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Hannah Miller said today that new government practice guidance on protecting children from cultural abuse must be “substantive” and compulsory not optional.

Speaking at Community Care’s conference on working with faith communities, Miller, an expert on protecting children from religious and cultural based abuse  said the issue needs a “high profile unit at the centre of government” to tackle it.

Miller is the Association of Directors of Social Services lead on protecting children from religious/cultural based abuse, a member of the London child protection committee and social services director at Croydon Council.

Earlier children’s minister Beverley Hughes announced that practice guidance on the subject is to be published later this year (click here to read that story)

The Department for Education and Skills is also considering publishing general guidance, perhaps including updating Working together to Safeguard children, said Hughes.

A DfES benchmarking study of over 50 cases of child abuse within faith communities known to local authorities is now complete and will be published, added the minister.