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.
AFRUCA Job Vacancy
Are You a Runner, Adventurer, a Champion?
Run for AFRUCA and help us to promote the well-being and protection of children in Black and Ethnic communities.
We offer free places to top running and adventure events across the UK in 2024/25.
Email Vici Fairhurst at vici@afruca.org for further information and to register your interest.
AFRUCA Psychotherapy Service For Children At Risk or Returning Home From Foster Care
The AFRUCA Psychotherapy service provides short-term, one to one, confidential and culturally appropriate therapy service for children (5-18 years) who have been involved in the local authority child protection system because of child/domestic abuse and/or who are being reunified with their birth parents after a period in foster care. Using a range of approaches, our psychotherapists provide support for children to help them build emotional well-being, rebuild trust, emotional bond and attachment with their birth parents.
Protect Me, Too: A Consultative Meeting With Black Youth In London and Manchester
We held an online Consultative Meeting with young people across London and Manchester on 5 April 2024. They discussed challenges faced by young people like themselves and noted lack of understanding by decision-makers of vulnerabilities young people experience around cultural clashes at home, risks of criminal exploitation and going missing from home. They explored need for resources dedicated to spaces for young people, and how systems and structures like Stop and Search oppress young Black people and treat them like adults instead of children.
We are exploring opportunities to take further the ideas generated at the consultative meeting.
Manchester Network on Serious Violence and Child Exploitation
We held a very successful consultative meeting with statutory agencies and community groups across Manchester on Friday 22 March to discuss the establishment of a Manchester Network on Serious Violence and Child Exploitation. We are delighted all participants agreed to work with AFRUCA to establish this new network with the first meeting planned to hold on 24 May 2024 at 12:00pm at AFRUCA office. Community and youth groups across Manchester are welcome to attend. Food and Refreshments will be provided
RSVP: stephen@Afruca.org
Consultative Meeting on Child Protection In Faith and Community Groups
We held a special online Consultative Meeting on Tuesday, 13 February 2024 to explore the role of faith organisations in the protection of children in Black and ethnic communities across the UK. Over 60 faith and community representatives, professionals and policy-makers attended.
We organised this consultative meeting to explore with participants how we can work together to enhance child protection and safeguarding in Black and Ethnic faith organisations, looking at four broad areas: empowering faith leaders; building connections, supporting congregants and building capacity of faith organisations.
Work to advance key recommendations is in progress.
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
Our
Services
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Psychotherapy 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 and support children to heal from their experiences
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Child Trafficking and Youth Violence Programme
AFRUCA delivers a holistic menu of services to support children and families in Black and ethnic communities at risk of or affected by child exploitation and youth 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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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
AFRUCA is committed to facilitating and developing the learning and skills of practitioners who work with Black and Ethnic children and families and those who provide services to meet their needs.
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BASNET - The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network
BASNET - The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network established by AFRUCA is the first network in the UK and in Europe dedicated to promoting equality, inclusion and diversity in the anti-trafficking and anti-slavery space. Our Network members are registered charities or community interest companies working in diaspora communities affected by modern slavery.
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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
Join AFRUCA Talks: Our Free Online Forum For Parents
Child Protection
Publication
We are delighted to release the 4th Edition of our very popular publication for parents in Black and Ethnic communities across the UK - Understanding Child Protection In The UK - A Guide For Parents In Black and Ethnic Communities.
Ongoing
Activities
AFRUCA News: March 2024 Activities
We held a range of community based activities to help educate about basic child protection and safeguarding needs of children.
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
What People Say About AFRUCA
Our Current and Recent Funders
