24 February 2023
VCF calls for ‘Every Child Matters’ refresh amid continued systemic failures
On 25 February, the anniversary of the tragic death of Victoria Climbié, VCF is using its own 20‑year milestone to call for a principled child protection policy and early help options, to prevent further escalation of issues driving children, young people and their families into increasingly hostile processes.
It is difficult to comprehend why such a significant policy, previously welcomed by statutory agencies and care services, was not fully implemented at operational level before its withdrawal just seven years on from its introduction. The absence of a public announcement or consultation leaves too many in doubt as to the rationale for this action.
A lack of regulated transparency and accountability – apparent in every review – has further served to undermine reforms and developments for keeping children safe.
The child protection system can often be selective about which children end up in care, and weirdly not always the children most vulnerable to abuse, attack or inaction – as highlighted by the multitude of child deaths that could, and should have been prevented following the Victoria Climbié inquiry led by Lord Herbert Laming and the Munro review of child protection.
According to one senior practitioner, who is not alone in expressing such views;
“Every Child Matters was the most impactful and effective way to engage families and identify vulnerability with those families and children. I was employed under this umbrella and delivered and achieved the most amazing work for families and children while identifying multi-agency interventions for whole families, to help break the cycles of gang violence among siblings (just an example) and raise attainment and aspirations for them in schools by engaging families and delivering educational and family learning programmes. I think in my career which has been diverse, this was the most satisfactory and I hope changed the lives of the children we looked after.
We were shut down during cuts which left services unregulated and children again became shadows as statistics. We knew these families, we engaged them, then we left them without any visual or coordinated support. It’s heartbreaking…”
Is a government U-turn required to reinstate a policy for practitioner engagement?
Our enduring campaign for improvements in child protection policies and practices puts us once again at the forefront of political debate while continuing to offer legal advice, advocacy and training.
It is imperative that this call for improvements to existing reforms is received across all political colours and cultures, if we are to reverse the prevailing trend towards a bleak and uncertain future for every child www.vcf-uk.org
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