Experts by experiences and the practitioners who work with them talk about child protection from the perspective of parents and children who have gone through mental health and safeguarding systems. Parents share their own experiences of abuse and neglect; and their experiences of having serious mental health problems including hearing voices/ seeing visions, being suicidal and using self-harm. They provide insight into what it is like to experience having children removed, living apart from their children and about the fear of having their children removed. They draw on their different identities to talk about how professional understandings about race, gender and sexuality, for example, significantly impact on how mothers and fathers are made sense of in child protection. Children's testimony will also be shared. The aim is to draw on lived-experience to inform the development of sensitive and inclusive safeguarding practices that respond appropriately to the diverse needs of children who live with parents who have mental health problems.
This day will be relevant to practitioners at all levels, including their supervisors and managers, in all key agencies and organisations working in the safeguarding children arena. This includes practitioners who provide assessments, conduct investigations, provide placements or offer support, counselling or therapy.
Booking for this event is now open.