Sharjah’s Child Safety Department (CSD) has previewed the pilot phase of Kanaf Child Protection Centre.

Visualised as a safe haven for victims of child abuse, Kanaf has been established under the directive of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA).

It aims to unify protection mechanisms for children who have faced abuse. Kanaf will ensure their safety by providing a supportive environment as well as access to legal, social and emotional support through relevant entities.

At a workshop organised at the House of Wisdom, the CSD showcased the procedures and mechanisms in place at child protection centres worldwide.

Andrew Morley, director at PwC and former chief officer for criminal justice in London, UK, is working closely with CSD on the Kanaf project. He highlighted the first-level strategies of the project’s implementation procedures “that will blend the very best of international practice with the specific needs of Sharjah’s child protection measures”.

Hessa Al Jarwan of CSD spoke about global best practices adopted by child protection homes, highlighting the Scandinavian practice of bringing together all relevant parties and entities under one roof to provide optimum support to child victims.

Participants at the workshop provided the institutional perspectives of dealing with child abuse cases by highlighting the challenges faced when working with victims of abuse.

In addition to offering recommendations regarding the implementation of Kanaf, they also discussed the joint responsibilities of the agencies as well as the way forward.

Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director of CSD, said: "Kanaf translates the directives of Sheikha Jawaher to standardise child protection measures, identify partners and adopt global best practices in the field.

“This workshop is in alignment with the goal to incorporate varied perspectives and viable solutions into this experimental stage of our project so as to facilitate a lucid and stress-free child protection journey.”

Andrew Morley added: "This workshop represents a qualitative shift from theoretical discussion to practical planning, to reach a stage where we visualise the child's journey inside Kanaf, and the services that will be provided to him or her.”

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