Safeguarding Children in BAME Communities

(Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) & refugee and migrant communities)

Ferzanna RileyDirector: Roshni

Trustee: Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS)

Simon BassPolicy Manager: Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS)

CCPAS is an independent Christian charity providing professional child protection advice

support and training to churches, faith and other organisations throughout the UK and

beyond.

Who are we?

Policy and good practice development Helpline support (24 hours) Training Publications Research Agency for criminal records checks

Services

20 ‘Guidance to Churches’ - 72% churches aware 15 churches join CCPAS – half BMCs

(approx 3,500 members -16,000 contacts)

830 workers trained 500 contact for advice 300 criminal record checks 10 churches helped to write cp policies 8 churches assisted in developing programme for

supervising sex offenders

Every Week

Churches Para-church organisations Other faith groups

CCPAS are independent and trustedBlack majority – African led Churches

CCPAS Customers

76.8% of the United Kingdom population regard themselves as having some religious affiliation (2001 Census). While many of these people may not actively be involved in the worship component of a faith community, a substantial number are committed members of faith groups whose teachings to a greater or lesser extent guide their values and beliefs.

There is an increasing body of evidence to show that black, Asian and minority ethnic communities experience greater direct or indirect discrimination than the majority white community. The socio-economic position of many individuals within BAME communities has limited their choices and increased their disadvantage. This stems from barriers to job opportunities, health and educational services.

A few facts:

BAME organisations provide a varied range of services to local people, particularly to those with significant social and economic needs. They tend to be led by and serve mainly, but not exclusively, people from minority ethnic communities.Alongside faith communities, the BAME sector has a good record of contacting 'seldom involved' members of our community. However, despite having strong community links, many BAME organisations continue to be excluded and remain on the edges of local policy debates.

What have been the issues?

Safeguarding Children in BAME

Communities

A pastor at an evangelical church has told the public inquiry into Victoria Climbie’s death that he believed the eight year old was possessed by the devil… 

...In fact, the child was dying in front of his eyes.

A post mortem found 128 separate injuries, including evidence of cigarette burns, kicking, scalding with hot water and beatings with a bicycle chain and belt buckle.

 She had been bound by her wrists and ankles and left in a freezing bathtub during the cold winter months before dying of hypothermia and multiple organ failure while malnourished.

‘…church leaders bought in, uncritically, to the notion that Victoria was demonized and this blinded them to the abuse. Although it seems that Victoria herself believed that she was "evil" and "possessed" this should have been seen as a childish response to sustained emotional and psychological cruelty. By accepting, without question, this interpretation of Victoria's evident disturbance the church effectively colluded with the abuse. To categorize a severely disturbed child as "possessed by the Devil" is an extreme example of blaming the victim.’

(David Pearson. Evidence to Laming Inquiry)

Working With African Families: Culture and Child Protection

  "Multi-cultural sensitivity is no excuse for moral blindness“

 Mike O'Brien Solicitor-General and former Home Office Minister

"There can be no excuse or justification for failing to take adequate steps to protect a vulnerable child, simply because that child's cultural background would make the necessary action somehow inappropriate. This is not an area in which there is much scope for political correctness"  

 The Climbie Inquiry

‘Adam’

September 2001 torso dragged from Thames

Concluded died as result of ritualistic killing

Child ‘B’ (8)

2 women sentenced July 2005 Believed child to be a witch Abusers tried to ‘beat the devil

out of her’ Found stuffed in laundry bag in

stairwell Beaten, chilli peppers rubbed in

eyes, was to be thrown in river

(Ki)ndoki - traditional or indigenous healing

Belief in Kindoki largely in Congolese / Angolan communities

Witchcraft

Working with police (Project Violet) and Children’s Social Services Networking with African churches Training pastors, leaders and workers Helping churches develop policies and safe

practice Specific issues eg praying for children Encouraging faith groups to use CCPAS services Literature badged by Met police

CCPAS Response

• Engagement• Trust• Education• Training• Involvement• Resourcing• Solutions

Our Congolese Experience

Agreed policy statement Work to extending principles to each church –

preparing policies etc Discuss issues – help provide good practice guidelines Provision of further specific training

Congolese Pastorship

Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes described the Congolese Pastorships pledge to safeguard children as ‘momentous’ and ‘courageous’.

150 church leaders

Congolese Pastorship signed a safeguarding pledge in the presence of the Children’s Minister

‘This pledge to put a new priority on child protection is a very welcome move from the Congolese Pastorship. I am very pleased that they have worked so closely with us in the London child protection agencies on this. It is imperative that we all work together to reduce the risk of harm to children and to ensure that proper action is taken to intervene when necessary. It is the least our children deserve.’

Congolese Pastorship pledge to safeguard children 6th June 2007

Issue not just for African churches

Working with LSCB’sWorking with the PoliceWorking with Churches, Mosques, Temples, Places of Worship

Working with the Lancashire Council of Mosques and several LSCB’s (Lancs, BwD) on safe practice.

Assisting in Newham Safeguarding Policy for Mosques & Madrassahs

Working across the Faith Sector with churches, places of worship and organisations

Addressing safe practice Working with offenders in places

of worship

Safeguarding more than Witchcraft and Spirit Possession

Children Act 2004 & Every Child Matters agenda – failure of joint working and cooperating to safeguard children, all through tragic death of Victoria Climbie –

oResulted in Working Together 2006oPrivate fostering arrangementsoFocus on child trafficking

Lord Laming inquiry remit didn’t cover faith – took evidence from CCPASOur Guidance to Churches manual foreword by Lord Laming

- Working with Government

Working With African Families: Culture and Child Protection

Other Challenges

Private Fostering Trafficking of Children Female Genital

Mutilation Physical Punishment Honour violence Forced Marriage

Faith Guidance

Response