Launch of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Report | BASW England Response

The report serves as a necessary and urgent reminder of the ongoing challenges in addressing racism within child protection.

Once again, we are confronted with the stark reality that race, racism, and safeguarding are intrinsically linked. This report highlights what has long been known: systemic racism pervades child protection, yet the sector often remains silent. Despite the lessons of the Victoria Climbié Inquiry two decades ago, the same issues persist, with tragic consequences for Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage children.

The failure to explicitly address racism allows critical warning signs to be missed. Racial bias, adultification, and a reluctance to confront racism in practice continue to leave children of colour vulnerable and at risk. This report joins a growing body of evidence, including reviews of Child Q, Jasmine Beckford, and Tyra Henry, that highlight the systemic neglect of children from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The report highlights the reluctance of some safeguarding professionals to name and address racism, perpetuating the invisibility of this issue. It also exposes the harmful bias of adultification, particularly against Black boys, who are often viewed as older and less vulnerable than their peers. This has resulted in harsher interventions or, in some cases, a complete lack of protection.

BASW England urges government, safeguarding leaders, policymakers, and professionals to take immediate and meaningful action. The time for silence and inaction is over. Racism must be named, confronted, and addressed in every safeguarding decision. Anti-racist safeguarding practices, cultural competence, and intersectional approaches must be embedded at every level.

We also call for urgent self-reflection from the National Safeguarding Panel on why it has taken so long for this report to be produced. The failures it outlines have been known for years - change must not be delayed any longer.

This report must not become another missed opportunity. The sector must move beyond rhetoric, listen, learn, and take decisive action to protect all children equally. The time for change is now.

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The full report can be read here.