Safeguarding children across faith & cultural groups London Safeguarding Children Board 3 rd April 2012 The Sutton Experience Julie Duffy, Faith & Cultural Groups Project Worker, SCVS Toni Walsh. Development Team Manager, SCVS

Mapping and strengthening engagement with local faith, cultural, community groups and supplementary schools a) To promote partnership between statutory & voluntary sectors and strengthen safeguarding capacity. b) To identify and make contact with those that are not linked into advice and training from the local voluntary sector umbrella organisation - SCVS c) To assist groups to establish, improve and share child protection good practice d) Assist groups to keep up to date with policy, research, training & links into Sutton LSCB

Mapping- SCVS membership, voluntary /community groups, family information service, internet, local, regional & national affiliated agencies, safeguarding health checks, local papers/groups newsletters, word of mouth & meetings. Where we started, how many identified, engaged/supported Faith Groups 27 known 99 identified-51 engaged Cultural Community Groups 18 known 20 identified 13 engaged Supplementary Schools 11 known 12 identified 10 engaged Portuguese Embassy identified via health check

Local agencies interested in mapping Safer Sutton Partnership Hate Crime Domestic Violence Sutton Police Partnerships Sutton Housing PartnershipInformation and signposting Sutton Faith & Belief ForumIncrease understanding & engagement Children/Family CentresBetter information on families with whom they might/could be working

Case Study 1 Faith Group / Supplementary School Muslim group, established 2003 Uses both council and VCS venues Self-funding No safeguarding practice in place Develop supplementary school Proactive trustees versus other trustees Challenging discussions, lots of support

Development Communication and meetings since Oct 2011 Safeguarding lead in place Staff/volunteers attended training CRBs Insurance Policy development in progress Review procedures Quality Mark

Case Study 2 Faith Group Philippine group-established in London over 30 years Uses community centre Self-funding No safeguarding procedures in place Communications from April 2011 not responded to, raised concerns with centre manager

Development Communication and meetings since Oct 2011 Safeguarding lead/s in place CRBs Risk assessments-security changes Policy development in progress Agenda item / forum Model good practice-national Requests for regular meetings

Interfaith Week 2011 Engagement

Learning from Engagement Time, commitment & repetition needed for engagement with groups/leaders Time to build trust & confidence in one another-attend group meetings/community events Time to build on & keep communications open Increased knowledge and understanding of other cultures and faith To respect that people have jobs/families & majority are volunteers - time difficult Many groups challenge the need for safeguarding procedures Many groups require more support than others, even well established groups

For further information of the Sutton project, contact: Toni Walsh: Julie Duffy: Tel: Website: Sutton Project is funded to December 2012 and is supporting groups with developing/enhancing adults at risk safeguarding practice as well as child protection.