Te Puaruruhau
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      • ASAC Fri 31 Mar
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      • ASAC Presenters
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  • APAC 2023
    • About APAC
    • APAC Programme >
      • APAC Mon 21 Aug
      • APAC Tue 22 Aug
      • APAC 2022 Presentations
    • APAC Presenters
  • Power to Protect
  • General Information
    • Venue
    • Accommodation
    • Helpful Tips
  • Contact
  • Welcome
  • ASAC 2023
    • About ASAC
    • ASAC Programme >
      • ASAC Thu 30 Mar
      • ASAC Fri 31 Mar
      • ASAC 2022 Presentations
    • ASAC Registration
    • ASAC Presenters >
      • ASAC Presenters
      • Information for Speakers
    • ASAC Virtual Platform
  • APAC 2023
    • About APAC
    • APAC Programme >
      • APAC Mon 21 Aug
      • APAC Tue 22 Aug
      • APAC 2022 Presentations
    • APAC Presenters
  • Power to Protect
  • General Information
    • Venue
    • Accommodation
    • Helpful Tips
  • Contact
Welcome
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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.
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Dr Patrick Kelly
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. Although based on practice at Starship (a tertiary children’s hospital), we aim to model an approach adaptable to every clinical context.

Contributors come from the fields of child protection paediatrics, forensic pathology, paediatric neuroradiology, paediatric ophthalmology, paediatric orthopaedics, paediatric radiology and plastic surgery. In addition, we use an international expert in child protection paediatrics as an external auditor and contributor. 

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 pandemic forced us to cancel in 2020, so in 2021 we went online, holding a very successful two-day virtual online live course on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 August 2021, supported by 25 hours of online eLearning materials. The preLearning enabled us to focus our live virtual course even more than before on interactive and case-based learning, and the online format increased our ability to accept registrants who may otherwise have struggled to attend a five day face-to-face course. 

​In 2023, we will hold the course in-person. The 25 hours of online eLearning will be revised and updated in response to feedback from 2022, and become available six weeks before the live course. Materials will remain available online for 4 months after the course, and will then be downloadable as high-quality pdf files.

​The workshop is recognised by the Specialist Advisory Committee in General Paediatrics of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians as a child protection course suitable for advanced trainees in general paediatrics. Trainees from other professional disciplines have also attended the course and found it very helpful. 
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Dr Patrick Kelly
Paediatrician | Course Director, Te Puaruruhau | Starship Children's Hospital
Te Puaruruhau is proudly supported by...
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