Local areas are failing to address the safeguarding needs of Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children, a new report into child safeguarding has found.
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published a report about 53 children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds who were subject to sexual abuse, fatal assault and neglect between January 2022 and March 2024, with 27 children dying as a result.
The report found there was a lack of focus on race, ethnicity, and culture in safeguarding practice and reviews, and a ‘pervasive silence and hesitancy’ to address racism.
It concluded that ‘in failing to acknowledge race, racial bias and racism, the current system misses many opportunities to learn from incidents where Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage children have been seriously harmed or died.’
Annie Hudson, chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, commented: ‘The Panel recognises the important work being undertaken in some safeguarding partnerships to address race and racism and to develop anti-racist practice approaches. However, evidence from this analysis indicates that too often critical questions are avoided, evaded and sidestepped.’
