Webinar: ABE Interviews and Best Practice Masterclass - Spire Barristers

Date: Thursday 19th March 2026

Time: 16.00

Liz Shaw present a FREE webinar via Zoom.

The Aim of this webinar ;

To provide professionals with a comprehensive overview of the Achieving Best Evidence Guidelines [2023] and an understanding of the relevance of the guidelines to their work in safeguarding children.

Who is this training for ?

 Any professional whose work  entails safeguarding children including but not exclusively; social workers, family support workers, foster carers, contact supervisors. Everyone is welcome !

Outcomes;

By the end of the webinar you will have an understanding of;

• the importance of the initial contact and questioning of a child victim or witness
• how to respond to and record a child’s behaviour and allegations.
• the basics of how a pre-recorded ABE interview by police should be conducted and the role of the social worker.

“The ABE guidance is advisory rather than a legally enforceable code. However, significant departures from the good practice advocated in it will likely result in reduced (or in extreme cases no) weight being attached to the interview by the courts.” (Re P (Sexual Abuse: Finding of Fact Hearing), [2019] EWFC 27 ( paragraph 856).

Liz practices in children law. She regularly acts in complex care cases which concern issues of sexual abuse, non-accidental injury and the death of children.
She is regularly instructed on behalf of the parents, Guardian and Local Authorities.

She is sought out by Solicitors to represent clients with speech/language difficulties and learning disabilities, as she has a huge amount of personal experience to draw upon as a parent of a child who is ASD with learning difficulties. Liz is renowned for her ability, thoughtfulness and patience when ensuring that such vulnerable clients understand the legal process and their voice is heard within the court room.