151 John Pizzuro CEO Raven anti child exploitation part 2
Join me for part 2 of my conversation with John Pizzuro, the CEO of Raven about anti child exploitation.
John is the CEO of Raven, the first and only 501(c)4 group ( social welfare, not for profit ) focused on child exploitation in the United States, John works with lawmakers, advocates, agencies, and organizations who are willing to challenge the status quo and fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens. Prior to that John spent 25 years in the New Jersey State police where John had spent his last six years as The Internet Crimes Against Children Commander where he led a team of 200 investigators. In that capacity John served as Chair of the Outreach Committee, and US representative to INTERPOL. John developed a penchant for neuroscience, understanding social engineering and how criminals lured their victims and in return used those same techniques to lure criminals out of the shadows. John made it is mission to protect the innocent and leveraging partners skillsets in order to accomplish that. John’s Task force arrested over 1500 individuals that preyed on the innocent. John has developed and teaches classes on Cognitive Interviewing. John speaks frequently regarding leading and managing large scale investigations, leadership, online grooming, child exploitation, Human trafficking, social engineering, and how technology has impacted society and their behavior. He has written framework for other countries to develop their own investigative units with best practices. John is certified as a Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner and has an M.A. in Human Resource Development and Training
John and colleagues from Raven addressed Congress this week and talked of how complex and challenging the threats to children are in our communities. check out the link. https://www.linkedin.com/company/ravenassociation/
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150 Lyn Romeo. Chief Social Worker for Adults
In today’s episode I speak to Lyn Romeo, the current Chief Social Worker for Adults. After 10 years Lyn is ready to move on from this role. In our discussion we talk about some of her achievements over the past 10 years, what new issues have emerged as a focus and the activity she has personally undertaken. We hear about some of the challenges facing social care and what it is really like to be in the role of Chief Social Worker for Adults. This is a fascinating conversation.
About Lyn Romeo:
Lyn Romeo took up her post as Chief Social Worker for Adults in September 2013 and I first interviewed her in February 2014 for this podcast. ( No 19 )
Previously, Lyn worked as the Director for Adult Social Care and Joint Commissioning in the London Borough of Camden. She has also worked as an inspector with the Social Services Inspectorate, as well as working in Yorkshire for over 20 years as both a field social worker and in a variety of management roles across children and adults services.
The Chief Social Worker for Adults works collaboratively with the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families. Together they work from the Office of the Chief
Social Worker to:
– support and challenge the profession to ensure that children and adults get the best possible help from social workers
– provide independent expert advice to ministers on social work reform, and the contribution of social work and social workers to policy implementation more generally
– provide leadership and work with key leaders in the profession and wider sector to drive forward the improvement and reform programme for social work
– challenge weak practice to achieve decisive improvements in the quality of social work
– provide leadership to the network of principal social workers
It’s good to have had 10 years to assess and measure change.
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149. Eileen Dong. UN Ambassador, survivor and author
In today’s episode I speak to Eileen Dong, UN Ambassador, survivor and author. We discuss the challenges facing the world around human trafficking. Eileen, as a survivor of human trafficking now provides education and support for other survivors. We discuss how we can practically learn from people’s experiences and how human trafficking is a non partisan global issue.
Eileen shares her book, ‘Thank Your Predator: A guide to Trauma Recovery from Abuse’ which is an educational guide and seeks to consider the role of prevention in human trafficking. She also highlighted the 2023 International Conference on Abuse and Awards talking place on October 26th. More information can be found below.
Eileen Dong is a trailblazer combating gender-based violence and human trafficking, is the Founder and Executive Director of Hope Pyx Global. As a UN Ambassador, her mission encompasses ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, violence, and torture for people of all backgrounds. With a diverse background as a Petroleum Engineer, NASA Scholar, and Supply Chain Executive, Dong’s approach extends to collaborating with DOJ, ICE, and FBI on trafficking and money laundering cases.
A TEDx speaker, author of “Thank Your Predator: A Guide to Trauma Recovery from Abuse”, Dong’s expertise combines personal and professional experiences, fostering innovation and partnerships to combat trafficking comprehensively. A member of national human trafficking leadership councils, and formerly a diplomat at the British Consulate General, she influences inclusive, equitable, and data-driven policies. Her involvement with the Center for Countering Human Trafficking and training of law enforcement and victim service providers bridges gaps in culturally sensitive care.
Eileen Dong’s leadership is exemplified by her speech at the 2023 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, embodying the theme of not leaving any victim behind. Honored with “Eileen Dong Day” by Houston’s Mayor, her achievements, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and Addy Award, have reached a global audience of 37.2 million through media features on ABC, Fox, and TED Talk.
You can find information about the things we discussed below:
2023 International Conference on Abuse (Oct 26, HYBRID): 2023 International Conference on Abuse & Awards
“Thank Your Predator: A Guide to Trauma Recovery from Abuse”: https://a.co/d/bIkDsuG
To learn more Eileen Dong, or to book Ms Dong for speaking or advising: https://eileendong.com/
To stay up to date about future events: http://www.hopepyxglobal.org/
International Survivors Network: https://www.facebook.com/groups/168664085021368
The Ms Texas Show: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMsTexasShow
To make a charitable donation: Donate Now – HOPE PYX GLOBAL
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148 Donna Ohdedar. Perception of Safeguarding.
Donna Ohdedar. Perception of Safeguarding. From time to time I like to have a talk with those who manage essential parts of the safeguarding landscape. Today I’m talking to Donna who is CEO of a company that conducts serious case reviews into adult and child deaths and serious incidents.
Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser, solutions focused mentor, public speaker & trainer, Donna offers her university accredited training programme, SILP School. She is also host of the Safeguarding & Domestic Abuse Sector podcast.
Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. S.I.L.P. stands for Single Incident Learning Process.. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, CPD for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice. She is also the host of the SILP School Podcast. S.I.L.P.Training is now an established process.Some reports are too long for what’s required and a rapid review can, when appropriate, deliver suitable learning recommendations that can bolster public confidence.—which took us on to the responsibilit of the safeguarding professions to find better ways to show the mainstream media all the vast amount of good work going on–just to balance the cases that result in serious injury or death–in fact it’s only the criminal cases that command space.
Changes could include an improvement in the number of reviews that contain the voice of the family–in 2021 one third of children’s reviews didn’t include this.Now there are over 70 people who have undertaken S.I.L.P.Training. These include child protection professionals from Health, Legal, Social Work and Police.
Our conersation ranged widely and covered safeguarding accross the sector.
All details of Donna and her work are on the links below
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd
SILP School: https://donna-ohdedar.mykajabi.com/silp-school-blue-light
Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-safeguarding-and-domestic-abuse-sector-podcast/id1554898339
Reviews: https://donna-ohdedar.mykajabi.com/child-safeguarding-practice-review
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147 John Pizzuro CEO Raven anti child exploitation
John is the CEO of Raven, the first and only 501(c)4 group ( social welfare, not for profit ) focused on child exploitation in the United States, John works with lawmakers, advocates, agencies, and organizations who are willing to challenge the status quo and fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens. Prior to that John spent 25 years in the New Jersey State police where John had spent his last six years as The Internet Crimes Against Children Commander where he led a team of 200 investigators. In that capacity John served as Chair of the Outreach Committee, and US representative to INTERPOL. John developed a penchant for neuroscience, understanding social engineering and how criminals lured their victims and in return used those same techniques to lure criminals out of the shadows. John made it is mission to protect the innocent and leveraging partners skillsets in order to accomplish that. John’s Task force arrested over 1500 individuals that preyed on the innocent. John has developed and teaches classes on Cognitive Interviewing. John speaks frequently regarding leading and managing large scale investigations, leadership, online grooming, child exploitation, Human trafficking, social engineering, and how technology has impacted society and their behavior. He has written framework for other countries to develop their own investigative units with best practices. John is certified as a Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner and has an M.A. in Human Resource Development and Training
John and colleagues from Raven addressed Congress this week and talked of how complex and challenging the threats to children are in our communities. check out the link. https://www.linkedin.com/company/ravenassociation/
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146 Prof. Jonathan Singer, Suicide Prevention Month.
As it’s the start of Suicide Prevention Month there could be no better guest than Professor Jonathan Singer who until recently held a National position in the United States but also has written extensively on the subject of suicide prevention.
All this on top of presenting an award winning podcast for 15 years http://www.socialworkpodcast.com
Jonathan B. Singer, Ph.D., LCSW is Professor at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work, Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology and coauthor of the best-selling text, Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention. Published by Routledge.
In 2023 NASW named him a Social Work Pioneer for bringing podcasting to social work. He is a two-time winner of the National Association of Social Workers Media Award (2012 and 2016). He was a 2014 Visiting Scholar at Fordham University, the 2017 Lucille N. Austin Scholar at Columbia University, and the 2018 Distinguished Lecturer at Weber State University.
Dr. Singer is a well-regarded international speaker who has given hundreds of continuing education workshops, keynote addresses, and presentations on youth suicide, ethics, technology, adolescent development and attachment-based family therapy in the USA, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. He is an NASW Expert, Healio Psychiatry Peer Perspective Board member, and has served on several national youth advisory boards including Sandy Hook Promise, JED Foundation, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and the National Suicide Prevention (988 Suicide & Crisis) Lifeline.
A pioneer in the integration of technology and social work, Dr. Singer is an original member of the online suicide prevention . Founded in January 2007, the Social Work Podcast is the first podcast by and for social workers, with over 50,000 followers on social media, listeners in 208 countries and territories, and over 8 million downloads. He lives in Evanston, IL with his wife and three children and can be found on Twitter as @socworkpodcast and Facebook at facebook.com/swpodcast.
To access excellent resources for Suicide Prevention Month 23 (#SPM23) the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s two-page guide.https://sprc.org/online-library/suicide-prevention-month-ideas-for-action/
The second edition of ‘Suicide in Schools’ will be published in the next few months.
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145 Professor Ray Jones
Welcome back. I can’t believe it’s been ten years since the start. So many wonderful guests and content ! Please keep the comments and suggestions coming.
So, what a great start to the new season.`
Dr Ray Jones is Emeritus Professor of Social Work at Kingston University and St. George’s, University of London, and a registered social worker. He has 50 plus years experience in children’s and adults’ social work and social care as a residential worker, social work practitioner, manager, teacher and researcher. From 1992 to 2006 he was director of social services in Wiltshire (and Swindon). He was the first chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, and has been deputy chair and chair of the British Association of Social Workers. From 2008 to 2016 he was professor of social work at Kingston University and St George’s, University of London. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Exeter and at the University of Bath and is an honorary fellow of the University of Gloucestershire. He has led inquiries following the deaths of children and adults, from 2009 to 2013 was the independent chair of Bristol’s Safeguarding Children Board, and from 2010 until 2016, reporting to the children’s minister, oversaw children’s services and child protection improvement in five areas of England. In 2013-2014 he was appointed by the Welsh Assembly to advise on the Welsh Social Services and Well-Being Bill. He has also advised on social services development in Russia and in Slovenia. He is the author of eight books including ‘The Story of Baby P: Setting the Record Straight’, which was published by Policy Press in July 2014, which informed a BBC Television documentary, and with a second edition published in February 2017. ‘In Whose Interest? The Privatisation of Child Protection and Social Work’ was published by Policy Press in December 2018, and his most recent book ‘A History of the Personal Social Services in England’ was published by Palgrave Macmillan in summer 2020 and re-printed in 2021. He is a regular press columnist and media commentator. In 2017 he received the Social Worker of the Year Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Social Work’, and in 2021 was awarded an honorary doctorate in civil law by the University of East Anglia. In 2022 he was appointed to undertake the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in Northern Ireland.
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by Hello All ! Summer pause !
Back in August with, I hope, another 10 years of fantastic guests.
145 programmes with those who protect the vulnerable.
Thank all of you for your support.
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144 Sir Peter Wanless Part 2
A continuation of the reflection on 10 years with the NSPCC.
We develop the conversation to look more into the future and look for new or untested ideas from the wider world. Also talk more on NSPCC’s plans to add to online safety. Peter was also reflective on the organisation’s campaigning role. What risks and challenges are increasing due to the need for more public attention and urgency as well as more extensive resources.? Should we not look to see much more reference and specificity in political manifestos to safeguarding and child protection ? Our conversation develops one or two more paths.
We talk about the changing and expanding nature of safeguarding children with the complexities of the internet, traffiking, modern day slavery and much more. The NSPCC is is focussed on the UK but cannot ignore the threats from the wider world.
www.nspcc.org.uk and the helpline help@nspcc.org.uk
Check out the websites and the many initiatives in addition to the children’s helpline.
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143 Sir Peter Wanless. 10 years at NSPCC
Sir Peter Wanless. 10 tears at NSPCC where he has been the Chief Executive since June 2013. The charity’s longstanding purpose is to prevent cruelty to children, something it seeks to achieve through a mixture of service delivery, research, influencing, advocacy and campaigning. Among the NSPCC’s http://nspcc.org.uk direct services are Childline, 0800 1111 a confidential helpline for any young person with nowhere else to turn, the NSPCC Helpline help@nspcc.org.uk for any adult with a worry or concern about a child, the Child protection in Sport Unit and a network of service centres across the UK focused particularly on abuse and neglect in the early years and child sexual abuse. The NSPCC has been particularly prominent of late in building the child protection case for online regulation of social media services.Peter was previously Chief Executive of what was then the Big Lottery Fund and a Director at the Department for Education between 1998 and 2008. He is on the Boards of Somerset County Cricket Club and the Government’s National Leadership Centre. He received a knighthood in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List for services to children and charity.
We talk of the priorities driving the NSPCC in these challenging times. Supporting young people first, keeping staff and volunteers safe and well and looking to maintain the donation base to continue vital work.
Peter outlines the strategic position of the charity and the constant focus on adapting to threats and challenges to young people. Their work in schools, their combatting of online risks and the increasing workload on their well established Childline service. Training and research are cornerstones of the charity and his job in overseeing all aspects include partnerships with all colleague services, both statutory and voluntary.
The conversation ranges from Peter’s assessment of the whole national response to safeguarding children , especially from the recently published National Inquiry, to his personal views on successful progress and continuing challenges.
Part 2 of this podcast coming mid May ! when we will develop more of the issues and look for short and long term solutions.
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142 Traffiking Investigations Manager
Adam Zarnowski currently serves as the Open-Source Intelligence and Traffiking Investigations Manager for the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (www.followmoneyfightslavery.org). He is a former United States federal officer and holds a master’s degree in Investigations specializing in Digital Forensics alongside a graduate certificate in Trafficking in Persons Investigations from the University of New Haven. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northern Kentucky University.
Adam has dedicated his life to eradicating slavery from an early age. While serving as an investigator, Adam also spends much of his free time researching the sociocultural landscape to better understand how groups and individuals become vulnerable to trafficking and slavery in the first place. He has published a number of articles detailing his work and has additionally spoken at the Hague in the Netherlands as to his findings investigating war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
We talk of the enormity of the task and the dedication of hundreds of people working to combat traffiking and slavery in all its forms. Adam has also been consistantly academically interested in what causes this criminal behaviour in individuals and fuels this chronic cancer in our communities. As far as the general public is concerned the clear message is ‘ if you see something, say something’ .
More digitally aware volunteers are needed and training support will be given after appropriate vetting so , if you could put your name forward , look on the ATII site to take it further.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQhykopgqE
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141 Follow the Money Fight Slavery
Superior, Montana, United States
The links for resources we offer and events we are putting on: Training https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/training/
Resources https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/resources/ Events upcoming https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/about/events/ April Annual Summit and Child Safety Symposium, June Darkwebathon is an opportunity for those in the space of Cryptocurrency to engage in tracing possible criminal behavior using Cryptocurrency and provide that intelligence to law enforcement using Blockchain analytics tools.
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140 Supply Chain Auditing
Supply Chain Auditing is the process of scrutinising companies and their many suppliers to check if they comply with what we would call ethical business practice. Fair treatment and safety of workforces along with transparency from supplier to consumer is the gold standard. So often this does not exist.
The exploitation of workers and often their enslavement is endemic to much of what we consume, wear or use in our daily lives. Enforcement agencies around the world are always attempting to interrupt , rescue and prosecute but the sheer scale can be overwhelming.We do not check hard enough, ask the tough questions or put ourselves out enough to demand better clarity, especially in food and clothing, about what conditions exist in their production.
Leon Reed is the CEO of Verisio Limited, http://Verisio.com a company that has developed from carrying out social compliance audits to providing end-to-end ESG solutions for businesses around the world. Leon has always had a passion for promoting human rights and has found that consultancy and audits are a proven package to achieve sustainable change. Since the introduction of the UK Modern Slavery Act in 2015, Leon has paved the way in helping companies comply. Verisio now runs retailer-driven programmes that encompass all aspects of ESG, combining his many years of auditing experience with his business consultancy skills.
More information at the following sites.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/verisio-ltd/
https://www.modernslaveryhelpline.org
https://www.theapsca.org Association of Social Complience Auditors.
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139 Human Traffiking 3
Matt Richardson is the Director of Intelligence and Investigations with the Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) and returns to the podcast to explain his work and look deeper into the impact of this worldwide activity.
https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/
Oxford dictionary definition of human traffiking ——-the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people in order to benefit from their work or service, typically in the form of forced labour or sexual exploitation.
- In this third episode we talk about the implications and protocol for working with the dark web. the upcoming documentary featuring Matt called Dark Highway,the personal psycological impact on those working to expose traffikers.
- We also cover the rise in self generated child sexual abuse material–often as a result of grooming and co-ersive activity.
- Sextortion–blackmail after soliciting sexualised photos and the rise in numbers of teenage boy victims targeted by fake young girls.
Matt is an international speaker and expert on OSINT and Darkweb Intelligence with extensive experience in leading and coordinating complex investigations on sex trafficking and CSAM offenders. Matt co-authored a study titled “Expert Analysis of Open Source Material Relating To Child Sexual Abuse Material And Sex Trafficking Occurring On OnlyFans.com” with the University of New Haven’s Center for Forensic Investigations of Trafficking in Persons (CFITP). Matt is a member of the Rogers Communications Cybersecurity Catalyst team where he collaborates with industry experts to generate products and education on a variety of cybersecurity topics related to online crimes. He is often sought out as a subject matter expert by the media with TV, Film, Radio, and print coverage in Canada and is a main contributor and on camera character for “Dark Highway”, a Human Trafficking documentary that is being televised in Canada and the U.S. He works in partnership with Timea’s Cause to educate and prevent sex trafficking and was a featured speaker of the 1st Canadian National Summit on Child Sexual Exploitation. Matt is passionate in his role with the Anti Human Traffiking Initiative where as part of a team of experts he uses his skills on a daily basis to help make children, families, and communities safer places.
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138 Anti Human Traffiking Initiative Part 2
Human Traffiking Part 2 continues the focus on the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII)
https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/
Matt Richardson is the Director of Intelligence and Investigations with the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII).
He is international speaker and expert on OSINT and Darkweb Intelligence with extensive experience in leading and coordinating complex investigations on sex trafficking and CSAM offenders. Matt co-authored a study titled “Expert Analysis of Open Source Material Relating To Child Sexual Abuse Material And Sex Trafficking Occurring On OnlyFans.com” with the University of New Haven’s Center for Forensic Investigations of Trafficking in Persons (CFITP). Matt is a member of the Rogers Communications Cybersecurity Catalyst team where he collaborates with industry experts to generate products and education on a variety of cybersecurity topics related to online crimes. He is often sought out as a subject matter expert by the media with TV, Film, Radio, and print coverage in Canada and is a main contributor and on camera character for “Dark Highway”, a Human Trafficking documentary that is being televised in Canada and the U.S. He works in partnership with Timea’s Cause to educate and prevent sex trafficking and was a featured speaker of the 1st Canadian National Summit on Child Sexual Exploitation. Matt is passionate in his role with the Anti Human Traffiking Initiative where as part of a team of experts he uses his skills on a daily basis to help make children, families, and communities safer places.
We talk of the risks to unaccompanied young refugees and the ways to remain focussed in such overwhelming work. One child at a time has to be the rule to avoid practical and emotional overload.
The third part in this series, in January, will, among other things, look at success stories, detail cases that can be talked about and offer ways that we all can be more alert and aware of this chronic threat to our communities.
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137 Anti human trafficking ATII
Larry Cameron BCEC, CCI, CTCE, DEI, MDI, TINV, TG2
Larry has 20+ years experience in the technology industry. He is the Chief Information Security Officer at the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) and an OSINT Investigator for the National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF). He is a certified Digital Evidence Investigator (DEI), Mobile Device Investigator (MDI), Triage Investigator (TINV), Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI), CipherTrace Certified Examiner (CTCE) and holds over 50 other Industry, IT & Security certifications. He manages technology in multiple disciplines and works with local, state, federal and international Law Enforcement on Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation investigations.
Training and speaking to communities all around the world, Larry is only too aware of the scale of the problem and the need for more awareness raising. Resources to combat what is an epidemic of abuse covering sex trafficking, slave labour, cyber and financial abuse to name a few and the huge involvement of organised crime.
Recently Larry started a new position as Head of Cyber Security at CRO Cyber Rights Organization for the United Nations
The Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) combats global human trafficking by promoting corporate social responsibility through increasing awareness, facilitating intelligence integration and technology advancement, and encouraging strategic data collaboration.
The Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative, a 501(c)3 US-based nonprofit, aims to disrupt the market of human trafficking, child exploitation and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through the advancement of preventions, detection, investigation and reporting mechanisms. ATII is committed to raising awareness and developing strategic partnerships with intelligence, technology, and data leaders.
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136 Ann McLaughlin Author
Ann McLaughlin Author of WORLD CHANGE-MAKER: BUILD SKILLS IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENt & SOCIAL WORK.
Ann discusses her book, World Change-Maker: Build Skills in International Development and Social Work. Ann’s book is full of stories – as is this podcast – to help people understand how half the world lives. People who grasp these gritty realities and have the essential skills are more likely to get an international job.
Ann worked 20 years as a psychotherapist/ social worker and then worked in international development. For the last 20 years she has directed NGOabroad (http://ngoabroad.com/) providing international career counseling. Ann was asked to write a book on international social work. Ann knew that we did not need one more book on the problems, but a book on the practical skills needed on the ground. Change-making skills are much the same to create change in your own community or country as those skills needed internationally.
See more about World Change-Maker: Build Skills in International Development and Social Work here: https://www.annmcl.com/world-change-maker-build-skills-in-international-development-and-social-work-2/ The easiest way to get it is online from the publisher: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/world-change-maker/
Though many of NGOabroad’s international volunteer programs are closed due to COVID, if you answer Questionnaire found on the website and send with resume we can figure out where you best fit. https://ngoabroad.com/. International career counseling and trainings are still available. Ann is currently working on two follow-up books. She also offers Transformation and Empowerment Coaching to those who want to become change-makers in their own community or country. See https://www.annmcl.com/
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135 a small but important charity
Grantown Remakery is a small but important charity which I talked about, a year or so ago, with George Livingstone as the guest.It seemed a good idea to see how they weathered the pandemic and did George have views on how the wider community could support the causes and challenges they saw.
It is one of dozens of charities created to improve the quality of life of several vulnerable groups, whose chances in life are threatened by no fault of their own and an underfunded statutory provision. They strive to help balance inequality and create opportunity.
Grantown Remakery http://www.grantownremakery.org.uk provides Employment Skills Development, volunteering opportunities and support for Young People who may be having difficulty in Transition from School to Further Education and Employment, Adults with a Disability or with Mental Ill-Health, supporting all in their journey to recovery and towards fulfilment of their personal goals.
It aims to provide an alternative to landfill disposal by repairing, upgrading, recycling and reselling of goods through a Community based system. This helps pay for coaching and supervision
They have developed strong business relationships with both Partners and the Local Community to identify the best service for individuals in need of support and skills development within strong environmental awareness and action
We talk of the wider social trends and challenges faced by those they help. 3 strands of work for the 3 days they can afford to open.
1) Working with young learning disabled adults often isolated and lonely
2) Existing work with children helping to transition from school to further education.
3) developing a partnership with Job Centre Plus and 16 to 25 year olds who were deemed ‘not work ready’
It is a community social work scheme whose value to the area is significant, especially when the fall out from the pandemic adds to the existing challenges from rural poverty.
Contact them on Facebook or at their website http://www.grantownremakery.org or email info@grantownremakery.org.uk
OR phone 01479 873612
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134 Magnolia. Missing Children Ukraine
Marina Lypovetska, head of 116 000 in Ukraine and head of projects in NGO “Magnolia”, board member of International Federation Missing Children Europe, talks to me about her work and the huge challenges they face. The difficulties of tracing missing children is obviously compounded by the impact of the pandemic and now the war.
In her own words:-
“From my early youth, I’d been definitely sure about what I shall do to make a difference – so I graduated National Dragomanova University as a master’s degree in psychology. Then I started to work “in fields” with children and families in difficult living conditions as a governmental social worker. After a few years, when I felt, that I can be more helpful in non-governmental area, I’ve joined NGO “Magnolia”s team. I am 8 years here and this way was great, and now, despite of war, I am planning to strengthen my organization to ensure needed support to families and missing children.”
NGO Magnolia http://magnolia.org.ua/en was founded more than 20 years ago by a group of journalists to protect the rights of vulnerable children and families and to support the search for
missing children through publicity appeals.
Cooperating with almost 30 TV channels and advertising agencies, we share posters of missing children and video appeals from their families.
Since its start, NGO Magnolia contributed to the search for more than 2200 children (before war) and more than 2367 since the start of war.
In 2015, NGO “Magnolia” became a co-founder of The Ukrainian Child Rights Network. In 2017, NGO “Magnolia” became a co-founder of the coalition “Against tortures”. In November 2017, they joined in the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children ‘Missing Children Europe’ https://missingchildreneurope.eu/ . In 2018, NGO “Magnolia” joined Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum as a member.
If someone needs their help in search for missing children , you can contact them via chat on their Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/NGOMagnolia https://www.facebook.com/detipoisk or Telegram-bot @missingchildren_bot
The hot-line for missing children is 116 000 https://missingchildreneurope.eu/hotline-116-000/
You can support NGO “Magnolia” here: http://magnolia.org.ua/en/content/donate https://help.missingchildren.org.ua/
sound has 20 second delay
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133 Barnardo’s Ukrainian Helpline
Barnardo’s Ukrainian helpline has been operational since March 2022 and now gets over 800 calls per week. Those calling have changed from UK families with practical questions to now, when far more refugees with complex reactions are asking for help.
Andrew Tubman is a Helplines Manager with Barnardo’s, the largest national children’s charity in the UK. Andrew joined Barnardo’s during the covid pandemic to lead the delivery of ‘Boloh’ a Helpline for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic families – the first of it’s kind in the UK. This has included Helpline projects to support refugees, asylum seekers and Hong Kong British Nationals arriving in the UK. Previously he worked for NSPCC’s Childline service and has over 10 years’ experience within Children’s Helplines, as well as in education and leaving care services. He leads on the organisations development, mobilisation and delivery of Helpline services including the Ukrainian Support Helpline.
In response to the Ukraine war Barnardo’s mobilised the Ukrainian Support Helpline in March 2022 to support refugees and host families. The Helpline offers advice, signposting, emotional support, practical support and free therapeutic, multilingual counselling.
The Helpline is open:
– Monday – Friday 10.00am-8.00pm
– Saturday 10.00am-3.00pm
You can contact the Helpline on 0800 148 8586 or email ukrainiansupport@barnardos.org.uk
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132 Children & Families Across Borders (CFAB)
Carolyn Housman is the CEO of Children and Families Across Borders ( CFAB) the UK’s only NGO with a dedicated international social work team, Children and Families Across Borders http://www.cfab.org.uk, which alerts social services and professionally assesses long-term care options for children domestically and in 130 countries to ensure every child has a safe home. She is Vice-Chair of the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, whose mission is to promote and strengthen the social service workforce to provide services when and where they are most needed, alleviate poverty, challenge and reduce discrimination, promote social justice and human rights, and prevent and respond to violence and family separation. She is also a Professional Advisory Committee member of the International Social Service network and Chair of the Cross-border Child Safeguarding Working Group, comprised of social work leaders within Home Office, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department for Education, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) and the Children’s Commissioner’s Office. She has co-authored ground-breaking research into the practice, challenges and solutions in cross-border child protection and child placements. She regularly lectures in university degree courses on international challenges in social work. During her career, she has successfully advocated for and monitored the implementation of system change in different countries – from advising governments in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia on setting up National Referral Mechanisms for trafficked persons through to leading Inter-American Development Bank seminars on developing local procurement systems for sustainable development in Guatemala. She has broad international experience, having worked for Amnesty International (USA), the Washington Office on Latin America (USA), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (Austria), and, currently, Children and Families Across Borders (UK).
Eve Joy Wilson is a UK-registered social worker. She has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics from SOAS and a postgraduate degree in Social Work from Goldsmiths College. She trained with CFAB in 2018, and practiced in a local authority children’s safeguarding team before returning to CFAB in 2021. 
She is interested in social work activism and collaborative campaigning, and co-organises SWots, a monthly reading and discussion group for social care workers. You can join the Swots mailing list by emailing swotsgroup@gmail.com and reach Eve Joy on Twitter @evejoywilson. You can also sign up to the first SWots session of the year on parent advocacy and empowerment in child protection here: SWots 1: Parent voices for change in the US & UK with Tim, Rich & Clarissa Tickets, Wed 10 Aug 2022 at 17:00 | Eventbrite
Call CFAB on 0207 735 8941
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131 Lena Dominelli on Ukraine
I talk with Professor Lena Dominelli on Ukraine. We talk of her new book ‘Putin’s War in Ukraine’ and the challenges of reconstruction and disaster management. She is a qualified social worker and holds a Chair in Social Work at the University of Stirling. She was previously Co-Director at the Institute of Hazards, Risk and Resilience (2010-2016) at Durham University. Lena has specific interests in projects on climate change and extreme weather events including drought, floods, cold snaps; wild fires; earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; disaster interventions; ‘vulnerability’ and resilience; health pandemics; community engagement; coproduction and participatory action research. She has created green social work as a new paradigm for theory and practice. Her research on disasters includes funding from the ESRC, EPSRC, NERC, SSHRC, the Department of International Development and Wellcome Trust. Lena is a prolific writer and has published widely in social work, social policy and sociology including topics covering children and families, child abuse and domestic violence, masculinity, and older adults. She is Director of the MSc in Disaster Interventions and Humanitarian Aid starting soon at Stirling. Lena currently chairs the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) Committee on Disaster Interventions, Climate Change and Sustainability and the Special Interest Group on Disaster Interventions for the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). She has been supporting social workers and providing guidelines on Covid-19 since early January 2020 beginning in China. Lena has represented the social work profession at the United Nations discussions on climate change (UNFCCC), since Cancun, Mexico in 2010 and was President of IASSW from 1996-2004. Her work has been recognised globally through various honours bestowed upon her.My current research interests include: Covid-19. Disaster Interventions including health pandemics, climate change, extreme weather events, flooding, droughts, earthquakes. Working with children and families, including child abuse and neglect. Working with older people, particularly around developing resilience in old age. Masculinity in disasters, including substance misuse and intimate partner violence. Globalisation, neoliberalism and social policy. Feminist Social Work. Anti-Racist Social Work.
Dominelli L (2022) Putin’s War in Ukraine: A challenge for social workers and others. University of Stirling Public Policy Blog [Blog post] 19.04.2022. https://policyblog.stir.ac.uk/2022/04/19/putins-war-in-ukraine-a-challenge-for-social-workers-and-others/
First paragraph of the book reads: Putin’s War in Ukraine. Words fail to describe the mixture of emotions and thoughts that crowd my mind as I listen to the horrendous stories narrated by social workers in Ukraine. I have been in contact with them since 24 February 2022 when they first contacted me to ask for help. Since then, I have organised the Social Work for Peace Virtual Network (SW4P) to respond to their expressed needs. SW4P is one of a number of social work groups offering support to Ukraine. Fortunately, I have had a generous outpouring of offers of help through it, and I thank the many social workers in the UK and elsewhere who have responded positively. Some have even stressed their willingness to go to Ukraine and contribute from the frontline – courageous beyond measure or foolhardy? It depends on your point of view
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130 Social Workers Across Borders
Professor Johnston Hong-Chung WONG is a welcome return guest. He co-founded —Social Workers Across Borders in 2005 and talks of social work in mainland China and Hong Kong. Since then, this ,mainly voluntary, charity, has responded to tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural disasters showing that social work skills are tranferrable into the front line and can help in the immediate aftermath of tragedy. It also demonstrated that they can operate in a humanitarian, neutral way. They can work alongside organisations such as International Red Cross, coordinating services and supporting the most vulnerable. The normalisation of communities after traumatic upheaval with professional assessment of need, crises intervention and the directing of resources to facilitate treatment. Ukraine does need enormous support immediately and, eventually, in reconscruction. We talk of this.
Social Workers Without Borders is a post-disaster humanitarian care organization, currently working in Greater China, especially the Mainland, and is committed to providing spiritual reconstruction and development of social work projects for post-disaster residents. Regardless of politics, race, religion or nationality, we are mainly professional social workers, uphold the belief that love knows no borders, provide professional voluntary services, and provide emotional and mental health to the vulnerable.
Johnston Wong, Professor in Social Work and Social Administration, started his career as a youth worker in Hong Kong. His early academic interests focused on youth and family work, branching out to psychological stress, unemployment and industrial social work. In Hong Kong he participated in various district and central government committees related to youth policies, education, social care and hospital governance. Since 2005 he was involved in many post disasters social work interventions and become the non-executive director of the Social Workers Across Borders. www.swab.org.hk In 2006 he joined UIC as a Faculty member and helped to design the Service Learning Scheme and Emotional Intelligence Programs as parts of Whole Person Education. Later he was appointed as the Chief of Student Affairs. He taught many courses like Social Work and Chinese Laws, Disaster and Emergency Management, Healthcare Social Work, Social Group Work and Crisis Interventions.
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129 Mothers with challenging adult children
“Difficult, mothering challenging adult children through Conflict and Change”. is a new publication by Judith Smith just released by Roman and Littlefield.
Judith R. Smith, PhD, LCSW, is a senior clinical social worker, therapist, researcher, and professor at Fordham University. She is a leader in gerontological research focusing on women’s experiences as they age. She is a Fellow at the Gerontological Society of America and a Faculty Scholar at Fordham’s Ravazzin Center on Aging and Intergenerational Studies.
So many mothers have to manage through enormous challenges including, regular violence, from adult children with either mental health problems, substance abuse, profound learning disabilities or other chronic conditions. She offers real stories as learned experiences, shining a light on the shame, embarrassment and fear that pervades so many families.This is a book for all whether carers, or cared for and advocates structural change in what amounts to one of the most hidden challenges to our communities.. Judith takles these issues and looks for ways to improve social policy and treatment as well as basic awareness raising of the scale of the need.
Difficult is for parents, concerned family and friends, health and mental health professionals, and policy makers. The book provides resources for women to find social support, stay safe, and engage in self-care.
Difficult: Mothering Challenging Adult Children through Conflict and Change Rowman & Littlefield
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128 More voices from Ukraine 2
Raisa Kravchenko adds to more voices from Ukraine. She was, until very recently, Executive Director, Board Chair and co-founder in 2004 of the All Ukrainian NGO Coalition for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. It is a network of 118 Ukrainian local non-governmental organizations and agencies for persons with intellectual disabilities representing about 14 thousand families from all the regions of Ukraine. https://www.facebook.com/vgocoalition,https://www.prosto-pro.com.ua/, www.inteldisabilities-coalition.com.ua Since 2020 the NGO Coalition is a the member of Inclusion Europe ( https://www.inclusion-europe.eu/about-us/#members )
Raisa is one of the foremost campaigners and recognised authorities in this field. She still heads her local. regional group and, with a disability herself,supports her adult son who has learning difficulties. Obtaining prescribed medication is increasingly difficult e.g. Raisa’s district of 200,000 people had 12 prescribing psychiatrists. Now there are 2 and, understandibly, those in poverty cannot look to buy elsewhere if that is even possible. With the disruption of the Pandemic and now the war, services that were already limited are at breaking point.
Ukraine, until recently, addressed the needs of those with intellectual disability with a medical model, supported by the efforts of the voluntary sector. Psychiatric assessments and medication were the norm. Day care and respite provision was mainly up to families. Personal assistants were found and engaged at cost to families, especially hard for those in poverty.
Currently, a lot of Ukrainian families taking care of a person with ID had left Ukraine for Europe as war refugees and talk of the warmth, care and support from the partner NGOs, the Governments of European countries and all European people.
The coalition states that quite a lot of families stay at home whatever the situation in their localities due to peculiar condition and perception of their loved one with intellectual and behavior disabilities. Also, the mothers (main care providers) survive significant burn out and have physical diagnoses more often than average people everywhere in the world. And they also can not stand the complicated trip. Persons with autism could hardly stand an abrupt change of their place of residence and people around, and their families also stay home in spite of bombing and hardships. In any case, the care giver has to dedicate all her/his time to care as all the supporting community based services stopped. It is estimated that 45% of all those diagnosed with ID have a dual diagnosis of behavioural problems making care even more difficult.
Totally, over 261 thousand Ukrainians are awarded official disability status due to a psychiatric diagnosis. Naturally, all day centers are closed, all community based services stopped. Care institutions for above 30 thousand Ukrainians with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities try their best to continue care and both national and local authorities support their specific war needs. But it’s just not nearly enough.
Before the war NGO members provided community based services and self-help peer support to all their members with a minimum support from the public funds which is not available now due to the onset of war.
There is some support from Inclusion Europe but much more is needed as displacement, dislocation and fear drive through communities and greatly increase existing risk to very vulnerable people and their carers.
There is much need fro financial help and the following are the assessed target areas for support.
- Donations to the NGO Coalition Bank account in Euro for the individual aid to families taking care of a person with ID – the Tax Code of Ukraine permits to provide without tax a donation of 3470 UAH per year per person. ( about £90 or $120 )
- Professional services of the Social Worker for the family of persons with ID to get access to the general humanitarian aid programs as well as the individual work aimed at meeting urgent needs caused by the war (e.g., health emergency, broken flats by bombs, gitting prescriptions for the psychiatric medicines, etc). Expected cost to cover 20-30 families is 900 Euro per month including taxation and travel costs.
- Support to families through financing of personal assistant wherever the family is. The average cost for individual assiatant for one person with ID according to individual needs is 500 Euro per month including taxation. Some mothers can not leave the adult or child autistic son and daughter for more than 1 hour to purchase food, medication or stand in line at the bank machine, so, personal assistance is a basic need.
Following the war these are estimated needs:-
Rehabilitation with the separate programs for persons with intellectual / behavioral problems, care givers, care staff.
Restart of the service provisions to Ukrainians with ID by NGOs (we would appreciate highly the crisis donation of 15000 euro per NGO)
Initiation of the supported living program for those Ukrainians with ID who lost care because of the war (whose care givers are perished, became disabled, homes ruined etc).
Bank details: Euro account: UA203052990000026005010114058, SWIFT PBANUA2X. Code 26521104
I hope to bring more voices from Ukraine in the near future.
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127 Social Work Voices from Ukraine
Professor Oksana Boyko starts the series of social work voices from Ukraine. As the war continues, she shares her understandably strong feelings and begins the reflection on the activity of social work in the middle of this invasion. This recording is of an interview with her,led by Professor Tan Ngoh Tiong, Chair of the Global Institute for Social Work and professor of Social Work at Singapore University and I was asked to join in and agreed to publish this audio as a podcast.
Currently Oksana is also Associate Professor, Head of BA in SW Program, Chair of the Department School of Social Work named after Professor Volodymyr Poltavets at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), in Kyiv, Ukraine. As well as having a distinguished academic career, she has had around twenty years of expertise working in various national and international projects on mental health and psychosocial support, community crisis management, social entrepreneurship, international social work. She is also a member of MHPSS Technical Working Group in Ukraine.
Oksana has also been for the second year a Project Local Expert and Crisis Management trainer working for an International Project ‘Enhancing community resilience in Ukraine. Psychosocial first aid, support and anti crisis leadership’, supported by Norway Ministry for Foreign Affairs, implemented by NaUKMA and Norwegian Centre for Trauma and Suicide Prevention. Outcomes include: training to become a lead trainer on crisis management, as well as conducting crisis management trainings for various stakeholders and developing the Crisis Management Course syllabus and methodological guidelines for NaUKMA Introducing the course into NaUKMA education programs (for social workers and psychologists).
Hopefully more social work voices from Ukraine can be heard in the weeks to come. There is no denying the bravery of ordinary people caught in this madness. As usual in war, the damage will last for decades , if not longer.
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126 UNSEEN UK Anti-Slavery Charity
Rachel Collins-White is the Head of Frontline Services at Unseen UK, an anti-slavery charity. She is responsible for the delivery of the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract through their specialist support services. Unseen is a UK charity based in Bristol who provide safehouses and support in the community for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery. Unseen also runs the UK Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline and works with individuals, communities, business, governments, other charities, and statutory agencies to stamp out slavery for good.
Rachel has worked with on the frontline with various charities in the last 10 years, supporting the most vulnerable to access support needed to promote independence. Having joined Unseen in 2018, Rachel is responsible for the support provided at 2 safehouses and to survivors based in the community across the Southwest. To date, Unseen have supported 189 women at their women’s safehouse, 79 men at their men’s safehouse and over 385 survivors in the community. This work also includes safeguarding responsibilities, service improvement and collating evidence learnt from service delivery to inform system change.
We talk of the increasing awareness by bodies such as Unseen of the risks that vulnerable children and adults have to endure and the nightmare many end up in.
In concert with many world wide NGOs, charities, law enforcement and statutory bodies focussing on anti-slavery, UNSEEN has acumulated much experience and success although they would say that the task is great still.
Visit their site and take what information you can to help their work.
Links:
- https://slaveryfootprint.org/ a helpful tool to see how your lifestyle and consumer choices have contact with potential victims
- https://www.modernslaveryhelpline.org/ link to the helpline
- https://www.unseenuk.org/about-modern-slavery/download-the-app/ link to download the Unseen app
- https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-end-of-year-summary-2021/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-end-of-year-summary-2021 link for the most recent NRM statistics
- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-nationality-and-borders-bill further information on the Nationalities and Borders Bill
Thanks as always to http://albadigitalmedia.com for technical support.
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125 S.I.L.P. Training Donna Ohdedar
Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. S.I.L.P. stands for Single Incident Learning Process.. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, CPD for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice. She is also the host of the SILP School Podcast. S.I.L.P.Training is now an established process.
We talk of accountability in social care and recognise the power of reviews to make change happen. We agree on learning from the range of activit and issues raised in reviews and the negativity of default deficit thinking.
\Some reports are too long for what’s required and a rapid review can, when appropriate, deliver suitable learning recommendations that can bolster public confidence.—which took us on to the responsibilit of the safeguarding professions to find better ways to show the mainstream media all the vast amount of good work going on–just to balance the cases that result in serious injury or death–in fact it’s only the criminal cases that command space.
Changes could include an improvement in the number of reviews that contain the voice of the family–in 2021 one third of children’s reviews didn’t include this.
Now there are over 70 people who have undertaken S.I.L.P.Training. These include child protection professionals from Health, Social Work and police with a couple of lawyers there too.
All details of Donna and her work are on the links below
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd-38a101177/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LtdReview
Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-safeguarding-and-domestic-abuse-sector-podcast/id1554898339
Website: www.reviewconsulting.co.uk
The research that Donna mentioned in the podcast can be found here:
As always, my thanks to http://albadigitalmedia.com for technical support.
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124 Christina Gabbitas ‘No more knives’
‘No more knives’ by Christina Gabbitas is a book and animation for 10 yr old + primary children educating them about how to avoid grooming,county lines and knife crime. A valuable addition to safeguarding resources.
Today I am happy to be back after the Winter break and Christina’s work is always worthwhile. She talks of the professional relationships she’s formed with several police forces and police and crime commissioners.
Christina Gabbitas http://www.christinagabbitas.com is an award-winning children’s author who has encouraged many children nationally with an annual poetry initiative, giving her a Dame Beryl Bainbridge award in 2015 for her work and Sue Ryder Education Award in 2016. Founder and Trustee of Children’s Literature Festivals http://www.childrensliteraturefestivals.com whose mission is to give children from all backgrounds, cultures and abilities an equal opportunity of having access to books to realise the power of reading not just educationally but socially and emotionally too.Christina received a Mayoral Award for Services to Children’s Literature and Child Protection, and was made an Honorary Member of the NSPCC Council for the work that she has undertaken in safeguarding children. Christina’s book Share Some Secrets was awarded a national book prize in 2019, and the publication is now encouraging children to speak out and being recognised globally. The animation resource and publication is being utilised in some PCC’s child exploitation toolkits.
In addition Christina’s more recent work has been visiting primary and secondary schools with Humberside Police, Funded by Humberside Police & Crime Commissioners Office and North Yorkshire Police, Funded by North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners Office, educating children and young people about the signs of grooming, the harnful effects of taking drugs, county lines and the consequences of carrying knives.
Christina wrote a story from an initial commission by Police & Crime Commissioners Office in Humberside where she produced a story to help educate children on the dangers of being groomed into County Lines and being involved with knife crime. http://www.nomoreknifecrime.com The partnership also included a writing initiative with children aged 10+
The story was converted into an animated format that she has been using within her sessions working with PCSO’s and Police Officers.
Schools Feedback. Check what’s been said.
https://www.benthamcpschool.org.uk/news/2022/no-more-knives-or-county-lineshttps://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-
author/https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/19662948.author-christina-gabbitas-backs-police-county-lines-scheme/
Children perspective https://www.nomoreknifecrime.co.uk/humberside-police/
Animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXNVQ4VcBts
The situation in Ukraine is beyond belief. The flood of vulnerable refugees that include so many lone children. Agencies such as Missing Children Europe are struggling to respond. They are doing great work with limited resources and our thoughts are with them.
Thanks ,as always, to https://www.albadigitalmedia.com for technical support.
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123 Missing Children Europe Part 2
Aagje Ieven is Secretary General at Missing Children Europe www.missingchildreneurope.eu , where she is responsible for the strategic development and day-to-day management of the organization.
In this second podcast we talk of a significant group of missing children in Europe—those who run away. We look at why, from the obvious to the preventable and talk of the gaps in response and education surrounding this chronic problem.
Aagje has a background in Health (Bachelor, Leuven 1998) and Political Philosophy (Master, Leuven, and Nijmegen, 2002). She has close to twenty years of experience in research and policy analysis on human rights in Europe and has worked for a number of EU civil society organisations advocating for the rights and wellbeing of children and their families. She coordinated a campaign for the rights of children in vulnerable situations and managed a European membership network supporting families affected by mental health issues. At Missing Children Europe she established a research and training programme on runaways, the largest category of missing children, and led the advocacy on the new EU Child Rights
Currently Secretary General at Missing Children Europe, Aagje heads the European umbrella organisation for ngo’s working on the issue of missing children. They strive to protect and empower children to prevent them from going missing, and they do this by supporting the professionals in our network with research, training, advocacy and awareness raising. They focus on runaways, children abducted by a parent, and unaccompanied migrant children. They coordinate the network of 116000 missing child hotlines which children and families can call when a child is (at risk of going) missing. They also run a network of cross border family mediators that international families which are separating can contact for support.
At missing children, Aagje is responsible for day-to-day management of the organization and setting out the strategic lines together with the Board.
Aagje joined Missing Children Europe almost three years ago, and have since then established their research and training programme on runaways, called RADAR, have established child participation in the organisation, have led our advocacy on the new EU Child Rights Strategy, and is currently working on their new four year strategy 2022-2025.
Research conducted as part of the INCLUDE project shows that overlooking children in international abduction cases leads to feelings of helplessness and anxiety.They work with professionals who assist missing children, children at risk of going missing and their families. MCE supports them to better protect and empower children through research, training, advocacy, and awareness, facilitating exchange and cross-border cooperation. They coordinate the network of 116000 missing children hotlines, and the Cross-Border Family Mediators network. In all of these ways it contributes to more effective, holistic and integrated child protection systems across Europe.
Missing Children Europe website where you will find all of our projects and annual reports: https://missingchildreneurope.eu/
International family conflict – families can find Cross Border Family Mediators here: https://crossbordermediator.eu/
Long term missing cases – NotFound application for all website owners: https://notfound.org/en
Children in Migration – Miniila application with info for unaccompanied minors: https://miniila.com/
Children in Migration – Lost in Migration conference for professionals in the field: http://lostinmigration.eu/#page-top
Children in Migration – Tiny and Apollo campaign to start a different conversation on migration: https://www.tinyandapollo.com/
Thanks as always to www.albadigitalmedia.com for technical assistance with the podcast.
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