ABE training for social workers and ABE Interviews
We provide in-house ABE training for social workers throughout the UK. Our courses are in person and normally take place over 5 days. We use professional actors to provide delegates with the opportunity to practice and develop their interview skills and for them to learn from their feedback.
We consistently receive ‘excellent’ from the delegates evaluation forms.
Please contact us for further details and a course outline.
At the request of Local Authorities, we are also able to undertake ABE interviews with children when these are required as part of Care Proceedings. At MHA Professional Services, we provide high-quality, child-focused ABE interviews that support safeguarding decisions and assist the family court to understand the child’s lived experience in a clear, reliable, and professionally robust way.
Our ABE interviews are undertaken by experienced, appropriately trained practitioners who understand both the national ABE guidance and the specific demands of care proceedings. We recognise that these interviews require a careful balance: enabling children to share their experiences freely, while ensuring that evidence is gathered in a way that is fair, non-leading, and defensible within a court context.
We undertake ABE interviews commissioned as part of ongoing care proceedings, pre-proceedings work, and wider safeguarding enquiries. We work closely with local authorities, legal teams, and other professionals to ensure that interviews are planned thoughtfully, taking full account of the child’s age, developmental stage, communication needs, cultural background, and any history of trauma. Where children have additional or complex needs, including neurodiversity or speech and language difficulties, our practitioners adapt their approach to promote effective communication and reduce distress.
We understand that the quality of an ABE interview can have a significant impact on subsequent assessments and court outcomes. Our approach prioritises best practice, clear recording, and accurate documentation, enabling ABE material to be used confidently alongside social work assessments, expert reports, and other evidence. Where required, we also provide professional analysis of ABE interviews within independent social work reports and parenting assessments.
At MHA Professional Services, our focus is on delivering a responsive, reliable service that places the child at the centre of the process while meeting the evidential standards required in care proceedings. By commissioning ABE interviews through MHA Professional Services, professionals can be assured of a thorough, ethical, and child-centred approach delivered by practitioners who understand both safeguarding and the family court arena.