‘PROTECTING CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY’ –

Background of the initiative
Aims and objectives: / The work of Community Partnership Advisor Project is a ‘conduit’ in channelling the information from the statutory service providers to BME communities and faith organisations.
Involving parents and carers from the targeted communities in the child safeguarding training delivery is clearly helping the understanding of challenging cultural harmful traditions but also instilling faith about the roles and responsibilities of the Social Service, Health service providers , Education and Met Police when it comes to issues of child protection.
Furthermore, the innovative way of engaging the beneficiaries of the training sessions at the planning stage has helped them to ‘own’ the content of the training. In fact they are enabled to voice their concerns in relation to child protection and be proactive in bringing solutions to the problems.
Delivered training sessions focused child protection, the role of social care providers on safeguarding children as well as parental skills. It also focused on specific types of child abuse such on spirit possession, child trafficking, Female Genital Mutilation, discipline in faith settings, forced marriage, private fostering and runaway children.
From November 2008 – March 2009 (round 1) and again from November 2009 to 26 April 2010 (round 2) 256 Camden BME residents/ and or workers have been trained on safeguarding children agenda
1. Engage local communities, supplementary schools and faith groups into stronger working relationships and promote the safeguarding of children in all areas of life.
2. To gain trust and acceptance by community members and facilitate partnership between them and statutory service providers on safeguarding children
3. Support the community to participate in the safeguarding children agenda and improve interaction with service providers.
4. Create true partnership work among statutory, voluntary and targeted groups
Lead staff: / Asha-Kin Duale- Community Partnership Advisor
Delivery partners / Partnership with:
  1. LB C Safeguarding Board : Multi Agency Trainers (Sunil), (Barry Walden and Liz Leicester whenever needed)
  2. Community Partnership Advisors from LBs of Islington & Hackney
  3. CPA Steering Group members ( Met Police, NHS and School Inclusion wherever needed)
  4. Met Police- FGM Unit)
  5. Others: religious leaders, NSPCC, FORWARD

OUTCOMES:
Budget
Statistics / By the end of the training sessions all participants will be able to:
  • Explain the role of Family Services and Social Work in safeguarding children
  • Trust and acceptance gained through a process of demystifying the Family Services and Social Work, Met Police, education and health roles within safeguarding children services
  • Know the laws and regulations around child safeguarding and bridge between them and statutory service providers
  • Describe how community groups can help protect children.
  • Identify key people in getting support for developing child protection policies and procedures.
  • Identify key issues of concern for their own community and start pulling ideas on possible solutions. E.g. FGM, forced marriage, un-ruling teens, substance abuse runaway children
  • Estimated participants for each session are 12-15 community members.
Budget received from LBC Safeguarding & Training Department : £ 3,320 for Round 1 and £ 5,709 for Round 2 totalling = £ 9,029
Below the statistics of participants:
Grouped By:ReferralCareAgent
DateRange: 04/10/2008 - 28/04/2010
Unknown / / 1.17% (2)
Ar-Rahman Mosque / / 3.11% (8)
Bengali Women's Forum / / 14.40% (37)
British Somali Community / / 0.39% (1)
Camden BME Alliance / / 0.78% (2)
East African Society / / 5.84% (15)
Educational Support Group / / 5.45% (14)
Eritrean Cultural Support Group / / 9.34% (24)
Islington Islamic Centre / / 7.00% (18)
Ivorian & French Speaking African Women Action Group / / 4.67% (12)
Kosovo Islamic Centre / / 7.78% (20)
Kurdish Community Association / / 3.89% (10)
North West Islamic Cultural Centre / / 7.00% (18)
Revelation Church / / 8.95% (23)
Somali Community Development Trust / / 4.28% (11)
Somali Elderly & Disable People / / 0.39% (1)
Soohan community group / / 1.17% (3)
Sudan Womens' Association / / 4.28% (11)
Victory Chapel / / 5.45% (14)
ZAD Supplementary School / / 4.67% (12)
Total: / 256
Grouped By: Ethnicity
DateRange: 04/10/2008 - 28/04/2010
Algerian / / 0.39% (1)
American / / 0.39% (1)
Asian / / 0.78% (2)
Australian / / 0.39% (1)
Bangladeshi / / 17.51% (45)
Black British / / 0.78% (2)
Congolese / / 5.45% (14)
Egyptian / / 1.17% (3)
Eritrean / / 9.73% (25)
Iraqi / / 1.56% (4)
Ivory Coast / / 4.67% (12)
Kenyan / / 0.78% (2)
Kosovars / / 5.06% (13)
Kurdish / / 3.89% (10)
Moroccan / / 1.95% (5)
Mozambique / / 0.39% (1)
Pakistani / / 1.56% (4)
Polish / / 0.39% (1)
Somali / / 31.52% (81)
Sudanese / / 4.28% (11)
White British / / 5.45% (14)
Yemeni / / 1.95% (5)
Total: / 256
White British is pictured here as they were part of a faith group.
Grouped By: Gender
DateRange: 04/10/2008 - 28/04/2010
Female / / 57.59% (148)
Male / / 42.41% (108)
Total: / 256
Asha-Kin Duale
Community Partnership Advisor
Voluntary Action Camden
293-299 Kentish Town Road- LondonNW5 2TJ
Tel: 020 7284 6575 E-mail:

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