Understanding Adultification Bias, Intersectionality and Cultural Competence

Who should attend? Staff and volunteers who have specialist child protection responsibilities and/or involvement in multiagency safeguarding assessment, planning and responses.

Why should they attend? Learning from local and national reviews shows us that a lack of cultural competency and understanding of intersectionality can impact on safeguarding practice. Adultification bias similarly impacts on how practitioners see and respond to children, particularly Black children. This training will enable participants to be safeguard against assumptions and bias in their practice.

What are the learning objectives? By the end of this course, delegates will:

• Develop knowledge of the concept of ‘Adultification bias’ and the skills to challenge when it occurs.
• Explore, personal, professional and organisational spheres of Adultification and impact on intra familial violence and parentification.
• Explore and recognise how Adultification manifests in our practice and the impact on safeguarding Black children and young people across disciplines and agencies.
• Reflecting and learning from case studies including Child Q and lessons for recognising, preventing and challenging professional and institutional Adultification.
• Understand the challenges of racial discrimination faced by black and global majority communities and the impact on child protection practices.
• Understand the broad concepts of intersectionality as it relates to contextual discrimination and impact of “race”, gender identity, ethnicity, neuro diversity, disability and sexual orientation on children and young people.
• To understand the role of culture, ethnicity, spirituality and faith impacts on parental decision making, and children’s wellbeing.
• Explore different models of assessment for improving cultural competence, professional curiosity and responsibility to uphold rights of Black and global majority children and families at risk.
• Identify barriers and strategies to prevent Adultification and other forms discrimination of Black children in practice and increase safeguarding across disciplines and agencies.

How is the course delivered? This free full-day course is delivered by an independent trainer. Online and in-person options are available.