A multi-ethnic perspective

The Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda has been praised as a highly effective tool for channelling children’s policy, however, questions have been raised about how it will incorporate the specific needs of black and ethnic minority (BME) children, young people and families.

It is acknowledged that BME service providers have often struggled to engage with and influence the mainstream agenda. The organisational restructuring that will precede the creation of new children’s trust arrangements, presents the ideal opportunity to reflect on past practice and embed processes that ensure inclusivity and a multi-ethnic perspective.

At a recent VCS Engage consultation event, the question of how BME service providers could effectively participate in these new structural arrangements was posed. Delegates identified a number of potential support mechanisms that they felt could help them to engage with children’s trusts play a more active role in shaping, delivering and evaluating the ECM agenda.

Our work

As a result of the consultation, VCS Engage has developed a bespoke training programme for BME service providers to help them engage with children’s trusts.

The courses are based upon the more generic ‘training in strategic planning and commissioning’ which VCS Engage has delivered to organisations across the VCS, but also incorporate the specific needs of BME service providers as identified.

The training programme is being delivered in each of the nine government office regions, and is running from January 2008 to March 2008. To book your place, visit our training and events page.

A report evaluating the impact of the training, and picking up on the messages and issues from the pre-training workshops will be produced at the end of the training programme.

Resources

There is a wide range of information available to the sector about the delivery of services for BME children, young people and families. Click here to access our comprehensive signposting page.

 

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