Does every child matter in 2025?
“We advocate for the right of every child to be protected from abuse and to challenge crimes against children committed either by families, communities or by the inaction of statutory or governmental agencies”. The Victoria Climbié Foundation UK Mission Statement
Courtesy of Elon Musk, the subject of child sexual exploitation has been brought to the forefront of political and public debate on X (formerly Twitter) and beyond.
As an organisation committed to its campaign against child abuse, VCF emphatically welcomes commentary on policies and practices that have harmed, and are still harming, children and young people nationally and internationally.
Yet the task of supporting victims, for whom these conversations are particularly sensitive, becomes ever more challenging when authorities determinedly use their past experiences and increasingly future predictions, often based on erroneous records, to deny them help and assistance at a time of most need and potential to make a difference to their lives.
VCF – The Victoria Climbié Foundation UK was established by Mr and Mrs Climbié (Victoria’s parents) to campaign for improvements in child protection policies and practices, and to ensure effective links and coordination between statutory agencies, care services and the community.
The work continues… to eradicate child maltreatment, child exploitation and child trafficking and to influence for good practice in child protection policies and procedures. We are committed to a pluralist society where children’s rights are prioritised and paramount where nobody is allowed to use religion or culture to harm children.
Transparency – and ultimately accountability – is in astoundingly short supply across an ever growing number of systems, strategies and reviews, and other so-called safeguarding measures, the details of which cannot be found in any search engine.
Is it time for an independent investigation into the effectiveness of the child protection system to-date?
Effective child protection does not need to be costly, yet the spiralling costs have become a drain on the public purse to the extent that few even question why we are not seeing improved circumstances for children, only poor excuses or opportunities for further harm.
The children’s agenda is a long way from where it needs to be to keep children safe, at home, in the community or at school.
We believe an independent investigation into the effectiveness of the child protection system could be undertaken, including an audit of the colossal costs of sustaining a framework that has shifted from its stated intent.
Does this country need more legislation for children?
There is sufficient legislation to ‘get the job done’ notwithstanding a minimal amount of tweaks or operational common sense, rather than a wholesale rejection of existing and unimplemented reforms and developments from Laming to Munro.
Many will question the wisdom of merging children’s wellbeing with the schools bill, which was already deemed to be ill-considered and non-inclusive, The speed with which the government is moving to enact this bill has led to deepening concerns for children and their families, especially for those that may be further targeted, marginalised or oppressed by developing policies and practice that threaten to curtail established international rights for children.
Does every child matter in 2025?
If we are not to return to the principles of Every Child Matters – the most significant policy development introduced by a Labour government following the Victoria Climbié Inquiry led by Lord Laming (2003) and quietly discarded by the majority Conservative led coalition (2010) – then the public will need assurance that the proposed measures are consistent with a rights-based approach for every child.
Anything less is a betrayal; of Victoria’s legacy, for the families of Victoria Climbié and the many children that have since been killed in preventable circumstances, and of a workforce that has been instructed against the ‘best interests of the child’ by senior management across all agencies – education, police, health and social care – that have distanced themselves from the front line and every day challenges facing children, young people and their families.
Across the country, and beyond, there are far too many who would disagree that every child matters, amid continued silence by authorities that have failed to consistently act on concerns or recommendations for change.
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VCF statement in response to Sara Sharif trial verdicts
VCF training workshops for practitioners working in the formal and informal societal systems