AFRUCA SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN
Help us to protect more children in our community
With offices in London and Manchester, we work in UK Black and Ethnic communities to protect and safeguard children from abuse, modern slavery and exploitation. We tackle cultural and religious practices that harm children.
Our
Services
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Healing and Reconciliation Service for Children at Risk or Returning Home From Foster Care
We provide short-term psychotherapy for children in the child protection systerm or those returning home from foster care and their families. We aim to help rebuild the family bond, rebuild trust and support children to heal from their experiences
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Child Protection and Family Support Service
Our multi - disciplinary team of experienced social workers provide a culturally tailored support service to parents and professionals in the UK Child Protection system. We take referrals from local authorities and other agencies across the UK.
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AFRUCA Specialist Training Programme For Professionals
We deliver a range of specialist training programmes for agencies and their staff working with Black and Ethnic children and families and those who provide services to meet their needs. We tailor make bespoke courses to meet organisational needs and priorities. Our training sessions are deiivered face-to-face or virtually
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AFRUCA's Networks of Influence
Our “Networks of Influence” aim to strengthen the voices of marginalised communities across the country affected by modern slavery, child protection and child exploitation. We want to create opportunities for grass-root collaborative and partnership approaches to tackle issues affecting our communities.
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Child Exploitation and Serious Violence Programme
AFRUCA delivers a holistic menu of services to support children, young people and families in Black and ethnic communities at risk of or affected by child exploitation and serious violence. Our prevention and early intervention work includes provision of 1-2-1 support for parents of children at risk and providing mentoring and learning activities for young people.
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Modern Slavery Programme
AFRUCA works to address modern slavery and exploitation experienced by children and young people trafficked into the UK. We partner with other agencies to provide culturally appropriate support and care to meet their needs.
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Community Volunteering Programme
AFRUCA employs a volunteer-led approach to address many of the issues that affect children in Black and ethnic community across England. The idea is to create a ripple effect of change through peer-to-peer learning and active citizenship. We have devised a range of Community Champions initiatives focusing on a range of issues, including Modern Slavery, Child Protection and Female Genital Mutilation
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Community Education Programme
AFRUCA works in partnership with a range of community and faith based organisations to improve knowledge of child safeguarding and how to keep children safe from abuse and harm.
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Schools Education Programme
AFRUCA works with schools, colleges and alternative education provisions across the country to deliver training courses to meet the needs of pupils, staff and parents. We work with schools to raise awareness about different forms of intra and extra-familial harm towards children
The Knowledge Mobilisation For Public Health Research Project
We are delighted to be part of a team of experts working on this important project - the Knowledge Mobilisation for Public Health Project (KNOW-PH). Funded by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research), KNOW-PH aims to bring research evidence generated by NIHR closer to local and national public health decision-making. The project is a partnership between University of Nottingham, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Sheffield, City of Doncaster Council and AFRUCA Safeguarding Children. This is a three year project.
Read more on the project website here
AFRUCA Consultation With Black and Ethnic Parents in the UK Child Protection System
on 3 September 2024, AFRUCA will hold a closed consultative meeting with Black and Ethnic parents who have been involved in local authority child protection processes across the country.
We would like to explore with participants their experiences of race inequality, discrimination and familial exclusion. Our aim is to utilise learning from this activity to help advocate for improvements in national child protection policy and local practices, while we continue to provide parents with the utmost support and training to help improve parenting capacity and enhance protection for their children.
This is a closed, confidential meeting with our current and recent service users.
Safeguarding and Child Protection Training for Faith Leaders and Workers
We are delighted to partner with City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership to deliver free, comprehensive full day training in November 2024, January and February 2025 to faith leaders, workers and volunteers in local Black and African churches, mosques and other places of worship across Hackney.
The training course will help to train over 90 faith workers to gain new knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and how to keep children safe in the place of worship. It will also help them understand how to assess risks of harm to children in the faith setting. Participants will also understand own role and responsibility in keeping children safe outside faith settings.
If your faith group is based in Hackney and you are interested in participating in the free training, please complete a short Interest Form here.
AFRUCA Job Vacancy
We have an exciting position in our Manchester office.
AFRUCA Community Message: Safety Tips For Young People
In view of ongoing racist attacks and unrests in Manchester and other cities, we are sending out this message to all our young people at AFRUCA-Safeguarding Children.
AFRUCA Community Message: Protecting Ourselves From Racist Attacks - Community Safety Guidelines
In light of the recent nation-wide unrests and targeted violence against Muslims, Black, and Asian communities across the UK, we at AFRUCA-Safeguarding Children wish to extend our heartfelt solidarity and support to all our service users, including children and young people, parents, partners, volunteers and faith and community groups.
AFRUCA is here to offer support and guidance to our service users and stakeholders. Please reach out to us if you need assistance, be it for emotional support, practical advice, or simply a listening ear.
Please read our Community Safety Guidelines to help keep safe
It’s Time to Address the Racial Disparities Experienced by Black Children
In this blog for AFRUCA website, AFRUCA CEO Debbie Ariyo argues that the time is right to address the racial disparities experienced by children in Black and ethnic communities across the country.
Read more
AFRUCA Training Brochure For Agencies Working With Black and Ethnic Children and Families 2024-2025
Over the past twenty three years, AFRUCA Safeguarding Children has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience delivering specialist training courses aimed at enhancing the knowledge, skills and confidence of practitioners working with children and their families from diverse backgrounds. We work with agencies nation-wide and across Europe to design relevant training courses which are delivered inhouse - face to face or remotely.
Our 2024-2025 training brochure for agencies working with Black and Ethnic children and families has been released.
AFRUCA Phoenix Project Girls Summer Group Activities 2024
The AFRUCA Phoenix Project is providing free activity spots for young women and girls aged 11-18 in Manchester this summer. Check the flyer on the left for a complete list of our summer activities.
For more information, please contact Rakaya at Rakaya@afruca.org.
Note: These activities are exclusively for Manchester residents.
AFRUCA #10 ASKs From the New UK Government
Based on our work with children and families, here are our 10 asks from the new UK government to help improve outcomes for children in Black and ethnic communities. Click on image to read more on our instagram page
Community Engagement and Education are at the heart of our work at AFRUCA to prevent child abuse, trafficking, exploitation and modern slavery.
Contact us to arrange a session delivered by our staff and volunteer Children’s Champions for your agency, church, mosque, school or community group.
Child Protection Community Engagement and Education
The AFRUCA REVIVE Project
The AFRUCA REVIVE Project supports young men and boys in Manchester, who are from Black and Ethnic communities involved in, or are at risk of Serious Violence and Child Criminal Exploitation.
We work alongside Manchester Youth Justice and local Manchester schools to deliver a flexible 10-week intervention programme with the objective of bridging the gap of culture, identity and empowerment. As part of this project we provide one to one mentoring for young people.
The Guide: Understanding Child Protection In The UK
The "Guide" covers a range of subjects to support parents to strengthen their parenting knowledge and skills, identify risks of harm inside and outside the home and ultimately improve protection and safety for their children.
What People Say About AFRUCA
Join AFRUCA Talks: Our Free Online Forum For Parents
Note: Sessions are not holding during the school holidays until 7 September 2024
Ongoing
Activities
AFRUCA News: August 2024 Activities
We took part in a series of events and activities across the country
AFRUCA Public Facing Events Calendar
We’ve Been Safeguarding Children Since 2001
Prompted by the deaths of a number of newly arrived child ren in the UK, Debbie Ariyo, a former Civil Servant, founded AFRUCA in 2001 to address child safeguarding and child trafficking issues in African diaspora communities and provide services to help support children and families and rehabilitate victims.
Debbie Ariyo OBE - Founder and CEO
AFRUCA’s 20th Anniversary Documentary Video
Our
People
Our Current and Recent Funders
