The Lambeth School Partnership (LSP) and Lambeth Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (LSCP) are outraged to hear of the case of Child Q and the extremely traumatic experience she received at the hands of those who should have protected her. We stand with Child Q and her family.

It is highly likely that this was a racially motivated search and one that was conducted without any safeguarding protocols, leaving Child Q in an extremely vulnerable position. Calling the police was also a highly unusual step and one that that would not have been taken in Lambeth’s Schools, due to our strong and trusting relationship with our school liaison officer colleagues.

Child Q’s treatment by the police was dehumanising, traumatising and has understandably left her extremely scarred. She should have received much better care from the trusted individuals around her. As a partnership, we will be reviewing the learning and recommendations from the Hackney Child Safeguarding Practice Review in our LSCP Serious Incidents Review Subgroup to ensure that our systems continue to be robust and effectively safeguard all our young people. The instinctive protecting of children has to be what we do best, in order for schools to truly be safe places for children.