News & upcoming events

For upcoming CECA Interview courses see our training section

Other news and events

CATS presentation at European Conference for Trauma Studies, University of Vienna, June 2011


The CATS centre was represented at the European Conference for Trauma Studies in Vienna in June. In a symposium headed by Dr Vittoria Ardino (London Metropolitan University) and Prof Antonia Bifulco (Kingston University). The title was Assessment of complex childhood trauma and disorder outcomes: use of the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) measure, with presentations from Prof Romauld Brunner of Heidelberg University, Germany and Prof Adriano Schimmenti of Kore University, Enna, Sicily. The symposium was very well received with a lot of questions and interest in the CECA methodology for use in different European samples to investigate childhood neglect and abuse.

Downloadable documents:
Presentation by Prof Bifulco: The Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Interview (CECA): Internalising and Externalising disorder in adults and adolescents
Presentation by Prof Shimmenti et al: Rationale for the Use of the CECA Measure as Preferred Tools for the Research on the Relationship between Child Abuse/Neglect and Adult Psychopathology
Presentation by Vittoria Ardino et al: Assessement of Complex PTSD in Prison Populations: The Role of CECA-Q.
Presentation by Michael Kaess and Romuald Brunner: Childhood experiences of care and abuse in a clinical sample of self-harming and suicidal adolescents and their impact on the individual function of nonsuicidal self-injury
Full conference programme
Conference abstracts: Ardino et all, Kaess et al.

Sandwell Safeguarding Children Board - one day conference: Neglect as a result of compromised parenting, March 2011.

This one day conference had Neglect as its main focus, in relation to safeguarding children. Many social workers find neglect one of the hardest experiences to evidence in their chronologies and court reports, despite neglect having pernicious effects on child development and disorder. The conference was therefore aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge of neglect amongst social workers in child safeguarding and protection services in Sandwell.

After a welcome by Nicky Pace, Chair of SSCB Operational Board and interim Director of Children's Social Care, Prof Toni Bifulco was invited to give the first address, and presented on: Understanding neglect in childhood for social care - definitions and impacts. In this she sought to provide operational definitions of neglect as used in research, but highly relevant to practice. She also outlined research undertaken in the Lifespan research group showing the poor outcomes associated with neglect as well as highlighting the CECA-case record method for providing reliable scorings for neglect experience.

Other speakers included Vivienne Evans, OBE, who spoke on Families for Adfam organisation for substance abuse; and Janine Brown and Carole McCauley commissioning managers on Introducing Joint Protocols. Workshops included impact of parental mental health, domestic violence and substance abuse on children and young people, as well as early intervention and child protection planning in relation to neglect.

See Prof Bifulco's presentation here.

Prof Bifulco is now in discussion with Sandwell Safeguarding to provide a workshop on Neglect to help social worker assessments.

One-day workshop with European Society for Trauma and Stress Studies:

Childhood violent trauma and PTSD in forensic settings: focus on assessment and treatment

Held on 15t April 2010. European Society for Trauma and Stress Studies (ESTSS) working with Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (CATS - see below) held its first one-day workshop on PTSD in relation to offender populations. The day was hosted by Dr Vittoria Ardino at London Metropolitan University, and Professor Antonia Bifulco and Professor Julia Davidson, both from Kingston University London, also presented at the workshop. The inter-disciplinary approach reflected the forensic psychology, lifespan psychology and criminology approaches respectively. For details on the event and to download presentations visit www.cats-rp.org.uk.

SWAN seminars and workshops across South London University network

South West London Academic Network – Interprofessional Institute (SWAN-IPI): A cross-institution series of seminars & workshops, with the aim of generating expert discussion and collaborative working across three Universities. One seminar per term.

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