As a foster care organisation that campaigns, advocates and cares for some of the most vulnerable young people in our society, our aim and purpose is to provide young people with a safe and caring childhood without regard to race, class or culture. We therefore support the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
ALL4U Fostering recognises that the demands of the BLM movement in the US have profound relevance here in the UK. ALL4U Fostering acknowledges BLM as an ongoing movement to overcome centuries of insidious practices across the world.
Racism permeates British society and seeks to legitimise a hostile environment. COVID-19 has further exposed the racial and economic inequalities that persist in the UK. The recent Public Health England Report shows that death rates from COVID-19 were higher in the Black community, and that death rates in the most deprived areas were more than double those in the least deprived areas.
Government policies over the past ten years, including cuts in all public services, have led to increased levels of deprivation in our society – we have witnessed this as an organisation.
The Black community experiences poorer outcomes in health, housing, employment, and education.
COVID-19 and Government policy intersect to create a perfect storm for Black and minority ethnic (BAME) families. This is further exacerbated for those young people in the public care system.
Policymakers need to learn from the facts and testimonies of countless BAME young people and take urgent action. We need clear communication from the government as to how they plan to stop deaths in the black community and ensure that black lives in the public care system are safeguarded through meaningful policy change that removes structural inequalities. We will lobby local and national government for changes in the law to better support deprived areas.
As an organisation, ALL4U Fostering will continue to champion the voices of black children and young people and in partnership with the Layberry Foundation, our leaving care charity, continue that support into adulthood and campaign for change to ensure not just their safety but their ability to live free and fulfilling lives, helping them to reach their full potential.
ALL4U Fostering believes statements alone are not enough; we will seek to enhance knowledge amongst the ALL4U Fostering team and young people for whom we care.
Through training and reflective practice in groups and individual supervision sessions, we will consider our own unconscious and conscious biases, relating them to the work we do with the children and families we supervise and support, and through these means recognise our ability to influence attitudes and effect change.
We acknowledge the importance of systemic change in our society and the fundamental need to remove the pursuit of profit at the expense of care provision – this attitude must be banished from the social care sector.
We stand in solidarity with the BLM movement. Without equality of opportunity there can be no justice.
This BLM website details information about the work they are doing: blacklivesmatter.com
If anyone or who they care for has been affected by the recent events or need any other support there are some useful links below:
Spark & Co
A resource hub with links to organisations and information designed to help those from BAME backgrounds.
Show Racism the Red Card
UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity. Providing educational workshops, training sessions, multimedia packages, and other resources, all with the purpose of tackling racism in society.
Stop Hate Crime
Police endorsed website providing advice and support on how to report hate crimes and support victims.