Summary of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s report on race, racism and safeguarding children
CASPAR briefing
This thematic review was commissioned by England's Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel to explore how race, racism and racial bias influence how professionals identify, understand and respond to the safeguarding needs of Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children and their families.1
The report’s findings and recommendations are taken from an analysis of a sample of 40 rapid reviews and 14 Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (LCSPRs) of incidents that took place between January 2022 and March 2024 and involved Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
Our CASPAR briefing summarises the findings from the report, including:
- there is a silence in reviews on the role of racism in service and practice responses to Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children and families
- reviews do not consistently explore the ways in which race, ethnicity and culture may influence practice responses to Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children
- the unique risks that may be experienced by children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds are not adequately considered
- local safeguarding partnerships need to review local strategies and approaches to addressing race, racism and bias in their work with Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
References
Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (CSPRP) (2025) “It’s silent”: race, racism and safeguarding children (PDF). London: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.Download the briefing (PDF)
CASPAR briefings
Our CASPAR briefings help people working or volunteering with children and young people understand changes to safeguarding and child protection policy and guidance. They also summarise key research and reports from independent bodies such as Ofsted and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
> See the full list of briefings
References
