VCF – The Victoria Climbié Foundation UK seeks to articulate the essence of its mission to support and protect children and young people abused by families, communities or by the inaction of governmental or statutory agencies in its ‘Engaging children and families’ report, published today.

VCF is best known for its media and political campaigns to improve child protection policies and practices and thus welcomes this report, to highlight its independent and holistic advocacy work with children and families involved with all children’s services, particularly Children’s Social Care, with a family engagement model that seeks to deliver best outcomes for children and families within child protection and its multiple processes.

VCF Co-Founder and Director, Mor Dioum comments on the organisation’s approach: “our focus has been led by the needs of families through legally-based advocacy casework associated with supporting users; to raise child protection awareness, and to challenge poor practice and thus failings to protect children.”

Report author, and director of the University of East London Centre for Social Work Research (CSWR), Professor Stephen Briggs, is clear that “the VCF advocacy model succeeds because it is pro-families, and at the same time, supporting practitioners – especially social workers; thus both family members and professionals are reassured by VCF presence and approach and anxieties are reduced.”

Report: Engaging with children and families; the role of advocacy within child protection – a pilot study