CHILD ABUSE LINKED TO BELIEF IN SPIRIT POSSESSION: A LOCAL

PERSPECTIVE

Michael MacKay

Group Manager

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Newham : The Local Context

• Population of 240,000

• 75,000 children and young people

• High population churn with estimated 20% of population either leaving or arriving in the borough each year

• 35% of school pupils have English as their first language

• 4000 children and young people have a disability

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Newham : The Local Context

Ethnicity Breakdown• White 28%• Black Caribbean 6.5%• Black African 16.5%• Black Other 3%• Pakistani 11.1%

• Bangladeshi 10.6%• Chinese 1.6%• Other Asian 5%• Other 5.7%• Total BAME 72.1%

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Newham : The Local Context

• 2500 children and young people have a learning disability

• 450 children and young people are in care

• 310 children and young people have a child protection plan

• 94 known faith based groups/organisations

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The KB Case• Kristy and siblings from France on holiday December

2010

• Not known to local agencies

• Kristy died 25/12/2010

• Eric and Magalie had lived in London since they were children. Not known to Newham based agencies.

• Eric had been in care as young man. Limited knowledge of Magalie’s background

• Eric and Magalie found guilty of murder

• Press coverage focused on aspect of spirit possession/witchcraft

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Newham's Response• Newham Safeguarding Children Board more

focused on this issue

• Needed to understand more

• Under reporting of concerns

• London Councils Project already in place - Accelerated pace locally

• Local decision to focus primarily on abuse linked to a belief in spirit possession in Muslim communities and African Christian communities

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What the Newham Safeguarding Children Board Did…

• Community Engagement including focus groups with stakeholders. We learned:– There is a mistrust of statutory services

– Community not clear about legislation and their responsibilities

– Faith and community leaders as ‘Change Agents’

– Need for professionals to be more culturally competent

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What the Newham Safeguarding Children Board Did…

• Developed Faith and Culture Sub Group

• Prioritised learning from faith-based abuse in Business Plan

• Established data base of faith groups

• Multi-Agency Workforce Development

• Established links to Project Violet

• National Working Group

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What the Newham Safeguarding Children Board Did…

• Built relationships with organisations e.g. Trust for London, AFRUCA, Congolese Family Centre

• Building network of community and faith leaders as ‘Change Agents’

• Developing integrated response to trauma

• Established LSCB permanent Sub Group

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Challenges• Building trust with partners

• Urgency but relationship building takes time

• Early intervention-thresholds

• Competing priorities

• Reporting levels

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What Next?• Community and faith based groups as active

members of LSCB – leading on this agenda

• Need to know faith based groups

• All staff training built into mainstream development programmes across the partnership

• Increased reporting

• Regional: London Councils Sub Group

• National: Action Plan