Welcome
Assessment of Suspected Physical Abuse in Children and Adolescents
25 - 26 August 2025
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The annual APAC workshop began in 2008, as one step towards filling a large hole in postgraduate clinical training. Many doctors lack confidence and experience in child protection. Many trainees embark on a consultant career with little hands-on experience in the management of suspected physical abuse. Most have received no specific training around the court experience, have never appeared as an expert witness and feel extremely nervous about doing so.
Those who diagnose child abuse should be well-trained, careful, objective and embedded in a multi-disciplinary process. Solo or idiosyncratic practice easily becomes unsafe. It is important that our practice is consistent with current scientific evidence. For this reason, Professor Lori Frasier, an international expert in child protection paediatrics, is a key contributor to APAC. Her teaching forms part of the preLearning, and she will also be at the live course as an auditor and contributor. |
Dr Patrick Kelly
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For the same reason, contributors to this course come from many fields of practice: child protection paediatrics, forensic pathology, paediatric neuroradiology, paediatric ophthalmology, paediatric orthopaedics, paediatric radiology and plastic surgery. Although based on practice at Starship (a tertiary children’s hospital), we aim to model an approach adaptable to every clinical context.
The target audience is Advanced Trainees and Consultants in Paediatrics or related specialties (including Emergency Medicine and Surgical Specialties) where these cases form (or may form) a part of a doctor’s clinical responsibilities.
From 2008 to 2019, the annual workshop expanded from two to five days, in response to demand. Subjects include talking to families (using actors), documentation, working with statutory authorities, abdominal injuries, bruises, burns, fractures, head injuries, medical child abuse, neglect (including neglect of medical care) and writing reports and formal statements. Special attention is paid to the challenge of giving evidence in court, led by experienced criminal barristers.
The COVID pandemic forced us online, with a shorter two-day course and online preLearning. The shorter course focused on interactive case-based learning, and was helpful for those who struggled to attend a five-day course. When we returned to a face-to-face live course in 2023, we retained the two-day programme, with the option to attend the live course either face-to-face or online. This has been very successful, and we have received very positive reviews from course registrants.
In 2025, we are holding the live course on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 August. There are approximately 35-40 hours of online preLearning, which becomes available on 1 July. We recommend you allocate 3-5 hours per week to work through this prior to the course. If that is not possible, consider taking CME leave for the preLearning, as well as the live course. However, we recognise that everyone is under pressure, so the preLearning (and the recorded live sessions) remain available online for 12 months after the course and can be downloaded as pdf files.
The workshop is recognised by the Specialist Advisory Committees in General Paediatrics and Community Child Health of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians as a child protection course suitable for advanced trainees in those specialties. Trainees from other professional disciplines have also attended the course and found it very helpful.
We look forward to your participation.
Dr Patrick Kelly
Paediatrician | Te Puaruruhau | Starship Child Health
The target audience is Advanced Trainees and Consultants in Paediatrics or related specialties (including Emergency Medicine and Surgical Specialties) where these cases form (or may form) a part of a doctor’s clinical responsibilities.
From 2008 to 2019, the annual workshop expanded from two to five days, in response to demand. Subjects include talking to families (using actors), documentation, working with statutory authorities, abdominal injuries, bruises, burns, fractures, head injuries, medical child abuse, neglect (including neglect of medical care) and writing reports and formal statements. Special attention is paid to the challenge of giving evidence in court, led by experienced criminal barristers.
The COVID pandemic forced us online, with a shorter two-day course and online preLearning. The shorter course focused on interactive case-based learning, and was helpful for those who struggled to attend a five-day course. When we returned to a face-to-face live course in 2023, we retained the two-day programme, with the option to attend the live course either face-to-face or online. This has been very successful, and we have received very positive reviews from course registrants.
In 2025, we are holding the live course on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 August. There are approximately 35-40 hours of online preLearning, which becomes available on 1 July. We recommend you allocate 3-5 hours per week to work through this prior to the course. If that is not possible, consider taking CME leave for the preLearning, as well as the live course. However, we recognise that everyone is under pressure, so the preLearning (and the recorded live sessions) remain available online for 12 months after the course and can be downloaded as pdf files.
The workshop is recognised by the Specialist Advisory Committees in General Paediatrics and Community Child Health of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians as a child protection course suitable for advanced trainees in those specialties. Trainees from other professional disciplines have also attended the course and found it very helpful.
We look forward to your participation.
Dr Patrick Kelly
Paediatrician | Te Puaruruhau | Starship Child Health
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