Adopting Ubuntu Approach to Child Protection and Family Preservation

Ubuntu is a collection of knowledge, values and practices formulated by Black Africans. Social work values and standards are built on the principles of Ubuntu. This philosophy, also described as umuntu, ungumutu ngabantu is generally defined to mean I am because we are. Ubuntu was founded on the importance of collectivism, interconnectedness, cooperation, harmony, maintaining good relationships and sensitivity to the well-being of other people, individually or collectively. One of Ubuntu's core maxims is it takes a village to raise a child. This maxim is understood and utilised by many indigenous communities around the world in different forms. Despite this, children from minoritised ethnic groups continue to be over represented in social services statistics in all Anglophone countries. For over a century, social workers have been removing children from their families, in response to a wide range of family problems. The escalating cost of out- of-home-care, the increase in the number of children coming into the notice of social workers, coupled with the lower outcomes for children growing up in care, has led to a questioning of the effectiveness of this multifaceted approach. Furthermore, children growing up outside the family network often lose out on their cultures, including their language and family ties. This suggests the ongoing dilemma for social workers who at times see child protection and child preservation as diametrically opposed to each other. If the child is removed from their family network, the child is removed from that village that is expected to raise them. The UK Children Act, 1989 is based on the principle that children are best brought up within their own families. However, due to the nature of child protection and social work pressures, not enough time is given to explore family connections.

To add to the current knowledge base in social work practice, policy, theory, and research methodology from the Global South, our roundtable will be an open dialogue, also known as indaba. This demonstrates how child protection and family preservation are all part of Ubuntu moral code. It is aimed at We will discuss child protection and family preservation from a decolonial standpoint, taking into consideration core social work values.Using the experience of Black social workers/social work academics and a care experienced social work student, in the UK, the panellists will discuss the impact and lessons learnt from both culture outside the UK and practising social work in the UK. The highlight will be on the value of protecting children and preserving families, therefore offering significant implications for social work research, policy and practicepractice