NCVYS to help improve safeguarding in Muslim communities

The National Council of Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) is to work with the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) to help Muslim communities across the country get access to resources and networks to improve safeguarding awareness and procedures.

The initiative is part of NCVYS’s Stop, Look and Listen campaign, which aims to highlight and promote learning and good practice in safeguarding, and encourage organisations to make pledges on how they will do that.

Shuja Shafi, MCB secretary general, said: “We believe we share a unique opportunity to build a safeguarding infrastructure that is self-sustaining, young person-led and community focused, and one that actually makes a positive difference to Muslim communities within the voluntary sector.”

Of the 2.7m Muslims in England and Wales, 33 per cent are aged under 15.

Susanne Rauprich, NCVYS chief executive, said: “Collectively we are specialists in training, infrastructure development and safeguarding and child protection, with knowledge of particular communities and faiths.

“Only together could we make a project of this kind work.”

Isabelle King, NCVYS innovation and sustainability manager, added: “This partnership represents a fantastic step forward not just for safeguarding but also for the youth sector’s engagement with faith communities.

“Through this work, and the wider National Safeguarding Youth Forum that NCVYS convenes, we look forward to a productive year ahead with youth organisations and local communities really stepping up their commitment and standards in safeguarding practice.”

National Safeguarding Day – this year on 27 February – was run for the first time last year and is a key part of NCVYS's Stop, Look and Listen campaign.