Ask The Experts: Helping a child with dyspraxia

Question: One of the children at my nursery has dyspraxia. What can I do to support him?

June O'Sullivan: Dyspraxia is a condition affecting physical co-ordination that causes a child to perform less well than expected for his or her age in daily activities and appear to move clumsily. It affects movement, but can also affect speech. It usually co-exists with other disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia and other language, social, emotional and behaviour issues.

Dyspraxia affects five per cent of the population, but is more common in boys. Signs include an inability to sit still, awkward running gait, difficulty catching or kicking balls, falling and tripping often and poor social skills. You can support children's development and monitor skills with simple activities such as playing with soft juggling balls and catching balloons and squeezing and rolling play dough. Contact the Dyspraxia Foundation for more advice.

June O'Sullivan is chief executive of the childcare charity and social enterprise, the London Early Years Foundation

Question: I work in a sexual health service for young people and am concerned about the number of younger girls with older boyfriends coming for repeat STI (sexually transmitted infection) checks and contraception. I want to uphold their confidentiality, but can I do that and ensure they are safe?

Jeanie Lynch: Young people want sexual health services to be safe, confidential and easy to access with non-judgmental staff. The Fraser guidelines are key in informing services' approaches to confidentiality and under 16s. However, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 requires health professionals to strike a balance between protecting a young person's sexual health and ensuring safeguarding procedures are followed.

For example, under the legislation no child under the age of 13 can give consent to sexual intercourse and, as such, confidentiality cannot be maintained. Where there is a significant age gap between partners, or use of alcohol, drugs, or coercion, concerns should be raised.

However, in all cases, the intent is not to criminalise the child or put them off using services, but to protect them. If you are seeing an alarming rise in repeat cases, you should raise this with your local safeguarding and health colleagues.

Jeanie Lynch works for Barnardo's and has 25 years' experience of working with vulnerable children and families

Question: Some of the Muslim boys at our youth club have been talking about terrorism and have become increasingly aggressive about the topic and started to avoid other members. My manager says this is fine, but I'm worried they are becoming too radical.

Tracie Trimmer-Platman: You should encourage debate, but try to facilitate a more open and focused conversation by making a project out of it. Hold a soap box event, invite outside speakers, get alternative views across and encourage learning and social development in all the young people you work with.

We do not want young people to adopt destructive viewpoints and if genuine radicalisation is occurring this must be discouraged and ultimately reported to the police.

Talk to your colleagues and together decide what you think is going on, whether you need extra support or expertise, and on a constructive course of action.

You need to approach these young men positively in a way that makes them feel trusted and respected.

Tracie Trimmer-Platman is senior lecturer in youth and community work at the University of East London

Question: I gave a confidential briefing to an elected member about a highly sensitive case involving a looked-after child. Not long afterwards, a story appeared in the local newspaper featuring extensive quotes from the councillor in question, who was clearly the source. What action should I take?

Peter Lewis: This is a big deal. Corporate parents must act in the best interests of children. Is it right to expose this child in the media? Absolutely not. The child gains nothing from it.

A confidential briefing should be just that - confidential. Members should know about children's services' work and some of the more complex cases, particularly if they might attract external interest.

In most cases this will be from the courts. By breaching this confidence the member may well find themselves in contempt of family court proceedings.

It is also a breach of the child's human rights relating to privacy and may be actionable.

Your first port of call should be the chief executive and monitoring officer. Formal investigation may be necessary in a case such as this.

Peter Lewis is a freelance providing interim local authority children's services leadership, and a former DCS in Haringey

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