First steps taken safeguarding English Residential Child Care with UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage

English Residential Child Care is an unsung national treasure.

It is living history. It is our living heritage.

‘Living Heritage’ is the UK’s implementation of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)

Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

This describes Residential Child Care well.

NCERCC has made a submission to the UK’s first-ever national inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). This inventory will celebrate cultural traditions and highlight their contribution to communities and the economy. It is the first major step following UK ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said “Many activities form the rich tapestry of UK culture and identity. These crafts, customs and celebrations are often what makes people feel proud of who they are, where they come from and where they live. They also boost local economies and businesses. Whatever living heritage communities value, we want to hear about it. I encourage people to get together and share their traditions through this national conversation.”

In 2023, the UK Government consulted on living heritage as part of its move to ratify the Convention and committed to creating an official UK inventory of these traditions.

In the face of this government seeking to reduce or remove Residential Child Care it is vital that Residential Child Care is included in this inventory and is part of the national “stock-taking” process.

Residential Child Care as a tradition needs to be kept alive, and thriving!

Expression of Interest

Working Title: English Residential Child Care

Working Description: English Residential Child Care is a living practice of collective caring for children characterised by distinctive, residential settings, and its practice distinct from social work. It possesses a rich repertoire of responses for children. It has been a defining feature of children’s care over centuries, a place where many of the now commonplace theories and practices were first explored and consolidated. 

Why is this inclusion necessary?

The UNESCO Convention seeks to include traditions and ways of life that have not historically been well represented and celebrate the ‘everyday’ culture of local communities.

Identifying what living heritage exists across the UK, conversations can arise about what individuals value and how England as a nation can collectively safeguard it.

Inclusion in the inventories supports stewardship through raising awareness, increasing recognition and providing visibility. The process of submitting may also be beneficial for supporting collaboration and bringing communities together.

What happens next?

The first stage has already been taken submitting an ‘Expression of Interest‘

This initial process ensures if a potential application is to another (NCERCC has checked and it isn’t), an opportunity to collaborate on a submission may arise/be more advantageous. Connecting small groups with similar ones who are part of the same community of practice.

The first inventories are to be published will be around 4-6 months after the call for submissions closes, depending on the number of submissions received.

The next stage following acceptance, will be to create an inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UK.

The following stage of implementation will be the ongoing safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UK.