Breaking through Racial Barriers in Social Work: SAWUBONA as a Model for Decolonising Children's Social Work

Despite decades of policy reform, minoritised ethnic families continue to experience disproportionate intervention, harsher outcomes, and systemic discrimination in children’s social work. Drawing on original qualitative research with Black and Brown mothers, this groundbreaking book reveals how racism, white dominance, and structural oppression shape their experiences in the child protection system. It introduces the SAWUBONA model – an Afrocentric, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive practice framework that values Indigenous knowledge, fosters cultural humility, and centres empathetic, collaborative relationships between practitioners and service users. Offering critical insight and a practical pathway for decolonising practice, this book is essential reading for academics and professionals in social work, education, policing, and the wider safeguarding community seeking to challenge racial disparities and embed culturally responsive approaches.