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UK Parliament

Education Committee takes evidence on identifying child abuse

30 November 2011

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The Education Committee holds an evidence session examining whether the child protection system allows for effective identification of children at risk of different forms of abuse and exploitation, as part of its child protection inquiry.

Wednesday 30 November 2011
9.30am, Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Witnesses

9.30am

  • Joanna Sharpen, Children and Young People’s Co-ordinator, Against Violence and Abuse (AVA)
  • Kathy Rowe, Chair, Karma Nirvana
  • Colin Walker, Deputy Director, End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT UK)  
  • Prospera Tedam, Chair, Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA)    

10.30am

  • Judith Dennis, Policy Manager, Refugee Council
  • Andy McCullough, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Railway Children
  • Christine Lenehan, Director, Council for Disabled Children
  • Mark Johnson, Founder, User Voice

Purpose of the session

This is the third session in the committee’s inquiry into the child protection system. The aim of this session is to explore more thoroughly how child protection arrangements support or fail to support children at risk of particular, less common, forms of abuse and/or with specific needs, in line with the inquiry’s first term of reference:

  • Whether the child protection system allows for effective identification of, and early help to, children at risk of different forms of abuse and exploitation (including, but not restricted to: neglect, sexual and physical abuse, domestic violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, child trafficking and online exploitation).

The first panel is composed of charities working with children and young people at risk of specific forms of abuse: trafficking, forced marriage, ritual abuse and those party to domestic violence.

The second panel is made up of representatives from organisations supporting children in particularly vulnerable circumstances: disabled, homeless, refugee, and those in the youth justice system.

Further information

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