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Safeguarding 'blighted by silence on racism’

An overhaul of safeguarding practice is needed to tackle a failure to address racism and racial bias, say experts.
No action followed from race issues being identified in 19 of 50 cases, according to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. Picture: AdobeStock

The call has been made by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, based on reviews of more than 50 children from black, Asian and mixed heritage at-risk children who died or were harmed between 2022 and last year.

It found that decision-making by social workers and others involved in child protection lacks “critical analysis” of how racial bias impacts thinking.

In one local review, family members’ complaints about practitioners’ racism were dismissed – with no evidence that their claims had been investigated.

The panel also found “several examples” of girls from Asian and mixed Asian background whose reports of sexual abuse “appeared either to have been disregarded as untrue or were not carefully followed up”.

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