North Yorkshire Paediatric CSAAS (Children’s Sexual Abuse Assessment Service)

NYSCP Briefing – North Yorkshire Paediatric CSAAS (Children’s Sexual Abuse Assessment
Service)

The North Yorkshire Paediatric CSAAS (Children’s Sexual Abuse Assessment Service), also known to many professionals as the Paediatric SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre). As a service they see children and young people (aged 0-15 years old), or under 18 years old if complex needs, who have disclosed or there is professional concern of rape, sexual assault, or abuse.

They offer holistic examinations following acute and non-recent disclosures. In addition to holistic examinations, they also offer, and not limited to, CSE risk assessments, assessment of mental health, onward referrals to wider organisations and baseline STI screening.

If an acute incident has occurred (0-14 days ago) and the child is aged 12 and under, they will be seen within the acute paediatric clinic. This is currently based at the Hazlehurst Centre in Morley, Leeds. The clinic hours are Monday – Saturday (10-6pm) and Sundays/Bank Holidays (11-4pm). However, the Pathway and Support Service (PSS) is open 24/7 where a clinician will be available to provide advice. If an acute (less than 14 days ago) has occurred and the young person is aged 13 and over, they will be seen within the 24/7 acute service, in Bridge House SARC, York.

They also offer a non-recent service. The non-recent service is based at the Bridge House SARC, in York. The clinic runs every Friday (exception of Bank Holidays), 9am-5pm. The non-recent services see children and young people who have disclosed rape, sexual assault, or abuse which has occurred post 14 days ago. It is important to note, they are not just about the forensics. They offer holistic examinations following an incident to ensure a child or young person’s needs are met moving forward.

Please note, if at the time of a referral there are concerns of both physical and sexual abuse as well as neglect, we would advise for a joint examination to occur with local paediatricians alongside the SOEs (Sexual Offence Examiners) to ensure both a child protection medical assessment and a sexual abuse medical are conducted at the same time. We would encourage this to be completed jointly, to avoid a CYP having to endure two examinations. Please note a child protection medical assessment and sexual abuse medical are not the same.

The CSAAS wish to create a strong relationship with all local Safeguarding Partnerships to ensure agencies are fully aware of their services and how they can best support children and young people, all whilst multi-agency working. Given the nature of why a child or young person is attending their service and the safeguarding concerns that comes with that, they require a Strategy Discussion/Meeting to be held prior to a patient’s attendance to SARC.

Please can we highlight the importance of Mountain Healthcare Limited, MHL (provider of North Yorkshire Paediatric SARC) being involved in such strategy discussion/meetings when there has been a disclosure or professional concern of sexual abuse. CSAAS are fortunate enough in North Yorkshire to have a Strategy & Safeguarding Manager in post, who has capacity to attend strategy meetings. When you are working with a child or young person who has made a disclosure or you have a professional concern that the child or young person has been sexually abused, please ensure to contact MHL on 0330 223 0099.