Child protection involves us all

‘There’s a well-known African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ but for the purpose of this article, allow me one tweak…’It takes a village to protect a child.’

Child protection, is there a more important issue?  Or, is it that taboo subject, the elephant in the room, and something for the police, social workers and those with professional remits for keeping children safe?

Child protection involves us all.

Twitter, it’s a scary place, and now, simply tweeting about your dinner attracts a barrage of opinionated trolls.  Mainly, I use it on a bung up my Council work and run basis, but when trawling, there’s those viral tweets, from the cute cat pics to the latest political stramash that has everyone in bubble land riled.

In the midst of it all, up pops an article relating to child protection, such as the latest findings of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry…and silence.  Maybe it’s that taboo, or more worryingly, a desensitisation to such news? 

When these tweets do attract interest, a celebrity is generally involved and ugly attempts at humour follow. Possibly, it’s to make the news of abuse more palatable, but instead it takes away from the level of trauma the child has experienced, or the bravery of the survivors who have come forward.  

All children have the right to be protected from abuse and neglect.  It’s article 9 of the UN Convention on Children’s Rights, and any breach should have us all riled.

In Edinburgh, the focus is on continuous improvement, a strength highlighted in our Care Inspectorate report.  Strengthened partnership working and robust systems like Inter-Agency Referral Discussions are improving child protection, and last year, the number of children on the Child Protection Register sat at a record low.

Scrutiny and accountability have recently been strengthened, with elected members now on the Public Protection Committee, the body that governs the Child Protection Committee.  As one of those members, my first action was to bring the Annual Child Protection Report before the Education Committee for even further scrutiny by elected members.  There are never too many questions to ask.

We have though yet to get it right for every single child and there are stories, both current and historical, yet to be heard.  Even if not a professional, just knowing the signs and what to do can make a difference, and there are opportunities to get more involved.

Today, for example, we launched our campaign to recruit 12 host families for unaccompanied asylum seekers.  These are young people around 16 years of age, who have experienced the trauma of war, torture, poverty, and potentially trafficking – many from Vietnam.  And whilst others have stripped their rights from them, we seek to give them back.  Separated from both family and homeland, being part of a family helps them to rebuild their lives, and existing host families have shared how their young people have thrived.

Maybe you can help rebuild lives, or maybe you know a story yet to be told.  Whatever, taboo doesn’t work, but together we can more openly and actively protect the children of this city.’