Healthcare professionals play a key role in child protection, both in identifying children who are in need of safeguarding and support and assisting families at risk.
Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB)
Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) has been identified by NHS England as a priority area in healthcare. Everyone who works in the health sector has a key role in recognising when a child’s sexualised behaviour becomes problematic or harmful, stopping it from escalating and making sure everyone involved gets the support they need (NHS England, 2016*).
We've created evidence-based resources which help frontline practitioners across the UK respond to children and young people displaying HSB, mitigate risk and prioritise children's safety. We've also provided guidance to help strategic leads assess and improve the local area response to HSB and strengthen multi-agency working.
