On March 11, 2025, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (CSPRP) released a report focusing on race and racism in child safeguarding. The report focuses in on the tragic deaths or serious harm to 53 children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds between January 2022 and March 2024. 

The children were victims of abuse, including sexual violence, fatal assault and neglect, and they were failed by the system designed to protect them. This report by the CSPRP calls attention to a concerning gap in current child safeguarding practice; the failure to adequately address race, ethnicity and racial bias, resulting in leaving children vulnerable and at risk to harm, without the necessary support and protection. 

The report shows that 27 children tragically lost their lives as a result of abuse, and many others endured serious harm. The review found that local agencies systemically overlooked the distinct cultural and contextual needs of children from diverse backgrounds, and how race and ethnic background can impact access to services. The report provided several examples of girls from Asian and Mixed Asian Heritages who made disclosures about sexual abuse which were disregarded as untrue or were not carefully followed up. Further, the report illustrated that many safeguarding reviews did not investigate allegations of racism and racial bias, and failed to consider the impact of racism on decision-making processes. The systemic failure is compounded by a tendency to downplay or overlook accusations of racism within practice, creating barriers to accountability and justice, and a resultant lack of trust which deters families seeking the help they require. 

From a legal perspective, the failure to consider racial bias and racism, and a child’s ethnic background and identity within safeguarding reviews, not only impedes effective child protection but also risks breaching the statutory obligations to ensure equal treatment and protection for all children, regardless of their racial or ethnic background. 

The report underscores the urgent need for change, and the Panel’s findings offer several important recommendations aimed at addressing these stark deficiencies in safeguarding practices. Local leaders are called upon to ensure that racism is acknowledged and confronted within safeguarding practices. Of this, Jahnine Davis, Panel lead for the report, said “We must recognise racism as a child safeguarding issue, whether it underlies the harm caused to children, or hinders professionals from acting accordingly to protect them”.

The report states that practitioners must be empowered to discuss race and cultural identity with families and children, which in turn will foster greater trust. The report also considers that the safeguarding system must reflect on its own biases to create safer and more inclusive environments for all children. Furthermore, the Panel recommends that Child Safeguarding Partnerships review their strategies to address racial bias and racism, and that practitioners receive the necessary training and support to better understand these issues. 

As legal professionals, it is essential to be mindful that racial bias within safeguarding processes can result in serious breaches of duty. The failure to take cognisance of race and ethnicity, which is an important and integral part of a child’s identity, can lead to substandard decision-making and input for children in need of protection, exposing them to unnecessary harm. The Panel’s report is a step in the right direction toward addressing inequality in the safeguarding framework, and it is imperative that the spotlight remains on this issue to ensure that every child – regardless of race or socio-economic background - receives equal opportunity, protection and support.