Championing Prevention and Discriminatory Abuse
In 2021, the SAEB and The Advocacy Project launched the Staying Safe Project to deliver safeguarding Train the Trainer training to 18 community groups, translated into their own language. Hearing the correct information in their own language from their own leaders has not only supported the delivery and understanding of safeguarding but also dispelled myths and beliefs about services. Listening to their own community leaders talk about the importance of safeguarding and when to seek help and support has meant that over 200 hard-to-reach members of our communities have received training and are now educated on safeguarding matters that they did not previously understand were abuse.
Formation of the Network
The outcome of this project was the formation of the BME Safeguarding Network, a network of 18 voluntary diverse groups in our communities. The network is jointly chaired by Mercyline Ndeti from the BME Health Forum and Maureen Brewster from The Advocacy Project, who represent the group at relevant SAEB meetings. Supported by the SAEB Team, the Network meets quarterly, with meetings held virtually or in person.
Objectives and Aims
The BME Safeguarding Network aims to bolster community confidence by ensuring the safety of ‘adults at risk’ from abuse and neglect within the Bi-Borough of Kensington, Chelsea, and Westminster. The network operates within a cultural framework, focusing on identifying safeguarding concerns and raising awareness. It also provides training opportunities for staff and volunteers to support them with policies, procedures, and professional practices that align with their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.
Key Tasks and Activities
The Network serves as a forum for managers, staff, and volunteers from local organisations to discuss safeguarding issues within a cultural context. Its primary objectives include:
* Raising public awareness of adult abuse and safeguarding.
* Enhancing local knowledge and understanding of adult safeguarding.
* Providing opportunities for staff and volunteers through local safeguarding events.
* Disseminating key national, regional, and local policies, guidance, training, and learning related to safeguarding topics.
The Network facilitates communication and feedback between the Safeguarding Adults Executive Board (SAEB) and those affected by safeguarding issues. It aims to capture and improve people’s safeguarding experiences and outcomes, prevent future concerns, and contribute to the SAEB Community Engagement Prevention Agenda. Additionally, the Network develops an Annual Group Action Plan and provides an annual update report to the SAEB.
Championing Prevention and Discriminatory Abuse
The BME Safeguarding Network champions prevention and discriminatory abuse awareness and is actively working to dispel fears and address the barriers to discriminatory abuse. The network leads on translation into hidden communities own languages, working collaboratively with the SAEB to translate materials and information into languages spoken by less visible groups. This approach emphasises the importance of cultural and linguistic sensitivity, empowering communities by giving them a voice in matters that affect them and fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.
Upcoming Events – Introduction of Our Translated ‘Say No to Abuse’ Leaflets
We are enthusiastically planning an in-person launch event for our wider communities, which will take place in early autumn 2025 at a local venue . Additionally, the network is working to improve confidence and trust with other agencies, and our communities report that they feel more confident that their reports will be taken seriously and acted upon. Most importantly, they are now able to differentiate when to report, how to report, and to whom, demonstrating that change is possible and that every report contributes to a safer community.
Stay tuned to this page for the upcoming launch of our booklets into 7 different languages which were agreed upon by the network. These are: Kurdish, French, Somali, Tigrigna, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi
“The Staying Safe project has highlighted the importance of collaboration, co-production, and most importantly the need for ongoing attention to translation” , Phayza Fudlalla, Engagement & Projects Manager, BME Health Forum