Therapeutic Support, Improving outcomes for children affected by sexual abuse.
Specialist support for children and families affected by child sexual abuse and exploitation in Northern Ireland and Donegal.
Meet Sinéad
Hi, thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me, my work and why I am so passionate about providing therapeutic support for children, young people, and families affected by child sexual abuse and exploitation as well as my dedication to delivering trauma informed training to professionals working with children and families, to improve outcomes for children.
My career began over 30 years ago as a social worker, driven by a deep belief that every child deserves to be, and to feel, safe, heard, and able to achieve their potential in life. For the past 20 years, I have specialised in supporting children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse or exploitation, as well as their families and carers. I spent 17 years with the NSPCC in Derry, where I was able to develop my skills and understanding of trauma, specifically the traumatic impact of child sexual abuse and exploitation. In my time with NSPCC, I worked in the development and delivery of high-quality therapeutic services and support, both as a practitioner and as a manager. As a manager, I supported my team members in their own professional development in this work, and have trained a number of other professionals in this work also. I am very much aware that therapeutic services such as these are not always accessible to children and their families/carers, which is something I want to address in my work.
Since becoming Independent I have worked across Ireland, North and South in providing trauma informed training to professionals and direct therapeutic support to children and their families/carers, enabling them to work through the traumatic impact of Child Sexual Abuse/ Exploitation. I take referrals from across Northern Ireland and Donegal, using local facilities including Trust and Tusla Offices in Northern Ireland, Inishowen, Letterkenny and Donegal Town to provide the service, and avoid the need for children to travel long distances for their support.
I have always said that it is an absolute privilege to do this work, and it is. For children and their families/carers to put their faith and trust in me at one of the most difficult times in their lives is very humbling. I have learned so much from the children and families/carers I have worked with, and I carry a bit of them all with me throughout my work. I am blown away by the courage and resilience of the children and families/carers I work with. Every experience is specific to the child and the impact of trauma is different for every child, and every family.
What Matters Most
Therapeutic Services
With over 20 years’ experience in therapeutic support following child sexual abuse and exploitation, I understand how this can impact on the child, and also the whole family. My Hope From Hurt Therapeutic Recovery Service is trauma-informed, evidence-based and available to children and young people aged 4–25. I also offer support to parents and carers, as well as siblings.
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Supporting children and young people to work through the traumatic impact of their abusive experiences, at their own pace, is crucial. That’s why it is their choice to work with me. It is essential that they feel in control of this work and that they are believed, supported, and understood.
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This service helps parents and caregivers after a child has disclosed sexual abuse. It helps families understand the impact of abuse and exploitation on their child, and on themselves. This understanding is crucial as they support their child in their recovery.
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Child Sexual Abuse can also affect siblings, who often struggle with complex feelings as a result. I support them in exploring their feelings and the issues that their sibling’s abuse has raised for them, in a confidential, therapeutic space.
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I provide consultancy to frontline professionals working with complex case involving child sexual abuse/exploitation.
I also provide court reports and parenting assessments in complex cases.
Training Programmes
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Craig I know that I’ve written up and added this before.
So the In the know needs to be removed from this section of the training, which is focused on the Remote CPD training programmes.
Then there’s the other training programmes which is the bespoke training and the In the Know.
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This training programme is for front line professionals who want to develop their skills and knowledge of the factors and nuances that there can be within families, and which can impact on the level of support afforded to the child.
Families can be complex and so this training aims to enable professionals to tune in to the family, and use their professional curiosity to elicit the information they need to inform their assessments and casework plans, and ultimately ensure that the child, as well as siblings and parents/carers, have the support they need at a very difficult time.
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Sinéad Hegarty Consultancy provides trauma-informed training for professionals working with children and families impacted by trauma, including child sexual abuse. Programs are available in Ireland for social workers, health and social care staff, schools, foster carers, community groups, and charities.
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I understand the pressure on today’s teens so I offer workshops to schools, youth and community groups to enable young people to understand healthy relationships and consent, as well as develop an awareness of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
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I am an experienced trainer, and offer remote training programmes for all professionals working with children and families affected by Child Sexual Abuse/Exploitation. I also develop and deliver bespoke training for professionals, including voluntary and community groups, who are working with children and families affected by trauma, including trauma specific to child sexual abuse and exploitation. Based in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, I am committed to child focused, therapeutic support for those who have experienced child sexual abuse, and supporting professionals and community groups to become trauma informed and trauma responsive.
