Intersectionality & Safeguarding Practice

We have just published some new Cultural Capability Practice Guidance for everyone working in safeguarding services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, including statutory and non statutory partners and the VCSE sector.

The guidance has been developed in response to the expectation in Working Together (2023) which asks safeguarding partnerships to clearly show how we understand the needs and outcomes for different communities of children at both strategic and frontline levels. 

National learning continues to highlight the importance of considering racial, ethnic and cultural identity and the impact of this on the lived experience of children and families.  They recommend that safeguarding partnerships develop practice frameworks that take account of intersectional thinking to explore how ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality and ability alongside social factors such as education and poverty shape the identities and experiences of children and families.  We are also encouraged to be more inquiring about how cultural assumptions and biases shape how we ‘see’ and safeguard different groups of children.

Our practice guidance aims to support the development of this approach.

We purposefully use the term 'capability' because it means having the skills, knowledge, and values we need to practice effectively and implies an expectation of continuous development and improvement.

With that in mind we will be evaluating the impact of the guidance over time, and the meantime would welcome any feedback on

• How you have used it
• What difference it has made
• Any other comments or observations that you would like to share 

You can access the practice guidance here

and send us your feedback here