Sexual assault services for young people Young Persons Worker Samantha Keeling Dip He Nursing Adult

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Sexual assault services for young people Young
Persons Worker Samantha Keeling Dip He
Nursing (Adult ). Bsc Hons

• The Haven
• Whitechapel

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Background to role

• 2004 identified need to make further provision
  for Young People within Haven
• 25 of Haven service users (Pan London) lt 18 (30
  at Whitechapel)
• YP deal with specific issues while growing up and
  therefore have specific needs

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Young people and the Havens
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• Havens now provide a specialist service for all
  13-18 year olds

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• Young persons worker provides advocacy, support
  and crisis intervention as well as working as a
  designated health adviser to young people aged
  13-18 that are accessing the Haven

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• Unique to Whitechapel the Young persons clinic is
  young persons worker led. (Being qualified as a
  nurse this also allows me to dispense medication
  and give vaccinations in addition to my role)

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Young people .Why such specialist needs ?
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• A complex mix of emotions, developing attitudes
  and belief systems all contribute to young
  persons vulnerability

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• Undefined boundaries along with a trust of
  people means young people may find themselves in
  situations they may not yet be emotionally or
  physically equipped to deal with.

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• Experimentation with drink and drugs is common
  amongst adolescents. National statistics (2004)
  show that 45 of 15 year olds had consumed
  alcohol in the last week and 32 of 15 year olds
  had taken drugs in the last year

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• This can increase vulnerability and place
  adolescents in potentially risky situations
• Peer pressures and a desire to please and to fit
  in also render young people more vulnerable and
  easy to exploit.

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• Lack of reporting or disclosure can come from a
  fear of getting into trouble for being somewhere
  or doing something they should not have been
  doing.

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• This fear of getting in to trouble often out
  weighs the perceived need to report a rape. This
  can be exacerbated by a fear and mistrust of
  authority and anxieties about whether
  confidentiality will be maintained

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• Sexual assault and the effect on a young persons
  confidence and self esteem cannot be
  underestimated

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• Many young people may feel worthless/damaged
  post assault and begin to engage in risky
  behaviour /find themselves in relationships and
  situations that increase their chances of being
  raped/assaulted once again.

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Physical needs
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• The UK has the highest rates of sexually
  transmitted infections and in Europe, especially
  noticeable amongst adolescents

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• This is particularly relevant as STI transmission
  following an assault in adults may be rare but
  this may not be the case for adolescents.

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• High levels of acquaintance rape amongst
  adolescents highlights the risk sexually
  transmitted infection and unplanned pregnancy
  play amongst this age group
• (The UK group Collaborative group for HIV
  and STI Surveillance 2005)

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Follow up care
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• YP worker co ordinate care . YP seen on each
  attendance ( Whitechapel )
• Any child protection needs identified and acted
  upon by YP worker .
• We discuss sexual health and well being and
  negotiate boundary setting with the client

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• Discuss safety
• Discuss any housing , asylum , schooling issues ,
  bullying , self harm and mental health needs.

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• We refer and work closely with other services
  such as CAMHS / social services / paediatricians
  or other support services should the client have
  any longer-term problems that need specialist
  intervention.

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• Schools work

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• Problems with sexual assault do not begin with
  the assault its self , rape is a societal problem
  and to increase reporting / convictions we need
  to start with society's beliefs about rape .

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• We offer schools workshops around sexual
  violence.
• The workshops look at dispelling myths around
  sexual assault and offer advice and info about
  what YP can do if they are assaulted.

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• So far these sessions have been delivered to over
  3000 13-18 year olds
• Not only targeting YP who may or may not have
  been assaulted but also YP who
• will be our future members of the jury .

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• Samantha Keeling
• Samantha.keeling_at_bartsandthelondon. nhs.uk
• 0207 247 4787