• Duration: 4 Days

• Delegates: Up to 10 per course

• Cost: £3999 per course

This intensive four-day training programme is expertly designed to equip delegates with the highest standard of skill in conducting ABE interviews. The programme is essential for professionals from Children’s Services and the Police, focusing on the critical partnership required to place the child’s welfare at the heart of the process while securing the best possible evidence.

Led by a nationally recognised Subject Matter Expert with over 30 years of frontline policing experience in child protection, the course is grounded in extensive practical application. The lead trainer, who holds a Certificate in Education, is not only an active ABE practitioner but also has frontline experience assessing ABE interviews within the Child Abuse team.

This expertise is proven and current: the trainer co-trains ABE Refresher training with the author of ABE, Dr Kevin Smith, and has successfully delivered this exact course for HSCP for the past four years. Consistently high delegate feedback has also led to further teaching engagements with social workers at Winchester University.

This unique, active insight ensures the training is always relevant and reflects the latest legislative changes and procedural best practices. The course covers Section 28 (YJCE Act 1999), the ‘young witness protocol’, the operational impact of body worn cameras during initial visits, and current challenges such as working with CPS to progress third-party material.

All course materials, including electronic PowerPoints, handouts, and resource links, are provided to delegates one week before the course begins. The trainer will also supply all course evaluations for your organisation's quality assurance purposes.

The first three days are dedicated to building a comprehensive theoretical and practical understanding of the ABE process. The training moves beyond static presentations, embedding learning through interactive sessions and practical group work.

Delegates will break away to analyse a case study and plan an initial visit (as per ABE guidance 2.5). In a second key practical exercise, delegates will interview each other to demonstrate and refine correct questioning styles and spider graph note-taking techniques, all before the final-day assessment.

Key topics and skills covered include:

• ABE & The PEACE Model: A detailed understanding of the four-phase model of ABE and the PEACE model of investigative interviewing.

• Questioning & Record Keeping: Mastering appropriate question styles (TED, avoiding leading questions) and demonstrating effective record-keeping using the spider graph model.

• Investigation vs. Evidence: Understanding the critical difference between investigative topics and evidential points and applying this during an interview.

• Joint Working & Safeguarding: Emphasising the essential partnership between police and Children's Services to balance professional objectives, reinforcing the principle that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility.

• Managing Sensitive Disclosures: Incorporating discussions on handling the use of sexual language from children, managing a direct disclosure to a professional, and providing practical tools to support a child.

• Legal & Procedural Frameworks: Covering Section 17 & 47, consent, ground rules, Truth and Lies (TLC), and the use of special measures, intermediaries, props, and the police witness assessment booklet.

• Cognitive Interviewing: Learning and applying cognitive techniques, particularly when questioning very young children.

• Court & Jury Perspective: Understanding the needs of a Jury in making a decision and balancing this with the welfare needs of the child.

The final day is dedicated to translating theory into practice in a realistic and controlled environment, solidifying the skills and confidence of each delegate.

• Live ABE Interview Practice: The core of the day involves delegates conducting a 'live' ABE interview, moving from the initial planning and preparation stages right through to completion of the interview itself.

• Professional Role-Play: We utilise a professional teenage actor to role-play a victim of sexual assault. This provides a realistic and challenging scenario that effectively tests the delegates' new skills in a safe, supportive environment.

• Comprehensive Debrief & Feedback: The interview sessions are thoroughly evaluated through self, peer, and trainer feedback. This process encourages delegates to reflect on their performance, interpret the results, and enhance their individual style and abilities.

• Formal Assessment: Each delegate's performance is assessed, and individual written feedback is provided at the conclusion of the course to support their continued professional development.