Church group to help non-English speaking community with child safety

The Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service is to reach non-English speaking faith communities in the UK with a new Government-funded DVD to help them develop an effective child safety strategy.

CCPAS has been awarded more than £100,000 in government grants to produce the ‘10 Safeguarding Standards’ DVD and translate it into seven languages.

The group said that some of the cultural and religious practices within some places of worship in newly established faith communities in England had combined with poor safeguarding procedures to put children “at risk of significant harm”.

It added that the large number of faith groups across England, many with only a limited understanding of English, had rendered it impossible for statutory and voluntary agencies to be sure they were effectively protecting the children in their care.

CCPAS said it hoped to overcome the problem with the new 60-minute training DVD, which takes as its basis ten safeguarding standards developed from the Government’s statutory guidance ‘Working Together 2006’.

They include adopting a formal safeguarding and recruitment policy, and providing appropriate training.

The standards, CCPAS said, would communicate the essential aspects of keeping children safe in places of worship and enable faith groups to develop effective measures to protect their children.

CCPAS’ David Pearson said, “We are delighted to have been given the full amount of the grant we applied for.

“This important award is the latest stage of a broader strategy to reach non-English speaking members of the faith community – one that has been worked out full in consultation with the Children’s Minister and other statutory and voluntary agencies.”

The broader strategy, Safe and Secure, will include a 300-page online manual, a supporting DVD and a free key facts booklet.