and causes of sexualised behaviour, including trauma, abuse and developmental factors.
  • 3.1Explain how early attachment, trauma, neglect and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can influence sexualised behaviour.
  • 3.2Analyse how sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation (CSE) and trauma may contribute to concerning sexualised behaviour.
  • 3.3Explain how cognitive development, communication needs and neurodevelopmental differences influence understanding of boundaries and consent.
  • 3.4Describe how educational, social and relational opportunities shape sexual learning and behaviour.
  • 3.5Evaluate the impact of social media, apps, pornography and digital culture on sexualised behaviour.
  • 3.6Explain how shame, secrecy, coercion and power dynamics can influence behaviour.
  • 3.7Analyse the difference between behaviour that is trauma‐linked, developmentally driven, or environmentally reinforced.
4Understand ways of working to reduce harmful and concerning sexualised behaviour and safeguard young people
  • 4.1Explain trauma‐informed, developmentally appropriate and neurodiversity‐affirming approaches to supporting young people who display sexualised behaviour.
  • 4.2Recognise patterns of escalation and identify early intervention opportunities.
  • 4.3Describe the advantages and limitations of the Ignore – Divert – Confront model.
  • 4.4Explain the principles of the Brook Traffic Light System and how it informs decision‐making.
  • 4.5Define the requirements of a sexualised behaviour risk assessment and behaviour support plan.
  • 4.6Explain the importance of accurate, objective and timely documentation.
  • 4.7Describe when and how to share information in line with safeguarding legislation and organisational policy.
  • 4.8Define safeguards required to protect young people and staff during disclosures, allegations or interventions.
  • 4.9Describe effective ways of working with young people who present sexualised behaviours, including relational, educational and environmental strategies.
  • 4.10Identify the importance of debriefing, reflective practice and staff wellbeing.
  • 4.11Explain the role of multi‐agency working and specialist services.

Who is this course for?

This harmful sexual behaviours course is specifically designed for frontline social care professionals—including residential child care workers, foster carers, family support workers, and social workers—who care for vulnerable young people and need the practical tools to manage complex sexualised behaviours confidently.

Duration

1 day course - we can be flexible on start and finish times to suit your needs such as school run friendly times.

Availability

This harmful sexual behaviours course is offered in two delivery formats:

  • Remote Online: Led by a live tutor via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, allowing participants to join remotely. (Also known as virtual classroom training)
  • Face-to-Face: Delivered in person at your location or a venue you arrange. (Also referred to as on-site training)

View a comparison of Remote and in-person face to face training .
Complete our quick enquiry form for a price and available dates.

Certification

Each learner completing this course will receive a digital (PDF) certificate of learning.

Accreditation

The course contents are accredited by the Open College Network (OCN) Credit4Learning as a Level 3 course.

Remote or Face to Face

Choose the learning environment that works best for you: our expert-led training is offered in two convenient formats - remote tutor led online or in person face to face.

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1 Day Course

Flexible start and finish times to suit you. Contact us for available dates.

Accredited

The course contents are accredited by the Open College Network (OCN) Credit4Learning as a Level 3 course.

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Course FAQs

Why is specialised HSB training necessary if we already do standard safeguarding?

Standard safeguarding training teaches you how to identify and report abuse from adults. It doesn't give you the clinical or practical tools to handle instances where the children in your care are displaying the harmful behaviours themselves. This course fills that specific gap, teaching you how to manage risk dynamically on the ground.

How will this training help our care team make defensible decisions?

When an incident happens, emotional or panicked reactions leave organisations vulnerable. This course introduces industry-standard frameworks like the Brook Traffic Light System and the Ignore-Divert-Confront model. By using these tools, your staff can objectively categorise behaviours and document their decisions in a way that aligns with UK legislation and inspection standards.

Can this course help reduce staff burnout and turnover in our home?

Absolutely. Managing HSB is one of the highest drivers of anxiety and stress for residential and foster care teams. By giving staff clear protocols, lowering their anxiety, and embedding a culture of debriefing and reflective practice, you build a resilient team that feels safe and supported to do their jobs.

Is this training relevant to the modern digital risks our young people face?

Yes. A significant portion of modern harmful sexualised behaviour happens behind a screen. We dedicate time to exploring digital culture, online grooming, sexting, and peer pressure on social apps, ensuring your team knows how to identify and manage non-physical, digital risks just as effectively as physical ones.

How does a trauma-informed lens change how we handle these behaviours?

Traditional disciplinary approaches often fail or backfire with traumatised young people. Understanding how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and neurodiversity alter a child's understanding of boundaries allows your team to address the root cause of the behaviour—whether it is trauma-linked or environmentally reinforced—leading to more effective, long-term safety plans.
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