Useful References

• Ahmed et al. (2022). Ethnicity and Children’s Social Care. Department for Education.
• Allen, D. and Hulmes, A. (2021) Aversive Racism and Child Protection Practice with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children and Families. Seen and Heard, 31 (2). ISSN 1744-1072
• Bernard, C. and Harris, P., 2019. Serious case reviews: The lived experience of Black children. Child & family social work, 24(2), pp.256-263.
• Bernard, C. and Harris, P. (2016). Safeguarding Black children: good practice in child protection. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
• Bhatti‐Sinclair K. and Price, D. (2016). Evaluation: Serious case reviews and anti‐racist practice. In: Williams C and Graham MJ (ed) Social work in a diverse society: Transformative practice with Black and minority ethnic individuals and communities. Bristol: Policy Press, p 217–228.
• Bywaters, P., Kwhali, J., Brady, G., Sparks, T., & Bos, E. (2017). Out of sight out of mind: Ethnic inequalities in child protection and out-of-home care intervention rates. British Journal of Social Work, 47(7), 1884–1902. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw165.
• Cénat, J.M. et al. (2021). Overrepresentation of Black children in the child welfare system: A systematic review to understand and better act. Children and Youth Services Review, 120, 105714.
• Constance-Huggins, M., Moore, S. and Slay, Z.M. (2022). Sex Trafficking of Black Girls: A Critical Race Theory Approach to Practice. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 33(1), 62-74, DOI: 10.1080/10428232.2021.1987755
• Davis, J. (2019). Adultification bias within child protection safeguarding. HM Inspectorate of Probation.
• Davis, J., & Marsh, N. (2020). Boys to men: the cost of ‘adultification’ in safeguarding responses to Black boys, Critical and Radical Social Work, 8(2), 255-259.
• Drew, I., Pierre, R. and Sen, R., 2023. Exploring and re-imagining children’s services in England through a decolonial frame. In The Future of Children’s Care (pp. 101-121). Policy Press.
• Ferguson, L. (2014). "Families in All Their Subversive Variety": Overrepresentation, the Ethnic Child Protection Penalty, and Responding to Diversity While Protecting Children. Law, Politics and Society, 63, 43-88.
• Gamble, J. and McCallum, R. (2022) Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review Child Q. London: The City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership
• HMI Probation (2021). Effective practice guide. Black and mixed heritage boys in the youth justice system.
• Jay, A., Evans, M. Frank, I. and Sharpling, D. (2022). The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. IICSA.
• Jassal, V. (2022). ‘Preserving what for whom?’. Femal victim/survivor perspectives on the silence behind child sexual abuse in Britain’s South Asian communities, in Gill, A.K. and Begum, H. (ed.) Child Sexual Abuse in Black and Minoritised Communities. Palgrave Macmillan, 155-183.
• Jean, P.L., Lockett, G.M., Bridges, B. & Mosley, D.V., 2023, “Addressing the Impact of Racial Trauma on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color’s (BIPOC) Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health Through Critical Consciousness and Radical Healing: Recommendations for Mental Health Providers”, Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 10(4), 372–382.
• Joseph-Salisbury, R., 2021, “Teacher perspectives on the presence of police officers in English secondary schools: A Critical Race Theory analysis”, Race Ethnicity and Education, 24(4), 578–595.
• Kirton, D. (2018). Neoliberalism, ‘race’ and child welfare. Critical and Radical Social Work, 6(3), 311-327.
• Laird, S. E. (2014). The law, professional ethics and anti-oppressive social work. In C. Cocker, & T. Hafford-Letchfield (Eds), Re-thinking anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive theories for social work practice (pp. 45–59). Palgrave Macmillan.
• Laird, S. E., & Tedam, P. (2019). Cultural diversity in child protection: Cultural competence in practice. Red Globe Press & Macmillian International.
• Laird and Williams (2023). An Applied model of cultural competence in child protection practice. Journal of Social Work, 23(4), 721-740.
• Pearson, A.R., Dovidio, J.F. and Gaertner, S.L. (2009) ‘The nature of contemporary prejudice: insights from aversive racism’, Social and Personality Psychology Compass 3(3), 314-338
• Sawrikar, P. and Katz, I.B., 2014. Recommendations for improving cultural competency when working with ethnic minority families in child protection systems in Australia. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 31, pp.393-417.
• Stewart, K., Patrick, R. and Reeves, A., (2023). A time of need: Exploring the changing poverty risk facing larger families in the UK. Journal of Social Policy, 1–25. doi:10.1017/S0047279422000952
• Tedam, P (2022) Cultural competence. Practice Guidance. Community Care Inform [online]
• Thompson, I. (2020). Anti discriminatory practice: Equality, diversity and social justice. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Webb, C., Bywaters, P., Scourfield, J., Davidson, G. and Bunting, L. (2020). Cuts both ways: ethnicity, poverty, and the social gradient in child welfare interventions. Children and Youth Services Review, 117. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.
• Welch, K. (2007) ‘Black criminal stereotypes and racial profiling’, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 23(3), 276-288.

The resources linked below and presentation slides were provided by Millie Kerr, Strategic Anti-Racist Lead and Training Consultant from Brighton & Hove during a Special Interest Group meeting for Culture in Child Protection on 3rd December 2024.

• Engagement with support services for ethnic minority communities | IICSA Engagement Team Report, April 2021
• Understanding the lived experiences of black and ethnic minority children and families | PSDP Resource
• Accessing special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision for Black and mixed Black heritage children | Black Child Send
• Double discrimination – Barnardo’s calls for change as report highlights young Black people who have been in care experience racism, exclusion and isolation | Barnardos
• A guide for professionals working with Gypsies and Travellers in the public care system | FFT
• We’re told not to make everything about race, but it is about race | Missing People
• 'Where are the Black girls in our CSA services, studies and statistics?' | Community Care
• Progressing anti-racist practice in the family justice system
• 'Blewish' celebrates Black and Jewish intersectionality through children's animation | Forward.com
• Senior leadership buy-in critical to anti-racism in social work say experts | Community Care
• Global Majority Video | Rosemary Campbell-Stephens (youtube)

Speakers: Isobel Drew, Vanisha Jassal, Trish Gayle

Speaker: Dr Pam Lowe

Reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA) is a specific form of interpersonal abuse which attempts to promote, prevent or control pregnancy through interference, coercion, threats and violence. Whilst it often occurs in the context of other forms of abuse such as domestic abuse or child sexual exploitation, it can also occur in isolation. This session will briefly outline different forms of RCA, before outlining issues that impact on disclosure of RCA. In particular it will highlight how normative assumptions about women, pregnancy and motherhood shape perceptions of whether or not coercion is likely to be an issue, particularly highlighting how this interrelates with stigma around the non-use of contraception and abortion. It will suggest that increasing awareness and support around RCA is important, and this needs to happen alongside recognising and challenging stereotypical assumptions about pregnancy.

Chair: Isobel Drew

Vice-Chair: Vanisha Jassal

What is culture? Defining culture in the context of child protection

For the purposes of this SIG culture refers to factors relating to a child’s race, ethnicity and religion. Ethnic, racial and cultural disproportionalities continue to exist across UK child protection practice, services and outcomes for children, young people and their families. This is known and accepted across agencies. Many scholars and practitioners have worked intensively to explore the lived experiences of children and families in the child protection system where cultural issues have needed greater recognition and understanding. This SIG seeks to bring together existing research, best practice and wider learning, to support practitioners and child protection organisations to continue to make developments in this area and to adopt proactive and purposeful working practises so that racial and ethnic disproportionalities can be more effectively addressed.

The launch event
This launch event is an introductory discussion into Culture in Child Protection. Hosted by our SIG Chair, Isobel Drew, and Vice-Chair, Vanisha Jassal, this meeting aims to familiarise you with the subject area, and guide your expectations of the SIG. So, what can you expect from this session?

• A (re)introduction to culture in child protection: gain insights into the complexities setting the stage for future discussions.
• Meet the Chair/Vice-Chair: get to know Isobel and Vanisha, our expert leaders of this SIG.
• Learn about the AoCPP: a brief introduction for non-members to learn how they can actively participate and benefit from the AoCPP.
• Hear the Terms of Reference (ToR) and join the discussion ensuring it becomes an effective catalyst for real change in the field of child protection.

What to expect from this Special Interest Group

Beyond the launch event, this Special Interest Group meets throughout the year to:

• Highlight research: shedding light on research findings impacting practice.
• Share best practice: exchanging examples of good and innovative practices.
• Discuss current issues: engaging in dialogue on emerging issues and changes in national guidance.

Isobel Drew is a Lecturer within the Centre for Child Protection at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) and has an active design and teaching role on the new blended learning Master’s course in Advanced Child Protection. She entered academia from professional practice as a social worker and social work manager (strategic and operational).

Isobel completed a BA Sociology, Anthropology and Gender Studies at the University of Hull before progressing to postgraduate study. After completing an MA Social Work she continued her professional development with a clear focus on child protection. She is a qualified ‘Practice Teacher’ and has held a number of professional roles within statutory social work, including frontline services, Cafcass and LSCB.

Vanisha Jassal (Vice-Chair) is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Kent (UoK) and a Senior Fellow with the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). She is Director of Studies for the MA Social Work and MA Advanced Child Protection programmes and teaches across both programmes. She is co-chair of the BAME staff network at the university and works to address racial inequalities experienced by staff and students, and support the design and implementation of appropriate policies.

She has been a Trustee of ANBU since 2019, a charity which supports survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) from the UK Tamil community and is soon due to submit her PhD thesis which examines CSA of females in Britain’s South Asian communities. She seeks to improve CSA practice and services for minoritised ethnic children, young people and families.