Improving access to justice for Roma families dealing with child protection

The latest reports¹ on child welfare services in England confirm what has been suspected for decades – that there is an overrepresentation of Gypsy/Roma and Traveller (GRT) children engaged with the system. 

Historically the number of GRT children who are taken into state care has been low, but numbers have risen considerably since 2015, leading to an increase of 103.7%. The data itself does not reveal why this is, and further research is needed to help us understand this data better. However, academics have raised the possibility of variables such as deprivation, family disengagement, structural discrimination and institutional racism all having a possible influence.² 

This data and the possible factors at play are concerning. They are also the reason why Law for Life seeks to ensure access to justice for Roma families, offering free resources so that parents can understand and engage with the child protection process. They are also helpful for social workers and other professionals working with Roma families in the safeguarding context.

To develop these resources and ensure they are accessible and legally accurate, we worked collaboratively with a range of agencies, including Roma organisations, legal experts, academics, and professionals working at the local authority. We are very proud of the impact these resources have been found to have. You can read more about the findings of the independent evaluation of this project. 

We are also excited to start our new research project in collaboration with Roma NGOs, Anglia Ruskin University and Lancaster University- Centre for Child and Family Justice Research. Our main aim is to identify challenges and barriers that Roma families face when interacting with Children’s Services and identify good practice models and possible solutions that would improve the experiences of Roma families with Children’s Services in the context of child protection. We will do this by actively engaging multiple stakeholders through dialogue and knowledge exchange. A secondary aim is to identify and formulate policy recommendations which can be taken forward with support from relevant policymakers and APPG members in subsequent phases of the project.

For more information about our work with Roma families or our new research, please contact Dada.Felja@lawforlife.org.uk.

_{Wednesday, January 18, 2023}

¹  Ethnicity and children’s social care (May 2022); Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children in Child Welfare Services in England (October 2022)
² Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children in Child Welfare Services in England (October 2022)