The Social World Podcast

Dane-Marie Marshall is a senior law-enforcement official in Trinidad and Tobago who serves as the Deputy Director of the Counter-Trafficking Unit (CTU), which operates under the Ministry of National (Homeland) Security.Her Role and ResponsibilitiesDeputy Director of the CTU: She helps lead the agency responsible for investigating, preventing, and prosecuting human trafficking cases in Trinidad and Tobago.In this capacity, she works with police, prosecutors, and other national and international partners to address trafficking and victim protection.Notable Law Enforcement WorkHuman Trafficking Arrests & Investigations: In November 2025, she publicly commended the role of a rescued victim whose information led to the arrest of four suspected human traffickers in the Penal area.First Human-Trafficking Conviction: Earlier in her career, then Woman Police Corporal Dane-Marie Marshall was credited with laying charges that resulted in Trinidad and Tobago’s first conviction under its Human Trafficking Act in 2023 — a landmark moment in trafficking enforcement locally.Context on the Counter-Trafficking UnitThe CTU is a specialized law-enforcement and victim-support unit focused on combating trafficking in persons, including forced labor and sexual exploitation.It operates under the oversight of the Ministry of National (Homeland) Security and coordinates with national security agencies, police branches, and civil stakeholders.SummaryIn short, Dane-Marie Marshall is a senior Trinidad and Tobago law-enforcement officer who plays a prominent leadership role in the country’s efforts to combat human trafficking as Deputy Director of the Counter-Trafficking Unit. Her work includes overseeing investigations, public communication about trafficking cases, and contributing to key legal actions against traffickers

I was so pleased to talk with Shamere and learn from her difficult life experience and subsequent professional journey helping survivors.Shamere McKenzie is a distinguished international anti-trafficking strategist, systems leader, and consultant to the United Nations and various U.S. government agencies, with more than 15 years of cross-sector impact. A passionate activist and internationally recognized speaker, she leverages her lived experience with sex trafficking to transform adversity into advocacy, driving systemic change and advancing policies that promote justice, protection, and meaningful survivor inclusion on both national and global stages.As the CEO of Sun Gate Foundation, an anti-trafficking organization, Shamere passionately channels her commitment to education and policy into providing survivors of human trafficking with essential educational opportunities. Her influential role extends to the Maryland State Human Trafficking Task Force, where she co-chairs the Victim Services Committee, leading cross-sector collaboration to improve services for survivors.We talk of the foundation of her work, taking in her developed skills in advocacy,consultation with agencies both international and local. Her task has taken her worldwide and included training the FBI and Homeland Security. The challenges include getting people and agencies to learn about trauma informed counselling and how to interact with victims. The problems of identification of survivors and the difficult task of gaining trust.Working since 2011 in this field on her first international speaking engagement she now, in 2024, started the Caribbean Survivor Network.Beyond her impact in the United States, Shamere responded to a call from the Ministry of Justice in her birthplace, Jamaica, and holds the distinguished title of the first appointed Anti-Human Trafficking Ambassador for Jamaica since 2018.Drawing on her experiences as a former Program Director, Shamere authored a groundbreaking anti-trafficking program and oversaw an emergency residential program for adult survivors. She is a sought-after resource, having trained various professionals, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, prosecutors, judges, faith leaders, hotel and airline staff, in identifying and responding to human trafficking victims, both in the U.S. and globally.Her compelling narrative and leadership have been featured in several books, documentaries, and media outlets, serving as an impactful educational tool. Her most recent documentary, "False Promises," released in 2018 on the island of Aruba, specifically addresses sex trafficking awareness among Caribbean youth.Shamere holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Loyola University Chicago and actively serves on various boards, advisory groups, and speakers bureaus. She has garnered numerous awards in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the anti-trafficking movement.A faith-driven leader, Shamere draws strength from her unwavering religious belief . Refusing to be labeled a victim or survivor, she proudly identifies as a liberator— one who has broken free from the chains of her past, determined to pave the way for others who have endured enslavement. Her voice, vision, and leadership continue to shape a global movement toward justice, dignity, and systemic transformation.Tel.US.. 571-403-1495   [email protected] www.sun-gate.org  

Adrian Alexander is an advocate against modern slavery, forced labour, child labour and human trafficking. He served on a Cabinet appointed Multi-Sectoral Task Force in Trinidad and Tobago to develop a National Policy against Trafficking in Persons in 2010 and on the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons Working Group that developed the country’s current National Plan of Action (2021 to 2025).Adrian serves as the Caribbean Regional Coordinator for Free the Slaves. As a consultant with Free the Slaves, he contributed to the convening of the Freedom from Slavery Caribbean Regional Forums in Trinidad (2023) and Jamaica (2024), and to the birth of the Caribbean Coalition Against Trafficking In Persons (CCATIP) which was launched on 31 July 2024.Free The Slaves is a worldwide organisationFrom their website:-Founded in 2000, Free the Slaves works at the intersection of community empowerment, survivor leadership, innovative research, corporate engagement, policy reform, and global advocacy. We confront the conditions that allow forced labor, trafficking, child exploitation, and other abuses to persist.We work in solidarity with local organizations, survivor leaders, businesses, and governments across Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa to create systemic, sustainable change. Together, we help people chart their own path to freedom, access services, and reclaim their rights. We also help strengthen legal protections, reform harmful practices, and build local and global coalitions for change.Adrian Alexander is their Caribbean Regional CoordinatorFree The Slaves Caribbean Region (Facebook) www.freetheslaves.net | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | Vimeo | YouTube | Blog We talk about many aspects of slavery and trafficking locally, regionally and worldwide with thousands of survivors needing support and money in the billions. Adrian talks about Free the Slaves and one of their roles in providing the Secretariat for the Caribbean Coalition on trafficking in persons.They also provide education, awareness raising and support to statutory bodies.Adrian is an excellent guest and a valued part of the worldwide effort to combat these inhuman practices.The Third in this series will let you hear from Shamere McKenzie, whose Sun Gate Foundation supports a base of over 2 million data sources regarding human trafficking world wide. She also consults internationally and is highly respected. Another great guest.!

This is the first in a series of podcasts talking with key people in the region to understand the challenges posed by trafficking, all forms of slavery and with the work being done to support survivors. Amanda has covered so many of the crucial areas of need in her career and what The Opening Lotus provides reflects the depth of her experience.We talked of many social care and safeguarding concerns facing those in the Caribbean and Amanda set the scene by taking me through the great variety of work she supported or initiated over the years. Her aim has always been to support the vulnerable, especially those experiencing traumatic events in their life.These headings that came within our conversation reflect the range of her knowledge and understanding that all those experiencing trauma need careful assessment and possibly extensive support. This also includes the voluntary and statutory workers coping with high levels of stress and challenge.Amanda's depth of experience is truly extensive and she provides an excellent opening interview on safeguarding in the Caribbean region.*Consultant, Women’s Prison *Led restorative practices for residents and officers.(2023–Present) *Project Coordinator, *Developed youth rehabilitation programmes, *Consultant Social Worker, UNDP TRIP Designed psychosocial programs, coordinated fieldwork (2019–2020) *Director, The Opening Lotus MAMANDA Mediator • Mental Health Practitioner• Advocate for Justice & Healing.   To leverage expertise in Psychology and Mediation alongside practical experience in Mental Health Interventions,Child Protection, Restorative Justice, and Sustainable Human Development, within a collaborative work environment.2001 to Present (24 years professional experience) NationalOfficer, UN Development Programme ( UNDP) CariSECUREMental health, mediation, youth justice programmes (2018–Present) *Manager & Team Lead, Children’s Authority of Trinidad &Tobago * Led child protection interventions *Counsellor & Trainer, Rape Crisis Society Provided trauma counselling, training, outreach(2010–2015) *Teacher (Various Secondary Schools) English, Literature, Social Studies (2002–20 Qualificatons  Education MSc. Mediation Studies (Distinction), University of the West Indies (2012–2016)Thesis: Surviving Acquaintance Rape and Exploring Victim-Offender Mediation BSc. Psychology (Hons.), UWI (2005–2009)Her current position as CEO of The Opening Lots incorporates all the following initiativesThe Opening Lotus – the vision, purpose, and scope of the company and its work in psychosocial wellness, trauma-informed care, and restorative practices.Caring for the Carers – Supporting emotional sustainability and burnout prevention for frontline practitioners.Collaboration v/s Competition – Building solidarity and peer support among social care professionals.The Hidden Shame – Destigmatizing personal crises among crisis responders.Permission to Be Human – Balancing professionalism with authenticity in mental health and social care.The Grateful Ache Podcast – its inspiration and the role of storytelling in normalizing conversations around motherhood.Restorative Circles and Justice Work – their value in community healing, conflict resolution, and social care.Messaging to Perpetrators of Crime – the importance of education, deterrence, and pathways to access help and rehabilitation.The Use of the Steelpan in Psychosocial Interventions – as a culturally grounded tool for connection, regulation, and emotional expression.Interconnected Issues in Mental Health and Social Care – such as practitioner wellbeing, trauma literacy, and collaborative care approaches. Amanda's Linktree page with all social media links https://linktr.ee/theopeninglotus

Wayne Reid is a Professional Officer, Social Worker and former Anti-racism Visionary at BASW England.  He qualified as a Social Worker in 2010 and his frontline social care experience spans over 20 years.  Wayne has worked for private fostering agencies; the Probation Service; a youth offending team; a community mental health service; a child protection service and with care leavers.  Wayne previously compiled and curated a national social work newsletter (Wayne’s Weekly), which ran for several years. Wayne’s diverse role at BASW England involves supporting national groups focussed on: criminal justice, professional capabilities and development and Black and ethnic minority social workers.  Wayne’s work with students, NQSW’s, diverse social work professionals and a cross-section of organisations is extensive.  This has involved guest speaking, workshop facilitation; leading national campaigns and mobilising social work activism. During 2020-2022, Wayne undertook the role of Anti-Racism Visionary and proactively spearheaded a movement to reignite ‘Anti-racism in Social Work’ via his role at BASW England.  Wayne’s knowledge and professional opinions have been published in print, online and on international platforms. Recent innovations include the ‘SHADES OF BIAS‘ Toolkit that is proving a welcome addition to support for survivors of racist behaviour as well as other discriminatory practices. Read the article in Social Work Today  https://www.socialworktoday.co.uk/News/%E2%80%9Cwas-that-racism%E2%80%9D%3A-new-toolkit-launched-to-process-racism-and-bias-in-social-work Watch his presentation to the Irish Association of Social Workers on this toolkit – Shades of Bias online survey – As always, thanks for your support. As a Black male Social Worker, Wayne understands some of the challenges that service-users and practitioners from different minority groups can face. From his experience, Wayne believes academic and ‘life education’ are essential to improve an individual’s quality of life and life chances.  He adds: “Social work is a vital multi-faceted international service that: coordinates support for the most vulnerable people in society; assesses and manages risk; addresses problematic behaviours and relationships; champions equality and social justice; optimises peoples’ strengths, promotes human decency and creates meaningful opportunities for social mobility”.  

“Once You See It, It’s Really Hard to Ever Look Away” A Deep Dive into Combating Human Trafficking with Sherrie Bosisto, CEO, Global Emancipation Network. Sherrie Bosisto is the founder and Executive Director of the Global Emancipation Network, ( GEN ), a nonprofit at the forefront of using data and technology to fight human trafficking. With nearly two decades of experience in the field, Sherrie has built a reputation for bringing people together and finding practical solutions to some of society’s toughest challenges. Currently serving as a Distinguished Research Scholar at North Carolina State University, Sherrie’s work centers on harnessing the power of data analysis and artificial intelligence to protect vulnerable communities and support law enforcement. Her career began with the Protection Project at Johns Hopkins University, and she’s held key roles with organizations like Orphan Secure, always keeping her focus on making a real difference. We talk of the challenges she has found as she moves around the world advising countries and organisations on how to combat trafficking with the smart use of data. Sherrie’s commitment to collaboration and innovation shines through in her latest project, the “Finding Freedom: Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery” podcast, where she brings together experts and advocates to share stories, successes, and lessons learned from the front lines. A proud graduate of American University, where she earned her degree in international relations summa cum laude, Sherrie Bosisto is known for her steady leadership, her heart for service, and her unwavering belief that, together, we can build a safer world for everyone. Founder / Executive Director at Global Emancipation Network since 2016 Also – Trafficking Investigations Hub Technical Projects Lead at California Polytechnic ‘Global eradication of human trafficking through data analytics’ Sherrie brings over 10 years of experience combating human trafficking to the creation of the Global Emancipation Network.  She is the author of several international legal policies and guidelines on trafficking and has collaborated with the United Nations, League of Arab States, Council of Europe, Interpol, and several governmental agencies to end modern-day slavery.  She enjoys traveling and reads voraciously to feed a passion for creating new solutions to end human trafficking.   Global Emancipation Network https://www.globalemancipation.ngo/ Based in California Bringing technology and data to frontline stakeholders Facilitating communication and technology-sharing initiatives between numerous anti-trafficking stakeholders across the globe Minerva – multi-tenant data analytics platform – collection of data on trafficking, texts, images from the deep web and dark web – work with experts to gain insight into the traffic on those sites Also collect thousands of trafficking cases, convictions, international legislation, public records All the data is available free of charge to the users – law enforcement, government agencies, researchers, academia, anti-trafficking non-profits – to be combined with their own datasets Over 2 million trafficking records

Safeguarding in faith settings, Bishop of Bath&Wells Michael Beasley The Rt Revd Michael Beasley is the 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells and was installed in Wells Cathedral on 12th November 2022. He grew up in rural Staffordshire and was educated in Stafford before studying biology and epidemiology at Imperial College, London and Oxford University. Bishop Michael trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham, before being ordained in the Diocese of Lichfield in 1999. For many years he combined Christian ministry with a scientific career. The latter involved working with a research group based in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College that enabled programmes in low income countries designed to improve the health and education of school aged children. In 2015, he became the Bishop of Hertford in the Diocese of St Albans before coming to Bath and Wells.Bishop Michael is ‘married into Somerset’ having lots of in-laws here! He lives in Wells with his wife Lizzie and their two children. He talks of his great sadness over recent national events and his conviction the churches have to become as safe as they can be. He talks of the recent audit of the Diocese’s safeguarding and his pleasure that all those involved, staff and volunteers as well as the dedicated safeguarding team, having received a positive result–always plenty to continue improving but recognised as serving the diocese well. He emphasised that the church is an organisation where actions must match the rhetoric and not just look to preserve its reputation.

Justin Humphreys has over 30 years’ experience in social impact settings as a practitioner and leader in a variety of sectors. He is currently the CEO and Head of Safeguarding Development at Thirtyone:eight, the leading independent, Christian safeguarding charity operating across the United Kingdom and internationally. Established in 1977, the charity is a membership organisation and now supports in excess of 10,000 churches, charities/NGOs and others to create safer places for all through a variety od services and supports, including Criminal Records Checks, Safeguarding Helpline, Training, Consultancy, Research and Advocacy. He has authored of a variety of books and peer reviewed journal articles, including: Understanding Child Abuse in Contemporary Times (2025), Just Leadership: putting integrity and justice at the heart of how you lead (2021), Escaping the maze of spiritual abuse (2019), Safeguarding Children who are Exposed to Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief (2019), and Spiritual abuse in Christian faith settings: definition, policy and practice guidance (2018). Justin is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership (FIoL), Visiting Fellow at the University of Kent (Department of Religious Studies), Honorary Lecturer at the University of Chester (School of Society) and Guest Lecturer at St. Mellitus Theological College. He has been Chair of the Christian Forum for Safeguarding since 2017 and in co-founded the All Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities with Sarah Champion MP in 2018. He has been its Principal Advisor since that time with Thirtyone:eight acting as Secretariat. Justin holds an MSc. in Child Protection and Strategic Management, a BSc. (Hons) in Social Work Studies, a Diploma in Counselling Psychology & Psychotherapy, and is a certified Compassionate Leader with the Centre for Compassionate Leadership. We talk widely about the awareness of safeguarding throughout faith communities as well as research and best practice. Further links: Thirtyone:eightSafeguarding Standards Award All Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities  

John Pizzuro, CEO RAVEN. Online Child Exploitation expert, RAVEN is a 501(c)4 non-profit lobbying firm comprised of subject matter experts and retired law enforcement focused on legislative and policy solutions for child trafficking and child exploitation. John works with lawmakers, advocates, agencies, and organizations who are willing to challenge the status quo and fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens while advocating for more resources and support for those who fight for children. John has been called on as a subject matter expert to testify in both the US Senate and US Congress. John is routinely consulted on cyber related issues on child exploitation, Trafficking and Artificial Intelligence. Raven is currently involved in separate pieces of legislation and policy and fighting to get more protective Bills passed in Congress. Online child sexual exploitation refers to the use of the Internet as a method to facilitate the sexual abuse of children. It includes a wide range of behaviors and situations that can take place directly online or through a combination of offline and online interactions. Most commonly this includes grooming, live streaming, producing and trading child sexual exploitation material, and coercing and blackmailing children for sexual purposes. https://www.linkedin.com/company/ravenassociation/ http://www.raven.us Prior to Raven that John spent 25 years in the New Jersey State Police conducting, managing and leading investigations in Terrorism, Organized Crime, Narcotics, Trafficking, Child Exploitation, and Corruption. John spent his last six years as The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Commander where he led a team of 200 including 71 Law Enforcement Agencies. John has created a framework for other countries to investigate Child Exploitation through the International Center of Missing & Exploited Children and consulted with governments and organizations on child exploitation and how to protect children.

Professor Johnston Wong is a social work and psychology expert at Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University and co-founder of Social Workers Across Borders. With two decades of international experience, he shares insights into disaster response, digital innovation in psychosocial support, and the growing need for global collaboration in social work. Episode Highlights:   Audio at bottom of this page How digital platforms like WeChat and WhatsApp transformed disaster response during COVID-19 and beyond Training social workers for frontline disaster interventions in regions like Nepal, Syria, and Vietnam Tackling social injustice in humanitarian aid distribution The importance of multi-agency and global collaboration in tackling human trafficking, poverty, and post-disaster trauma He is the Chair of the International Committee of Social Workers across Borders (SWAB). Professor Johnston HC Wong.   Programme of Applied Psychology, Head of Master of Social Work Programme, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University Johnston, after studying Sociology in the Brock University of Canada, started his career in social work and social management in Hong Kong. He acquired extensive experience in applying case, group, and community approaches to youth work, family life education, school social work, civic education, and health education. He has taught at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels and assumed leadership roles in school administration and healthcare management. He is the Chair of the International Committee of the Social Workers across Borders (SWAB). SWAB is an NGO registered in Hong Kong focusing on disaster social work and crisis interventions. Since 2006, he resided and taught social work, social administration and psychology in Zhuhai, China. His teachings concern mainly with socio-medical, socio-legal and social psychological issues. Social Workers Across Borders is a Hong Kong NGO founded after the December 26, 2004 Tsunami hit South East Asia. The NGO works mainly in post-disaster areas to provide emotional and mental health support. SWAB sent several teams to the areas affected by the Wenzhou Earthquake in 2008. That was it’s first major project in the Mainland. Since 2013, SWAB began a training for its “Heart Partner” Mainland China program, which sends people to work in disaster-affected areas. 693 people making up 42 teams have been sent to disaster-affected areas as part of this program. Other areas that SWAB sent teams to include Taiwan, Qinghai, Gansu, Shenzhen and Chongqing, responding to typhoons, earthquakes, and landslides and floods. https://chinadevelopmentbrief.org/ngos/social-workers-across-borders/ SWAB  is currently recruiting volunteers from the region to assist in Myanmar following the devastating earthquake. Special Training EQ, Six Seconds, USA. Instructor, CISM, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, USA. CCISM, University of Maryland  Research Interests Disaster Social Work, Social Work in Health Care, Social Legislation, Positive Psychology, and Post-traumatic Growth, Industrial Health and Occupational Social Work, Working with Youth, Student Development in Higher Education, Emotional Intelligence, Adversity and Resilience, College students mental health, Social Innovations and Enterprises, International Social Work, and Social Indicators Research. Awards Ten Outstanding Young Persons, Hong Kong, 1990. Presidential Citation Award, ACPA, 2014. International Critical Incident Intervention Leadership Award, ICISF, 2015. Published Books Wong, H. C. J. & Yu, B. S. S. (to be in early 2026). Community Change through Social Service and Business Partnership, IGI Global Scientific Publsihing. Wong, H. C. J. (2025). Healthy Cities in the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area, Sun Yat Sen University Press. ISBN: (in print) Wong, H. C. J., Xie, T. X. N., Lai, N. L., Zhou, T. C. (2022). Handbook for Community Social Work, Social Workers across Borders. Social Workers Across Borders Publication. Wong, H. C. J., Lui, C. X., F., Lai, N. L., Zhou, T. C. (2022). Handbook for Social Work Intervention in Public Emergencies, Social Workers across Borders. Social Workers Across Borders Publication. Wong, H. C. J., (2021). Children and Youth in China since 1978, Opportunities and Challenges (Ed.). New York: Nova Science Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-68507-149-3, DOI: https://doi.org/10.52305/OETH8715 Zhao, X. B., Wong, H. C. J., Lowe, C., Monaco, E., & Corbett, J. (2021), Covid-19 Pandemic, Crisis Responses and the Changing World, Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences (ed.). Singapore: Springer. ISBN: 978-981-16-2429-2 Wong, H. C. J., (2019). Internationalization and Localization of Student Affairs in Higher Education – the Unique Experience and Exploration of the BNU-HKBU United International College. Beijing University of Technology Press. ISBN：978-7-5639-6652-3 Wong, H. C. J., (2018). Modern City Emergency Management and Social Work Interventions – Roles and Cases. Beijing: China Social Press. Wong, H. C. J., (2018). Disaster Social Work from Crisis Response to Building Resilience, New York:  NOVA Science Publishers. ISBN: 9781536144352 Wong, H. C. J., (2017). Integrated and Seamless Services for Older People, a model of elderly care from Zhuhai to China. Guangzhou: Sun Yat Sen University Press. ISBN：9787306060921 Wong H. C. J., (2016). Disaster Social Work Handbook. Guangzhou: Sun Yat Sen University Press, ISBN：9787306056016. Wong H. C. J., (2013）. Social Work and Related Laws and Regulations — Case Analysis and Applications. Guangzhou: Sun Yat Sen University Press, ISBN：9787306046802. Wong H. C. J., (2011）. Disasters Across Borders – Social work Interventions Case Studies, published by Social Workers across Borders, Hong Kong. ISBN：9789881841858  

Clare Moody  Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset , elected in May 2024 and bringing extensive experience across diverse sectors to the role. Her career spans public service, advocacy, and leadership. Clare has served as a Member of the European Parliament, worked at the heart of government in No.10 Downing Street, and dedicated over two decades to representing workers’ rights as a Trade Union officer. Before her election as PCC, Clare was the co-Chief Executive of Equally Ours, a leading UK charity focused on equality and human rights. Key areas that Clare has focused on :- Strengthening neighborhood policing and ensuring more visible law enforcement Tackling serious youth violence and violence against women and girls Addressing modern policing challenges, including cyber crime, human trafficking, and organized crime The importance of public trust and accountability in policing Clare’s varied career has equipped her with a deep understanding of how to navigate complex systems, foster collaboration across organisations, and address challenges with practical, results-oriented solutions. As PCC, Clare is focused on preventing crime, supporting victims, and improving standards of policing. She also serves as the both the Prevention and the Victims Lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, driving national efforts to prevent crime and improve support for those affected. Clare’s website OPCC for Avon and Somerset – The official website of Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner She regularly conducts interviews online with the Chief Constable  Sarah Crew  a previous guest on the podcast As mentioned, here is the link to information on Police Question Time (or can easily be found when searching on the  main website, link above) http://Police Question Time – OPCC for Avon and Somerset   David is a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Global Institute of Social Work.

Safeguarding, Social Work, and Multi-Agency Collaboration with Steve Myers Vice Chair of the Association of Child Protection Professionals, (AOCPP)    Steve Myers is a registered Social Worker with a background in child protection and youth justice. He has worked as a Social Worker in both statutory and voluntary organisations and been involved with the education of social workers in Higher Education for the past 25 years, including leadership roles. Steve has researched and written about strengths-based and solution focused practice, working with violent behaviour including sexual violence and assessment in social work practice The Association of Child Protection Professionals  is a registered charity and membership association – the only one in the UK that provides training, support and professional development opportunities for those working across multiple disciplines within child protection and adult safeguarding. Through sharing knowledge, research and examples of best practice, what started as a small inter-professional membership association grew and today we are the only multi-disciplinary professional membership association, with charitable status, of its kind. We provide support, professional development and representation to government and policy makers for those working in child protection and safeguarding. We believe access to research, sharing expertise, engaging with complexity, and informed policy-making, produce better outcomes for children and families. Our vision is a world in which all children and vulnerable adults can grow up in safety and security, without risk of being abused or neglected Child Abuse Review is an interprofessional journal for research, practice and policy in child maltreatment and is the official journal of the Association of Child Protection Professionals. The Journal is a publication for all professionals working in the field of child protection, providing access to the latest research findings, practice developments, training initiatives and policy issues. While publishing research from leading international researchers, the Journal maintains a practice-orientated focus, actively promoting practice-relevant research and facilitating the use of research findings to enhance good practice and influence policy. The Association is committed to multi agency safeguarding practice and their membership reflects this. Check out their website https://www.childprotectionprofessionals.org.uk/  

  Sarah Crew is the Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, with a career spanning nearly three decades. As the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for adult sexual offences, she has been instrumental in shaping policies on policing, public confidence, and safeguarding. She became an officer in September 1994 and took on the role of Deputy Chief Constable in June 2017. In November 2021, she became Avon and Somerset’s first female Chief Constable.   Sarah has undertaken a wide variety of roles during her career with Avon and Somerset Police, both in uniform and as a detective. Previously, she has held the roles of Head of Investigations in Bristol, South Gloucestershire Area Commander, and as programme director for Force Reorganisation. Sarah was pivotal in the launch of Operation Soteria Bluestone, a transformative programme which sees police professionals work alongside leading UK academics to change the police response to rape and sexual assault. Nationally, she is the National Police Chief Council (NPCC) national lead for Rape and Adult Sexual Offences (RASSO) in the current cross-Government review of the way the criminal justice system responds to rape. As Chief Constable, Sarah has placed rebuilding public trust and confidence at the top of her agenda with Avon and Somerset’s corporate vision of delivering “Outstanding Policing for Everyone”. Her key objectives to achieving this vision include a relentless focus on the perpetrators of crime; openness to scrutiny; and a move towards becoming a trauma-informed organisation. She continues to lead on the delivery of Avon and Somerset Police’s Inclusion and Diversity Strategy (2019-2024) and the organisation’s ambition to become the most inclusive police force in the UK, by building a representative workforce where difference is valued, and people thrive. Sarah says: “My drive for fairness and equality lies at the heart of my passion for policing. “I have always been determined to stand up for the underdog and against the bully, and policing seemed to me to offer the greatest opportunity to help people directly on a personal, practical and human level. It’s also important to me to be part of a team with the same clear mission and values. “I believe policing is about helping to create the conditions that help people and their communities to thrive and make life choices and opportunities better for everyone. “I know policing cannot do this alone, but it certainly has a role to play in establishing safety, confronting those who threaten that safety and standing up for those within our communities who are less fortunate, less equipped or have a quieter voice.” http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk To support the site please visit  https://www.patreon.com/c/socialworldpodcast A podcast is planned with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset looking at her perspectives and challenges.

Jonathan Singer , Professor of Social Work at Chicago Loyola University and presenter of The Social Work Podcast for over fifteen years co edits this excellent new publication.    Podcasting in Social Work Education. https://www.amazon.com/Podcasting-Social-Work-Education-Educators/dp/1032215585/  Technology innovations have changed how social work educators teach and students learn. This book is designed to assist social work academics and educators in enhancing their students’ critical thinking, reflective capacity and skills in clinical and research settings through the integration of social work content podcasting. Written by Mim Fox and Jonathan B. Singer―social work educators, practitioners, and hosts of the award-winning Social Work Stories Podcast and The Social Work Podcast, respectively―this book is an indispensable resource. It is packed with practical tips, insightful advice, compelling case studies, and helpful media links. Essential for all social work educators and practitioners, this book is essential reading for any social worker who is interested in podcasting in social work. Jonathan B. Singer, PhD, LCSW is an internationally recognized expert in youth suicide and social work technology. He is Professor of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology, coauthor of two editions of the best-selling text Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention, co-lead of the Social Work Grand Challenge “Harness Technology for Social Good,” and founder and host of the award-winning Social Work Podcast, for which he was named an NASW Social Work Pioneer in 2023. In 2024 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research. Dr. Singer has chaired national committees for the National Associate of Social Workers (NASW) and Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and served on advisory boards for Sandy Hook Promise, Jed Foundation, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. He is the author of over 90 publications and his research has been featured in national and international media outlets like NPR, BBC, Fox, Time Magazine, and The Guardian. Dr. Singer is a well-regarded speaker who has presented continuing education workshops, keynote addresses, and presentations on youth suicide, ethics, technology, adolescent development and attachment-based family therapy in the USA, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. In 2024 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research. He lives in Evanston, IL with his wife and three children and can be found on X/Twitter as @socworkpodcast and Facebook at facebook.com/swpodcast.  

Isabelle Trowler CBE Chief Social Worker for Children and Families took up the post in September 2013. She is well known for co-designing a practice framework for delivering child and family social work, which has influenced the children’s social care practice system across England. We talk across the range of issues confronting social workers home and abroad with reflections spanning the eleven years she has been in her position. She is the first person in her post and discusses the challemges and the successes. Isabelle is currently a member of: the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel the Attendance Action Alliance the Family Justice Board the Relationships, sex and health education review panel She also chairs the National Practice Group with oversight of the development of: the children’s social care national framework the early career framework for social workers the revision of ‘Working together to safeguard children’ Isabelle was a founder member of the What Work’s Centre for Children’s Social Care, which is now known as Foundations. She has over 30 years’ experience in the children’s sector, and has previously been involved in: the Independent Review of Child Protection (2011) led by Professor Eileen Munro the design group for the Independent review of children’s social care, 2022 Isabelle was awarded a CBE in the New Years Honours 2024, for services to children’s social care. Children’s social care: national framework – GOV.UK Working together to safeguard children – GOV.UK : Keeping children safe, helping families thrive – GOV.UK Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: annual report 2023 to 2024 – GOV.UK National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment – GOV.UK Local government finance policy statement 2025 to 2026 – GOV.UK     David is a member of the International Advisory Board of the GISW.

  Christina Gabbitas is a writer, educator, Honorary Member of the NSPCC Council, Coronation Champion, and founder of the Children Literature Festivals charity, who was awarded a Prime Ministers Points of Light Award in 2023. We talk of the critical situation threatening thousands of young people in the UK. The grooming by organised criminals and, as a result, the destruction of their childhood with many going missing or being locked into a nightmare. Her impactful writing commissions include collaborations with organisations such as Humberside Police & Crime Commissioners Office, amongst other organisations and charities. Notably, her recent work, “Trapped in County Lines,” commissioned by North Yorkshire Police and the North Yorkshire Fire & Crime Commissioners Office, reflects her dedication to educating children and young people about the signs of exploitation. Christina actively partners with various Police Forces, contributing to her transformative impact on children’s literature and safety education. Christina has visited over 400 schools delivering early intervention sessions with her work surrounding county lines. Christina’s safeguarding stories are in the NSPCC Library and online shop raising funds for Childline. Trapped in County Lines was book of the week at the NSPCC in October 2023 and was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize www.trappedincountylines.co.uk www.nomoreknifecrime.co.uk http://www.christinagabbitas.com  

Delighted to have Karim back after 6 months giving update on the shocking financial cost of Human Traffiking and Slavery. The The growth of the Follow the Money strategy is such an important addition to the investigation and interruption of crimes that are conservatively put at costing over 500 Billion dollars a year. Karim Rajwani, B.A, F.C.A. C.P.A. ACAMS talks to me of his extensive history in several settings helping combat these scourges on our communities. We discuss the growth of these crimes as well as strategies adopted to support law enforcement. We talk about the huge need for more training, awareness raising accross the world. So much known yet so much to do including practical ideas that everyone can help with–such as challenging your own financial providers-banks, insurance companies etc – to say what training their staff has had in methods to shine a light on traffikers, slavery in all its forms and child exploitation. Currently he is an independent Financial Crimes Consultant advising financial instructions, consulting firms and FinTech’s and is also on several NGOs/NPOs advisory boards focused on fighting human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. He was the SVP, Chief Operating Officer at Scotiabank, leading the bank’s Financial Crime remediation activities including transaction monitoring and screening. Mr. Rajwani also had global responsibility for AML Threat Intelligence, as well as the Strategic Planning, Project Management Office and the AML Solution Delivery. Prior to that was he was the Global Head of Financial Crime Investigations and Intelligence, the Global Head of Financial Crime Technology Strategy, and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer at Deutsche Bank. In this role he was also responsible for the AML remediation program in response to regulatory actions as well as major client investigations. He was also the Chief Anti-Money Laundering lead for the RBC Financial Group (RBC), where he oversaw the design, implementation and the day-to-day management of the Anti Money Laundering, Sanctions, Anti Bribery and Corruption and High-Risk Client Management) Programs for more than 15 years. In addition, he was responsible for the AML Compliance, Investigations and Data Science teams globally.   All links referred to for further information and support https://polarisproject.org/training/ https://www.acams.org/en/training/certificates/fighting-modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking-part-1 https://free.learningacademy.hopeforjustice.org/store https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/events-2/ https://www.icmec.org/ https://www.protectchildren.ca/en/ https://www.iwf.org.uk/ https://www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca/ https://www.modernslavery.gov.uk/start https://www.cybertip.ca/en/online-harms/sextortion/ https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/sextortion https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/sexual-offences/sextortion/ https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/crime-info/types-crime/sextortion/ https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/kidnap-and-extortion/sextortion https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/sextortion-scams-how-to-protect-yourself https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

  For the past three years, as a Human Traffiking expert of considerable experience,  Larry has worked as President & Founder of  Paradigm Intelligence Ltd, a global organisation that focuses on forensics, investigations, open-source intelligence, force protection and public safety. Website: https://quantusintel.ocugroup. We talk of a wide range of threats, challenges and developments in the global fight against exploitation of the vulnerable. Previously , Larry has 20+ years experience in the technology industry. He was the Chief Information Security Officer at the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) and an OSINT Investigator for the National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF). He is a certified Digital Evidence Investigator (DEI), Mobile Device Investigator (MDI), Triage Investigator (TINV), Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI), CipherTrace Certified Examiner (CTCE) and holds over 50 other Industry, IT & Security certifications. He manages technology in multiple disciplines and works with local, state, federal and international Law Enforcement on Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation investigations. Training and speaking to communities all around the world, Larry is only too aware of the scale of the problem and the need for more awareness raising. Resources to combat what is an epidemic of abuse covering sex trafficking, slave labour, cyber and financial abuse to name a few and the huge involvement of organised crime. Recently Larry  started a new position as Head of Cyber Security at CRO Cyber Rights Organization for the United Nations The Anti Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) combats global human trafficking by promoting corporate social responsibility through increasing awareness, facilitating intelligence integration and technology advancement, and encouraging strategic data collaboration. The Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative aims to disrupt the market of human trafficking, child exploitation and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through the advancement of preventions, detection, investigation and reporting mechanisms.  ATII is committed to raising awareness and developing strategic partnerships with intelligence, technology, and data leaders. CISO at Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII)            https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/

Anne Longfield CBE  is the  author of Young Lives, Big Ambitions: Transforming Life Chances for Vulnerable Children and Teens.  Anne is CEO of the Centre for Young Lives and was Chair of the Commission on Young Lives.  From March 2015 to February 2021, she was Children’s Commissioner for England.  Anne has spent the last three decades working to improve the life chances of children, particularly the most vulnerable.  She previously led a national children’s charity and has also worked on the delivery of the Sure Start programme in the Cabinet Office. Anne is a passionate champion for children, influencing and shaping the national debate and policy agenda for children and their families. She spent many years campaigning for better childcare, often at a time when many saw the issue as obscure or niche. As Children’s Commissioner, Anne spent six years championing the rights and interests of children with those in power who make decisions about children’s lives, acting as children’s ‘eyes and ears’ in the corridors of power in Whitehall and Westminster. Anne is also Special Advisor to the Lords Public Services Committee on their inquiry into public services and vulnerable children and is the Independent Chair of the NHS Children and Young People Learning Disability and Autism Board.  Amazon link     https://amzn.to/47xyPEh    http://www.jkp.com    Next programme   Larry Cameron   International Traffiking expert

Jakub Sobik — Modern Slavery & Human Rights PEC Jakub Sobik is a communicator with over one and a half decades of experience of working on addressing modern slavery. He worked at Anti-Slavery International, the world’s oldest human rights organisation committed to ending of all forms of slavery across the world. Now, as a Communications Director at the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC), he has helped to establish the Centre’s reputation as an independent, trustworthy, equitable, policy focused and forward-thinking funder and producer of modern slavery research. His work includes promoting the PEC research across the mainstream, trade and digital media, promoting survivor voices, and initiating research on framing of modern slavery. The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre was created by the investment of public funding to enhance understanding of modern slavery and transform the effectiveness of law and policies designed to address it. The Centre funds and co-creates high quality research with a focus on policy impact, and brings together academics, policymakers, businesses, civil society and survivors to collaborate on solving this global challenge. Hosted by the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford,  the Centre is a consortium of three universities consisting of the Wilberforce Institute  at the University of Hull, the University of Liverpool, and the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights  at the University of Oxford, with the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law (part of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL)) working in close partnership. The Modern Slavery PEC is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Read more about the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC at www.modernslaverypec.org. Links:  Modern Slavery PEC publications across four areas of: prevention, survivor identification and support, effectiveness of legal enforcement and global supply chains: https://www.modernslaverypec.org/resources. Practical interactive workshops for frontline practitioners in local areas across the UK: https://www.modernslaverypec.org/resources/interactive-workshops-regional-partnerships UK Modern Slavery Helpline (run by Unseen): https://www.modernslaveryhelpline.org/. Next podcast on 23.09.24   Anne Lonsdale CBE.  CEO Centre for Young Lives. Former Children’s Commissioner for England and Author of new book ‘Young Lives Big Ambitions’

Ann Marie Christian Independent Safeguarding Consultant qualified as a social worker in 1996. She has worked for various local authoritieson on the front line, in management, Local Safeguarding Children Board Trainer, LADO, Safeguarding advisor to schools, school improvement advisor, Designated Safeguarding Lead trainer and Designated Safeguarding Lead coordinator.  She has a thorough knowledge of safeguarding in education. She is well known amongst her peers and is very passionate about keeping children safe and sharing her knowledge about child abuse, violence against women and children and anti-racism work.  Ann Marie has specialised in safeguarding from 1992 and specialised within education and childcare settings since being a school-based social worker in 1999. She progressed on to manage social workers in schools for a Local Authority. In 2010, she became an independent social worker and provided associate consultancy and training to various organisations including NSPCC, Local Authorities, ISI Consultancy, Early Years Teams, Youth Justice Teams, Boarding School Association, The Key for Leaders, Optimus Education, Council of International Schools, AEGIS, Charities, Faith organisations, Premier League, Multi Academy Trusts and more. Ann Marie frequently delivers workshops and keynotes at National & International conferences. She raises the awareness of child abuse and promotes child protection internationally and over the last few years delivers training and keynotes in Dubai, Singapore, Monaco, Jamaica, Japan, and Armenia. She was’ Highly Commended’ and received an award at the Win Trade Awards 2019 for ‘Woman in the Public Sector’ and nominated in 2018 & 2019 in the NSPCC Child Protection Trainer of the Year. Ann Marie is a member of AOCPP (Association of Child Protection Professionals) and a Trustee since 2020. She is a safeguarding governor at a school in the UAE since September 2023.   Visit Ann Marie’s website for full details of her work. [email protected] +44 (0) 20 8662 0319

Dr Craig Newman, author of recovery from abuse programme.. A Clinical Psychologist and Innovator, with over 25 years experience in supporting mental health recovery alongside research and innovation.  Craig is an author, founder and creator of ‘Get Out Get Love’ which is a proposed universal recovery model from experiences of abusive relationships shaped into both a self-help book and later developed self-delivered digital recovery programme. The programme supports self-referred people who seek to get answers, escape and/or recovery in addition to supporting domestic abuse services who are struggling to meet demand,  not able to support those who prefer not to opt into face to face therapy and not able to offer long-term help beyond crisis and stabilisation.  The programme has been evaluated with funding from Innovate:UK and the National Institute of Health Research, showing positive effect for people in need and services who support them. Craig has over 15 years of experience in developing digital solutions to support at needs groups, winning national prestigious awards for his work to improve dementia assessments internationally, to reduce the risk of unexpected deaths in epilepsy and to support the wellbeing of NHS staff through the COVID period, to name a few.  His work has international impact and his apps have helped 1,000s of clinicians and patients across the world.  This experience he brings to the domestic abuse sector, in response to his own experience as a victim, and attempt to support people where the system struggles to help – namely long-term and towards the experience of self-love. His book was published in 2023, and despite no track record as an author and no social media presence, the book has already attracted publication contracts for the UK, USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Estonia and Romania.  Craig recommends the book as a read for anyone who even questions a past relationship, suggesting that at worse it is an informative read and at best it could empower your life going forwards – the words of reader testimonials, not his. ‘Craig’s book Get Out Get Love, published by Sheldon Press is available now’  https://www.sheldonpress.co.uk/titles/craig-newman/get-out-get-love/9781399810357/ LINKS: www.getoutgetlove.com (the programme) www.getoutgetlove.com/dasevidence (evidence summary for interested services) https://learn.getoutgetlove.com/courses/self-compassion-course-6-weeks ( a free 6-week programme, for those wanting to reduce self-blame and regret, following an abusive relationship) https://www.getoutgetlove.com/abuse-support-organisations (where to go if you feel you need help, in person) https://www.getoutgetlove.com/suicide-risk (where to go if you feel suicidal / at risk of self harm)

David Mandel International author and trainer on domestic violence. I talked with David about his new book ( see below ) and more widely on his road to where he is today. With over 35 years’ experience in the domestic violence and child welfare fields, David is the creator of the Safe & Together Model, a transformational approach to changing how systems and practitioners respond to domestic violence when children are involved. He has identified how a perpetrator pattern-based approach can improve the ability to partner with survivors, intervene with perpetrators as parents, and improve outcomes for children. David is the founder of the Safe & Together Institute, which works with governments and NGOs across the globe, including Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Through their live training, organizational consulting, e-learning, and trainer certification, the Safe & Together Institute provides organizations and systems with a wide range of practice change tools. Currently, the Institute supports almost 300 Certified Trainers and 80 Partner Agencies worldwide. The Model has proven its relevance to multiple sectors, including family court, substance use, law enforcement, mental health, multi-agency efforts, and other disciplines. David has written or co-written numerous journal articles, book chapters, and white papers, including his most recent one on the alignment of the Safe & Together Model with the children’s best interest framework. The Institute’s work is regularly the subject of research studies, including a current project examining the relevance of the Model in a First Nation context in Australia. He has just published his first book, “Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: How to Transform the Way We Keep Children Safe from Domestic Violence,” which is available online through Amazon.com.                                                                                                                               Follow this link to the book     https://mybook.to/mK39V Contact Information: Safe & Together Institute Box 745 Canton CT 06019 Email:  [email protected]   http://Web: www.safeandtogetherinstitute.com As always, please use Speakpipe on the home page of every podcast to leave messages/questions   Thank you.

This episode is a slightly different one as it is the recording of the Global Social Work Talk from 28th March 2024. The Global Social Work TALK aimed to deliver “ideas to change the world”. I was one of three speakers on the session. Listen to this episode and hear some of the challenges across the globe for social work today. Keynote Speaker: Professor Antoinette Lombard, Nominated for Incoming President, International Association of Schools of Social Work, started her academic career at the University of Pretoria where she became a full professor in social work and head of the Department of Social Work. She was the Vice President of the Association for Schools of Social Work Education Institutions (ASASWEI) and is IASSW Chair of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development. She served on the executive of the Association for Schools of Social Work in Africa. David Niven, presenter of the podcast Thoughts on the Social World for 10 years  interviewing a wide choice of guests, national and international appearing on the programme and the variety of subjects covered make good listening and provide a great research opportunity. He has over 30 years of experience working with the media as a former Chair of the British Association of Social Workers. Professor Ngoh Tiong TAN, Chair, Global Institute of Social Work, for access to online training of social workers all around the world. Dr Tan is Director, Joy Foundation, Good Harvest International and President Connexions International as well as former Treasurer International Association of Social Workers, former Regional President IFSW (AP) and past President, Singapore Association of Social Workers. Forum Chair: Dr Terence Yow, Vice President, GISW

Andrew Wallis OBE founded Unseen, the Leading UK Anti-Slavery Charity. It’s an organization that fights tirelessly against all forms of slavery. Today’s podcast covers ground related to law enforcement, survivor’s welfare, training, the world wide nature of the crimes, predictions and the under application of legislation. Unseen provides safe housing and essential support services to survivors of trafficking, and they also operate the UK’s Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline. Unseen works alongside businesses and other entities to eliminate slavery. Andrew is an advisor to the Competent Boards Program and Tech Against Trafficking. He co-chairs the UK Home Office’s Modern Slavery Engagement Forum and chaired the landmark report on modern slavery in the UK called “It Happens Here.” His expertise was crucial in developing the UK Modern Slavery Act of 2015, for which he received an OBE. Andrew has faced many challenges over the years, from building flat-pack furniture for Unseen’s first safe house to advising multinational corporations on supply chain slavery. He also collaborates with governments on policies and legislation to combat modern-day slavery. Andrew frequently appears in the media to discuss modern slavery, human rights, and how they intersect in society and business. People who know him describe him as “the loveliest disruptor you could ever meet.” His contribution to the fight against slavery is invaluable. Please note all contact details:- http://www.unseenuk.org https://www.unseenuk.org/modern-slavery-training/       https://www.unseenuk.org/business/          https://www.modernslaveryhelpline.org http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwallis David is on the International Advisory Panel of the GISW  

Traffiking and Slavery. Follow the Money. Such an important addition to the investigation and interruption of crimes that are conservatively put at costing over 150 Billion dollars a year. Karim Rajwani, B.A, F.C.A. C.P.A. ACAMS talks to me of his extensive history in several settings helping combat these scourges on our communities. We discuss the growth of these crimes as well as strategies adopted to support law enforcement. We talk about the huge need for more training, awareness raising accross the world. So much known yet so much to do including practical ideas that everyone can help with–such as challenging your own financial providers-banks, insurance companies etc – to say what training their staff has had in methods to shine a light on traffikers, slavery in all its forms and child exploitation. Currently he is an independent Financial Crimes Consultant advising financial instructions, consulting firms and FinTech’s and is also on several NGOs/NPOs advisory boards focused on fighting human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. He was the SVP, Chief Operating Officer at Scotiabank, leading the bank’s Financial Crime remediation activities including transaction monitoring and screening. Mr. Rajwani also had global responsibility for AML Threat Intelligence, as well as the Strategic Planning, Project Management Office and the AML Solution Delivery. Prior to that was he was the Global Head of Financial Crime Investigations and Intelligence, the Global Head of Financial Crime Technology Strategy, and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer at Deutsche Bank. In this role he was also responsible for the AML remediation program in response to regulatory actions as well as major client investigations. He was also the Chief Anti-Money Laundering lead for the RBC Financial Group (RBC), where he oversaw the design, implementation and the day-to-day management of the Anti Money Laundering, Sanctions, Anti Bribery and Corruption and High-Risk Client Management) Programs for more than 15 years. In addition, he was responsible for the AML Compliance, Investigations and Data Science teams globally. He also has significant experience in financial crime technology, managing artificial intelligence/data science teams as well as developing strategies for tacking human trafficking and child sexual exploitation, including leading a number public-private partnership. He continues to advise Fintech as well as NGOs/NPOs. He is a Board Member/Advisory Board Member for various NGOs and Hospitals. In addition to his risk management experience, Mr. Rajwani is a Chartered Accountant both in Canada as well as the UK and has worked for various Financial Institutions, Chartered Accounting and Management Consulting firms.  In these roles, he has overseen the implementation of several enterprise-wide risk management and compliance initiatives and in total 40 years of risk management, compliance, audit, and financial accounting experience. Mr. Rajwani was also a member of the Advisory Council on National Security for the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada between 2009 and 2012. He created and the Co-Chaired the Canadian Chapter of the Association of Certified Anti Money Specialists (ACAMS) and was a member of the Advisory Board of ACAMS. Currently on the advisory boards of Rahab’s Daughters and the Anti Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative, he is also a lecturer and international speaker including at the UN, training law enforcement, ACAMs as well as University Masters Programs. https://www.icmec.org/ https://www.protectchildren.ca/en/ https://fintrac-canafe.canada.ca/intel/operation/exploitation-eng https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/ https://www.acams.org/en/training/certificates/preventing-online-child-exploitation-with-financial-intelligence-an-overview https://www.iwf.org.uk/David is on the International Advisory Panel of the GISW

In this episode I speak to award-winning children’s author, Christina Gabbitas, about her book ‘Trapped in County Lines’. This is a follow up book to ‘No More Knives or County Lines’. We discuss why books like this are important in how we educate young people and their parents about issues like county lines. Christina shares the work she does with her book alongside the police and in schools and speaks of the power of storytelling around these difficult topics. We also talk about her poetry competition launching on 1st March 2024. About Christina:Christina Gabbitas is an award-winning children’s author, Honorary Member of the NSPCC Council, Coronation Champion, and founder of the Children Literature Festivals charity, who was recently awarded a Prime Ministers Points of Light Award. Her impactful writing commissions include collaborations with organisations such as Humberside Police & Crime Commissioners Office, amongst other organisations and charities. Notably, her recent work, “Trapped In County Lines,” commissioned by North Yorkshire Police and the North Yorkshire Fire & Crime Commissioners Office, reflects her dedication to educating children and young people about the signs of exploitation. Christina actively partners with various Police Forces, contributing to her transformative impact on children’s literature and safety education. Christina has visited over 180 schools delivering early intervention sessions with her work surrounding county lines. Christina’s safeguarding stories are in the NSPCC Library, and she is currently liaising with Childline about online content surrounding county lines. Trapped in County Lines was book of the week at the NSPCC in October.www.trappedincountylines.co.ukwww.nomoreknifecrime.co.uk Schools Feedback.  Check what’s been said.https://www.benthamcpschool.org.uk/news/2022/no-more-knives-or-county-lineshttps://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/harrogate-yorkshire-dales/news/no-more-knives-or-county-lines-primary-school-christina-gabbitas-author/https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/19662948.author-christina-gabbitas-backs-police-county-lines-scheme/https://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/news/north-yorkshire/news/news/2021/october/police-and-childrens-author-work-together-to-deliver-a-key-message-on-the-dangers-of-county-lines-drug-dealing/ Children perspective https://www.nomoreknifecrime.co.uk/humberside-police/ Animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXNVQ4VcBts

When it comes to facing the public after a serious event, safeguarding communications expert Miriam Rich has developed skills and experience highlighting the key factors that should always be present–truth, sensitivity and a priority for victims and survivors. Miriam is a crisis communications consultant and media relations specialist with a background in safeguarding. She’s handled communications for some of the most high-profile incidents and investigations of recent decades, including London’s multi-agency crisis response to Covid-19, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the trial of the London ‘nailbomber’, the Soham murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and multiple investigations into child sexual abuse. She started as a press officer at New Scotland Yard in 1999 in the aftermath of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, working on portfolios including counter-terrorism, racial and violent crime and the Commissioner’s press office. In 2006 she went on to be a founding member of staff and Head of Media at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, the government agency (now part of the National Crime Agency) set up in response to the explosion of the internet and what were, at that time, new threats to children via social media. She left the public sector in 2011 to work independently, founding her company which provides media training and crisis communications support to organisations with a safeguarding responsibility. Clients include schools and colleges, fostering agencies, religious organisations and charities. Public and private sector clients include leading day and boarding schools, universities, law enforcement agencies and charities, for whom she provide support, advice and guidance at board level and develop targeted communications materials for stakeholders. She provides media training in crisis communications to individuals and groups, working with a professional cameraman to provide an authentic experience that builds confidence and prepares you for the real thing. Miriam has specific expertise in criminal justice, child protection, education and safeguarding issues with experience gained at New Scotland Yard, the National Crime Agency, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre and a wide range of other organisations and companies. She helps clients to respond to crises and reputation-threatening situations through: providing strategic direction and media training at board level • developing / implementing a communications strategy to manage media interest and other enquiries • handling media enquiries and guiding press office responses during times of crisis • advising on authentic and meaningful communications to key stakeholders • supporting in-house press and marketing teams Contact details. www.miriamrich.co.uk

Grantown Remakery is a charity based in the Scottish Highlands, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park near Aviemore. I talked about this, a year or so ago, with George Livingstone as the guest. It seemed a good idea to see how they weathered the pandemic and did George have views on how the wider community could support the causes and challenges they saw. We will hear that the project has changed since we last spoke in a number of ways. We talk of the wider social trends and challenges faced by those they help. 3 strands of work for the 3 days they can afford to open. 1) Working with young learning disabled adults often isolated and lonely 2) Existing work with children helping to transition from school to further education. 3) developing a partnership with Job Centre Plus and 16 to 25 year olds who were deemed ‘not work ready’ It is a community social work scheme whose value to the area is significant, especially when the fall out from the pandemic adds to the existing challenges from rural poverty.  In addition they are also working on two new developments; 1) meeting shortly with the local Medical Practice with the view to becoming and organisation that GP’s can use on a social prescribing basis, and 2) are about to meet with ex forces representatives to consider what support we might provide to veterans who are having difficulty accessing work. This would involve opening for a further day. All of this assists with fundraising as they can apply for funds for each discrete part of the project rather than on a blanket basis. Also acknowledge that they are a member of Circular Communities Scotland, a national organisation which is about encouraging reuse of items rather than replacement which opens up further funding opportunities to them and enables the support of core work. Also George is thinking of stepping down over the next year or two so any interested parties in the NE of Scotland can contact and have a conversation. Grantown Remakeryhttps://www.grantownremakery.org.uk  provides Employment Skills Development, volunteering opportunities and support for Young People who may be having difficulty in Transition from School to Further Education and Employment, Adults with a Disability or with Mental Ill-Health, supporting all in their journey to recovery and towards fulfilment of their personal goals. It aims to provide an alternative to landfill disposal by repairing, upgrading, recycling and reselling of goods through a Community based system. This helps pay for coaching and supervision. They have developed strong business relationships with both Partners and the Local Community to identify the best service for individuals in need of support and skills development within strong environmental awareness and action Email [email protected]  Tel 01479 873612

In this episode I interview Peter Garsden, the President of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers. I first interviewed Peter on this podcast 10 years ago. You can listen to that original episode here. In our updated conversation we talk about the changes that have happened over the last 10 years and the work that Peter does with the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers. Peter has been a solicitor for over 40 years, and is the current President of A.C.A.L (Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, an organisation he helped found in 1981. He is a Solicitor Consultant at Scott-Moncrieff & Associates . He also designed and maintains his own website Abuse Advice 4 Survivors. For nearly 30 years he ran his own firm Abney Garsden, Solicitors of Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. He is a member of the Law Society Multi Party Action Group. For several years he headed a specialist department of Child Abuse Personal Injury Lawyers and was the co-ordinating solicitor for most Child Abuse compensation claims and group actions in the North of England, including a 5 home 900 Claimant action based in Manchester. He is a former Secretary and founder member of a charity called Abuse Watch. He has also assisted an international charity called Innocence in Danger. He has written and lectured on the subject of child abuse litigation and has extensive media experience on radio, television, and in the National newspapers. Peter and his firm have won several local and national awards such as Personal Injury Team of the Year (Eclipse Personal Injury Awards 2011), Small Firm of the Year (Manchester Legal Awards, 2011 and 2013, Most Innovative Use of Legal Software (2010). Peter was made Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year in the Manchester Legal Awards of 2013, Solicitor of the Year at the QualitySolicitors Annual Awards in 2014, Law Society Solicitor of the Year (Private Practise) in 2016, Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year at the Eclipse Personal Injury Awards in 2018, and given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Claims Management Awards in 2017. In 2023, he was awarded a Pride of Britain Award for his dedication to child abuse, and fostering children.

Join me for part 2 of my conversation with John Pizzuro, the CEO of Raven about anti child exploitation. John is the CEO of Raven, the first and only 501(c)4 group ( social welfare, not for profit )  focused on child exploitation in the United States, John works with lawmakers, advocates, agencies, and organizations who are willing to challenge the status quo and fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens. Prior to that John spent 25 years in the New Jersey State police where John had spent his last six years as The Internet Crimes Against Children Commander where he led a team of 200 investigators. In that capacity John served as Chair of the Outreach Committee, and US representative to INTERPOL. John developed a penchant for neuroscience, understanding social engineering and how criminals lured their victims and in return used those same techniques to lure criminals out of the shadows. John made it is mission to protect the innocent and leveraging partners skillsets in order to accomplish that. John’s Task force arrested over 1500 individuals that preyed on the innocent. John has developed and teaches classes on Cognitive Interviewing. John speaks frequently regarding leading and managing large scale investigations, leadership, online grooming, child exploitation, Human trafficking, social engineering, and how technology has impacted society and their behavior. He has written framework for other countries to develop their own investigative units with best practices. John is certified as a Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner and has an M.A. in Human Resource Development and Training John and colleagues from Raven addressed Congress this week and talked of how complex and challenging the threats to children are in our communities. check out the link.   https://www.linkedin.com/company/ravenassociation/

In today’s episode I speak to Lyn Romeo, the current Chief Social Worker for Adults. After 10 years Lyn is ready to move on from this role. In our discussion we talk about some of her achievements over the past 10 years, what new issues have emerged as a focus and the activity she has personally undertaken. We hear about some of the challenges facing social care and what it is really like to be in the role of Chief Social Worker for Adults. This is a fascinating conversation. About Lyn Romeo:Lyn Romeo took up her post as Chief Social Worker for Adults in September 2013 and I first interviewed her in February 2014 for this podcast. ( No 19 ) Previously, Lyn worked as the Director for Adult Social Care and Joint Commissioning in the London Borough of Camden. She has also worked as an inspector with the Social Services Inspectorate, as well as working in Yorkshire for over 20 years as both a field social worker and in a variety of management roles across children and adults services. The Chief Social Worker for Adults works collaboratively with the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families. Together they work from the Office of the Chief Social Worker to: – support and challenge the profession to ensure that children and adults get the best possible help from social workers – provide independent expert advice to ministers on social work reform, and the contribution of social work and social workers to policy implementation more generally – provide leadership and work with key leaders in the profession and wider sector to drive forward the improvement and reform programme for social work – challenge weak practice to achieve decisive improvements in the quality of social work – provide leadership to the network of principal social workers It’s good to have had 10 years to assess and measure change.

In today’s episode I speak to Eileen Dong, UN Ambassador, survivor and author. We discuss the challenges facing the world around human trafficking. Eileen, as a survivor of human trafficking now provides education and support for other survivors. We discuss how we can practically learn from people’s experiences and how human trafficking is a non partisan global issue. Eileen shares her book, ‘Thank Your Predator: A guide to Trauma Recovery from Abuse’ which is an educational guide and seeks to consider the role of prevention in human trafficking. She also highlighted the 2023 International Conference on Abuse and Awards talking place on October 26th. More information can be found below.  Eileen Dong is a trailblazer combating gender-based violence and human trafficking, is the Founder and Executive Director of Hope Pyx Global. As a UN Ambassador, her mission encompasses ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, violence, and torture for people of all backgrounds. With a diverse background as a Petroleum Engineer, NASA Scholar, and Supply Chain Executive, Dong’s approach extends to collaborating with DOJ, ICE, and FBI on trafficking and money laundering cases. A TEDx speaker, author of “Thank Your Predator: A Guide to Trauma Recovery from Abuse”, Dong’s expertise combines personal and professional experiences, fostering innovation and partnerships to combat trafficking comprehensively. A member of national human trafficking leadership councils, and formerly a diplomat at the British Consulate General, she influences inclusive, equitable, and data-driven policies. Her involvement with the Center for Countering Human Trafficking and training of law enforcement and victim service providers bridges gaps in culturally sensitive care. Eileen Dong’s leadership is exemplified by her speech at the 2023 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, embodying the theme of not leaving any victim behind. Honored with “Eileen Dong Day” by Houston’s Mayor, her achievements, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and Addy Award, have reached a global audience of 37.2 million through media features on ABC, Fox, and TED Talk. You can find information about the things we discussed below: 2023 International Conference on Abuse (Oct 26, HYBRID): 2023 International Conference on Abuse & Awards “Thank Your Predator: A Guide to Trauma Recovery from Abuse”: https://a.co/d/bIkDsuG To learn more Eileen Dong, or to book Ms Dong for speaking or advising: https://eileendong.com/ To stay up to date about future events: http://www.hopepyxglobal.org/ International Survivors Network: https://www.facebook.com/groups/168664085021368 The Ms Texas Show: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMsTexasShow To make a charitable donation: Donate Now – HOPE PYX GLOBAL    

  Donna Ohdedar. Perception of Safeguarding. From time to time I like to have a talk with those who manage essential parts of the safeguarding landscape. Today I’m talking to Donna who is CEO of a company that conducts serious case reviews into adult and child deaths and serious incidents. Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser, solutions focused mentor, public speaker & trainer, Donna offers her university accredited training programme, SILP School. She is also host of the Safeguarding & Domestic Abuse Sector podcast. Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. S.I.L.P. stands for Single Incident Learning Process.. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, CPD for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice. She is also the host of the SILP School Podcast. S.I.L.P.Training is now an established process.Some reports are too long for what’s required and a rapid review can, when appropriate, deliver suitable learning recommendations that can bolster public confidence.—which took us on to the responsibilit of the safeguarding professions to find better ways to show the mainstream media all the vast amount of good work going on–just to balance the cases that result in serious injury or death–in fact it’s only the criminal cases that command space. Changes could include an improvement in the number of reviews that contain the voice of the family–in 2021 one third of children’s reviews didn’t include this.Now there are over 70 people who have undertaken  S.I.L.P.Training. These include child protection professionals from Health, Legal, Social Work and Police. Our conersation ranged widely and covered safeguarding accross the sector. All details of Donna and her work are on the links below LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-ohdedar-review-consulting-ltd SILP School: https://donna-ohdedar.mykajabi.com/silp-school-blue-light Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-safeguarding-and-domestic-abuse-sector-podcast/id1554898339 Reviews: https://donna-ohdedar.mykajabi.com/child-safeguarding-practice-review

John is the CEO of Raven, the first and only 501(c)4 group ( social welfare, not for profit )  focused on child exploitation in the United States, John works with lawmakers, advocates, agencies, and organizations who are willing to challenge the status quo and fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens. Prior to that John spent 25 years in the New Jersey State police where John had spent his last six years as The Internet Crimes Against Children Commander where he led a team of 200 investigators. In that capacity John served as Chair of the Outreach Committee, and US representative to INTERPOL. John developed a penchant for neuroscience, understanding social engineering and how criminals lured their victims and in return used those same techniques to lure criminals out of the shadows. John made it is mission to protect the innocent and leveraging partners skillsets in order to accomplish that. John’s Task force arrested over 1500 individuals that preyed on the innocent. John has developed and teaches classes on Cognitive Interviewing. John speaks frequently regarding leading and managing large scale investigations, leadership, online grooming, child exploitation, Human trafficking, social engineering, and how technology has impacted society and their behavior. He has written framework for other countries to develop their own investigative units with best practices. John is certified as a Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner and has an M.A. in Human Resource Development and Training John and colleagues from Raven addressed Congress this week and talked of how complex and challenging the threats to children are in our communities. check out the link.   https://www.linkedin.com/company/ravenassociation/

  As it’s the start of Suicide Prevention Month there could be no better guest than Professor Jonathan Singer who until recently held a National position in the United States but also has written extensively on the subject of suicide prevention. All this on top of presenting an award winning podcast for 15 years http://www.socialworkpodcast.com   Jonathan B. Singer, Ph.D., LCSW is Professor at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work, Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology and coauthor of the best-selling text, Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention. Published by Routledge. In 2023 NASW named him a Social Work Pioneer for bringing podcasting to social work. He is a two-time winner of the National Association of Social Workers Media Award (2012 and 2016). He was a 2014 Visiting Scholar at Fordham University, the 2017 Lucille N. Austin Scholar at Columbia University, and the 2018 Distinguished Lecturer at Weber State University. Dr. Singer is a well-regarded international speaker who has given hundreds of continuing education workshops, keynote addresses, and presentations on youth suicide, ethics, technology, adolescent development and attachment-based family therapy in the USA, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. He is an NASW Expert, Healio Psychiatry Peer Perspective Board member, and has served on several national youth advisory boards including Sandy Hook Promise, JED Foundation, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and the National Suicide Prevention (988 Suicide & Crisis) Lifeline. A pioneer in the integration of technology and social work, Dr. Singer is an original member of the online suicide prevention . Founded in January 2007, the Social Work Podcast is the first podcast by and for social workers, with over 50,000 followers on social media, listeners in 208 countries and territories, and over 8 million downloads. He lives in Evanston, IL with his wife and three children and can be found on Twitter as @socworkpodcast and Facebook at facebook.com/swpodcast. To access excellent resources for Suicide Prevention Month 23 (#SPM23)  the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s two-page guide.https://sprc.org/online-library/suicide-prevention-month-ideas-for-action/   The second edition of ‘Suicide in Schools’ will be published in the next few months.

Welcome back. I can’t believe it’s been ten years since the start. So many wonderful guests and content ! Please keep the comments and suggestions coming. So, what a great start to the new season.` Dr Ray Jones is Emeritus Professor of Social Work at Kingston University and St. George’s, University of London, and a registered social worker. He has 50 plus years experience in children’s and adults’ social work and social care as a residential worker, social work practitioner, manager, teacher and researcher. From 1992 to 2006 he was director of social services in Wiltshire (and Swindon). He was the first chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, and has been deputy chair and chair of the British Association of Social Workers. From 2008 to 2016 he was professor of social work at Kingston University and St George’s, University of London. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Exeter and at the University of Bath and is an honorary fellow of the University of Gloucestershire. He has led inquiries following the deaths of children and adults, from 2009 to 2013 was the independent chair of Bristol’s Safeguarding Children Board, and from 2010 until 2016, reporting to the children’s minister, oversaw children’s services and child protection improvement in five areas of England. In 2013-2014 he was appointed by the Welsh Assembly to advise on the Welsh Social Services and Well-Being Bill. He has also advised on social services development in Russia and in Slovenia. He is the author of eight books including ‘The Story of Baby P: Setting the Record Straight’, which was published by Policy Press in July 2014, which informed a BBC Television documentary, and with a second edition published in February 2017. ‘In Whose Interest? The Privatisation of Child Protection and Social Work’ was published by Policy Press in December 2018, and his most recent book ‘A History of the Personal Social Services in England’ was published by Palgrave Macmillan in summer 2020 and re-printed in 2021. He is a regular press columnist and media commentator. In 2017 he received the Social Worker of the Year Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Social Work’, and in 2021 was awarded an honorary doctorate in civil law by the University of  East Anglia. In 2022 he was appointed to undertake the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in Northern Ireland.  

  A continuation of the reflection on 10 years with the NSPCC.   We develop the conversation to look more into the future and look for new or untested ideas from the wider world. Also talk more on NSPCC’s plans to add to online safety.    Peter was  also reflective on the organisation’s campaigning role.  What risks and challenges are increasing due to the need for more public attention and urgency as well as more extensive resources.? Should we not look to see much more reference and specificity in political manifestos to safeguarding and child protection ?  Our conversation develops one or two more paths.   We talk about the changing and expanding nature of safeguarding children with the complexities of the internet, traffiking, modern day slavery and much more. The NSPCC is is focussed on the UK but cannot ignore the threats from the wider world. www.nspcc.org.uk   and the helpline [email protected] Check out the websites and the many initiatives in addition to the children’s helpline.  

Sir Peter Wanless. 10 tears at NSPCC where he has been the Chief Executive since June 2013. The charity’s longstanding purpose is to prevent cruelty to children, something it seeks to achieve through a mixture of service delivery, research, influencing, advocacy and campaigning. Among the NSPCC’s http://nspcc.org.uk direct services are Childline, 0800 1111  a confidential helpline for any young person with nowhere else to turn, the NSPCC Helpline [email protected] for any adult with a worry or concern about a child, the Child protection in Sport Unit and a network of service centres across the UK focused particularly on abuse and neglect in the early years and child sexual abuse. The NSPCC has been particularly prominent of late in building the child protection case for online regulation of social media services.Peter was previously Chief Executive of what was then the Big Lottery Fund and a Director at the Department for Education between 1998 and 2008. He is on the Boards of Somerset County Cricket Club and the Government’s National Leadership Centre. He received a knighthood in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List for services to children and charity. We talk of the priorities driving the NSPCC in these challenging times. Supporting young people first, keeping staff and volunteers safe and well and looking to maintain the donation base to continue vital work. Peter outlines the strategic position of the charity and the constant focus on adapting to threats and challenges to young people. Their work in schools, their combatting of online risks and the increasing workload on their well established Childline service. Training and research are cornerstones of the charity and his job in overseeing all aspects include partnerships with all colleague services, both statutory and voluntary. The conversation ranges from Peter’s assessment of the whole national response to safeguarding children , especially from the recently published National Inquiry, to his personal views on successful progress and continuing challenges.  Part 2 of this podcast coming mid May ! when we will develop more of the issues and look for short and long term solutions.    

  Adam Zarnowski currently serves as the Open-Source Intelligence and Traffiking Investigations Manager for the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (www.followmoneyfightslavery.org). He is a former United States federal officer and holds a master’s degree in Investigations specializing in Digital Forensics alongside a graduate certificate in Trafficking in Persons Investigations from the University of New Haven. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northern Kentucky University. Adam has dedicated his life to eradicating slavery from an early age. While serving as an investigator, Adam also spends much of his free time researching the sociocultural landscape to better understand how groups and individuals become vulnerable to trafficking and slavery in the first place. He has published a number of articles detailing his work and has additionally spoken at the Hague in the Netherlands as to his findings investigating war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. We talk of the enormity of the task and the dedication of hundreds of people working to combat traffiking and slavery in all its forms. Adam has also been consistantly academically interested in what causes this criminal behaviour in individuals and fuels this chronic cancer in our communities. As far as the general public is concerned the clear message is ‘ if you see something, say something’ . More digitally aware volunteers are needed and training support will be given after appropriate vetting so , if you could put your name forward , look on the ATII site to take it further. https://pbjlearning.com/2022/10/27/more-than-meets-the-eye-the-immense-web-of-human-trafficking-and-its-vast-implications/ https://pbjlearning.com/2022/03/19/guest-worker-visas-and-labor-trafficking-weaknesses-in-the-h2-visa-programs/ https://pbjlearning.com/2022/09/15/the-problem-of-statistics-in-human-trafficking-and-the-average-age-of-entry-into-sex-trafficking/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adam-m-zarnowski_facilitation-of-trafficking-on-metas-services-activity-6898332560502710272-K-Xk?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQhykopgqE https://slaveryfootprint.org/

Follow the Money Fight Slavery, Senior operations manager Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative, Chris Kemp talks about his role and the enormity of the challenges the world faces from human traffiking and all forms of slavery. The Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative, a 501(c)3 US-based nonprofit, aims to disrupt the market of human trafficking, child exploitation and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through the advancement of preventions, detection, investigation and reporting mechanisms.  ATII is committed to raising awareness and developing strategic partnerships with intelligence, technology, and data leaders. Chris and I talk about the scale of the problem and the variety of approaches used to gather intelligence and help law enforcement. His work takes him all round the globe and networks with a variety of agencies from local NGOs to senior law enforcement. He also is responsible for recruiting and training/vetting more than 200 digital volunteers ( of which more are always nee Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (@TeamATII)   University of Advancing  Technology https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/ Superior, Montana, United States https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/about/events/    Check out these upcoming events including the Darkwebathon and the Summit. The links for resources we offer and events we are putting on:  Training https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/training/ Resources https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/resources/  Events upcoming  https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/about/events/    April Annual Summit and Child Safety Symposium, June Darkwebathon is an opportunity for those in the space of Cryptocurrency to engage in tracing possible criminal behavior using Cryptocurrency and provide that intelligence to law enforcement using Blockchain analytics tools.

Supply Chain Auditing is the process of scrutinising companies and their many suppliers to check if they comply with what we would call ethical business practice. Fair treatment and safety of workforces along with transparency from supplier to consumer is the gold standard. So often this does not exist. The exploitation of workers and often their enslavement is endemic to much of what we consume, wear or use in our daily lives. Enforcement agencies around the world are always attempting to interrupt , rescue and prosecute but the sheer scale can be overwhelming.We do not check hard enough, ask the tough questions or put ourselves out enough to demand better clarity, especially in food and clothing, about what conditions exist in their production.  Leon Reed is the CEO of Verisio Limited, http://Verisio.com a company that has developed from carrying out social compliance audits to providing end-to-end ESG solutions for businesses around the world. Leon has always had a passion for promoting human rights and has found that consultancy and audits are a proven package to achieve sustainable change. Since the introduction of the UK Modern Slavery Act in 2015, Leon has paved the way in helping companies comply. Verisio now runs retailer-driven programmes that encompass all aspects of ESG, combining his many years of auditing experience with his business consultancy skills. More information at the following sites. https://www.linkedin.com/company/verisio-ltd/ https://www.modernslaveryhelpline.org https://www.theapsca.org  Association of Social Complience Auditors.

Matt Richardson is the Director of Intelligence and Investigations with the Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII)    and returns to the podcast to explain his work and look deeper into the impact of this worldwide activity. https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/  Oxford dictionary definition of human traffiking ——-the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people in order to benefit from their work or service, typically in the form of forced labour or sexual exploitation. In this third episode we talk about the implications and protocol for working with the dark web. the upcoming documentary featuring Matt called Dark Highway,the personal psycological impact on those working to expose traffikers. We also cover the rise in self generated child sexual abuse material–often as a result of grooming and co-ersive activity. Sextortion–blackmail after soliciting sexualised photos and the rise in numbers of teenage boy victims targeted by fake young girls. Matt is an international speaker and expert on OSINT and Darkweb Intelligence with extensive experience in leading and coordinating complex investigations on sex trafficking and CSAM offenders. Matt co-authored a study titled “Expert Analysis of Open Source Material Relating To Child Sexual Abuse Material And Sex Trafficking Occurring On OnlyFans.com” with the University of New Haven’s Center for Forensic Investigations of Trafficking in Persons (CFITP). Matt is a member of the Rogers Communications Cybersecurity Catalyst team where he collaborates with industry experts to generate products and education on a variety of cybersecurity topics related to online crimes. He is often sought out as a subject matter expert by the media with TV, Film, Radio, and print coverage in Canada and is a main contributor and on camera character for “Dark Highway”, a Human Trafficking documentary that is being televised in Canada and the U.S. He works in partnership with Timea’s Cause to educate and prevent sex trafficking and was a featured speaker of the 1st Canadian National Summit on Child Sexual Exploitation. Matt is passionate in his role with the Anti Human Traffiking Initiative where as part of a team of experts he uses his skills on a daily basis to help make children, families, and communities safer places.  

Human Traffiking Part 2 continues the focus on the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/   Matt Richardson is the Director of Intelligence and Investigations with the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII). He is international speaker and expert on OSINT and Darkweb Intelligence with extensive experience in leading and coordinating complex investigations on sex trafficking and CSAM offenders. Matt co-authored a study titled “Expert Analysis of Open Source Material Relating To Child Sexual Abuse Material And Sex Trafficking Occurring On OnlyFans.com” with the University of New Haven’s Center for Forensic Investigations of Trafficking in Persons (CFITP). Matt is a member of the Rogers Communications Cybersecurity Catalyst team where he collaborates with industry experts to generate products and education on a variety of cybersecurity topics related to online crimes. He is often sought out as a subject matter expert by the media with TV, Film, Radio, and print coverage in Canada and is a main contributor and on camera character for “Dark Highway”, a Human Trafficking documentary that is being televised in Canada and the U.S. He works in partnership with Timea’s Cause to educate and prevent sex trafficking and was a featured speaker of the 1st Canadian National Summit on Child Sexual Exploitation. Matt is passionate in his role with the Anti Human Traffiking Initiative where as part of a team of experts he uses his skills on a daily basis to help make children, families, and communities safer places. We talk of the risks to unaccompanied young refugees and the ways to remain focussed in such overwhelming work. One child at a time has to be the rule to avoid practical and emotional overload. The third part in this series, in January, will, among other things, look at success stories, detail cases that can be talked about and offer ways that we all can be more alert and aware of this chronic threat to our communities.  

Larry Cameron BCEC, CCI, CTCE, DEI, MDI, TINV, TG2 CISO at Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII)            https://followmoneyfightslavery.org/ Larry has 20+ years experience in the technology industry. He is the Chief Information Security Officer at the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) and an OSINT Investigator for the National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF). He is a certified Digital Evidence Investigator (DEI), Mobile Device Investigator (MDI), Triage Investigator (TINV), Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI), CipherTrace Certified Examiner (CTCE) and holds over 50 other Industry, IT & Security certifications. He manages technology in multiple disciplines and works with local, state, federal and international Law Enforcement on Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation investigations. Training and speaking to communities all around the world, Larry is only too aware of the scale of the problem and the need for more awareness raising. Resources to combat what is an epidemic of abuse covering sex trafficking, slave labour, cyber and financial abuse to name a few and the huge involvement of organised crime. Recently Larry  started a new position as Head of Cyber Security at CRO Cyber Rights Organization for the United Nations The Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) combats global human trafficking by promoting corporate social responsibility through increasing awareness, facilitating intelligence integration and technology advancement, and encouraging strategic data collaboration. The Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative, a 501(c)3 US-based nonprofit, aims to disrupt the market of human trafficking, child exploitation and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through the advancement of preventions, detection, investigation and reporting mechanisms.  ATII is committed to raising awareness and developing strategic partnerships with intelligence, technology, and data leaders.

Ann McLaughlin Author of WORLD CHANGE-MAKER: BUILD SKILLS IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENt & SOCIAL WORK. Ann discusses her book, World Change-Maker: Build Skills in International Development and Social Work. Ann’s book is full of stories – as is this podcast – to help people understand how half the world lives. People who grasp these gritty realities and have the essential skills are more likely to get an international job. Ann  worked 20 years as a psychotherapist/ social worker and then worked in international development. For the last 20 years she has directed NGOabroad (http://ngoabroad.com/) providing international career counseling. Ann was asked to write a book on international social work. Ann knew that we did not need one more book on the problems, but a book on the practical skills needed on the ground. Change-making skills are much the same to create change in your own community or country as those skills needed internationally. See more about World Change-Maker: Build Skills in International Development and Social Work here: https://www.annmcl.com/world-change-maker-build-skills-in-international-development-and-social-work-2/ The easiest way to get it is online from the publisher: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/world-change-maker/ Though many of NGOabroad’s international volunteer programs are closed due to COVID, if you answer Questionnaire found on the website and send with resume we can figure out where you best fit. https://ngoabroad.com/. International career counseling and trainings are still available. Ann is currently working on two follow-up books. She also offers Transformation and Empowerment Coaching to those who want to become change-makers in their own community or country. See https://www.annmcl.com/

Grantown Remakery is a small but important charity which I talked about, a year or so ago, with George Livingstone as the guest.It seemed a good idea to see how they weathered the pandemic and did George have views on how the wider community could support the causes and challenges they saw. It is one of dozens of charities created to improve the quality of life of several vulnerable groups, whose chances in life are threatened by no fault of their own and an underfunded statutory provision. They strive to help balance inequality and create opportunity. Grantown Remakery http://www.grantownremakery.org.uk  provides Employment Skills Development, volunteering opportunities and support for Young People who may be having difficulty in Transition from School to Further Education and Employment, Adults with a Disability or with Mental Ill-Health, supporting all in their journey to recovery and towards fulfilment of their personal goals. It aims to provide an alternative to landfill disposal by repairing, upgrading, recycling and reselling of goods through a Community based system. This helps pay for coaching and supervision They have developed strong business relationships with both Partners and the Local Community to identify the best service for individuals in need of support and skills development within strong environmental awareness and action We talk of the wider social trends and challenges faced by those they help. 3 strands of work for the 3 days they can afford to open. 1) Working with young learning disabled adults often isolated and lonely 2) Existing work with children helping to transition from school to further education. 3) developing a partnership with Job Centre Plus and 16 to 25 year olds who were deemed ‘not work ready’ It is a community social work scheme whose value to the area is significant, especially when the fall out from the pandemic adds to the existing challenges from rural poverty. Contact them on Facebook or at their website http://www.grantownremakery.org or email [email protected] OR phone 01479 873612 

  Marina Lypovetska, head of 116 000 in Ukraine and head of projects in NGO “Magnolia”, board member of International Federation Missing Children Europe, talks to me about her work and the huge challenges they face. The difficulties of tracing missing children is obviously compounded by the impact of the pandemic and now the war. In her own words:- “From my early youth, I’d been definitely sure about what I shall do to make a difference – so I graduated National Dragomanova University as a master’s degree in psychology. Then I started to work “in fields” with children and families in difficult living conditions as a governmental social worker. After a few years, when I felt, that I can be more helpful in non-governmental area, I’ve joined NGO “Magnolia”s team. I am 8 years here and this way was great, and now, despite of war, I am planning to strengthen my organization to ensure needed support to families and missing children.” NGO Magnolia http://magnolia.org.ua/en was founded more than 20 years ago by a group of journalists to protect the rights of vulnerable children and families and to support the search for missing children through publicity appeals. Cooperating with almost 30 TV channels and advertising agencies, we share posters of missing children and video appeals from their families. Since its start, NGO Magnolia contributed to the search for more than 2200 children (before war) and more than 2367 since the start of war. In 2015,  NGO “Magnolia” became a co-founder of The Ukrainian Child Rights Network. In 2017,  NGO “Magnolia” became a co-founder of the coalition “Against tortures”. In November 2017, they joined in the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children ‘Missing Children Europe’ https://missingchildreneurope.eu/ . In 2018, NGO “Magnolia” joined Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum as a member. If someone needs their help in search for missing children , you can contact them via chat on their Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/NGOMagnolia https://www.facebook.com/detipoisk or Telegram-bot @missingchildren_bot The hot-line for missing children is 116 000  https://missingchildreneurope.eu/hotline-116-000/ You can support NGO “Magnolia” here: http://magnolia.org.ua/en/content/donate https://help.missingchildren.org.ua/ sound has 20 second delay

  Barnardo’s Ukrainian helpline has been operational since March 2022 and now gets over 800 calls per week. Those calling have changed from UK families with practical questions to now, when far more refugees with complex reactions are asking for help. Andrew Tubman is a Helplines Manager with Barnardo’s, the largest national children’s charity in the UK. Andrew joined Barnardo’s during the covid pandemic to lead the delivery of ‘Boloh’ a Helpline for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic families – the first of it’s kind in the UK. This has included Helpline projects to support refugees, asylum seekers and Hong Kong British Nationals arriving in the UK. Previously he worked for NSPCC’s Childline service and has over 10 years’ experience within Children’s Helplines, as well as in education and leaving care services. He leads on the organisations development, mobilisation and delivery of Helpline services including the Ukrainian Support Helpline. In response to the Ukraine war Barnardo’s mobilised the Ukrainian Support Helpline in March 2022 to support refugees and host families. The Helpline offers advice, signposting, emotional support, practical support and free therapeutic, multilingual counselling. The Helpline is open:  – Monday – Friday 10.00am-8.00pm – Saturday 10.00am-3.00pm You can contact the Helpline on  0800 148 8586 or email [email protected] https://www.barnardos.org.uk/

Carolyn Housman is the CEO of  Children and Families Across Borders ( CFAB)  the UK’s only NGO with a dedicated international social work team, Children and Families Across Borders http://www.cfab.org.uk, which alerts social services and professionally assesses long-term care options for children domestically and in 130 countries to ensure every child has a safe home.  She is Vice-Chair of the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, whose mission is to promote and strengthen the social service workforce to provide services when and where they are most needed, alleviate poverty, challenge and reduce discrimination, promote social justice and human rights, and prevent and respond to violence and family separation.  She is also a Professional Advisory Committee member of the International Social Service network and Chair of the Cross-border Child Safeguarding Working Group, comprised of social work leaders within Home Office, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department for Education, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) and the Children’s Commissioner’s Office.   She has co-authored ground-breaking research into the practice, challenges and solutions in cross-border child protection and child placements.  She regularly lectures in university degree courses on international challenges in social work.       During her career, she has successfully advocated for and monitored the implementation of system change in different countries – from advising governments in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia on setting up National Referral Mechanisms for trafficked persons through to leading Inter-American Development Bank seminars on developing local procurement systems for sustainable development in Guatemala.  She has broad international experience, having worked for Amnesty International (USA), the Washington Office on Latin America (USA), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (Austria), and, currently, Children and Families Across Borders (UK). Eve Joy Wilson is a UK-registered social worker. She has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics from SOAS and a postgraduate degree in Social Work from Goldsmiths College. She trained with CFAB in 2018, and practiced in a local authority children’s safeguarding team before returning to CFAB in 2021. She is interested in social work activism and collaborative campaigning, and co-organises SWots, a monthly reading and discussion group for social care workers. You can join the Swots mailing list by emailing [email protected] and reach Eve Joy on Twitter @evejoywilson. You can also sign up to the first SWots session of the year on parent advocacy and empowerment in child protection here: SWots 1: Parent voices for change in the US & UK with Tim, Rich & Clarissa Tickets, Wed 10 Aug 2022 at 17:00 | Eventbrite                                            Call CFAB on 0207 735 8941