Guest blog: Why cinemas in hospitals matter – A lifeline for young people
“They are not patients they are themselves again.” Colin Lawrence, CEO of MediCinema shares a guest blog post on how cinemas in hospital make a difference to the experiences of young people. For most young people, a trip to the cinema is a simple pleasure – a chance to laugh with friends and escape into […]
A million young lives on hold: Why mental health support must start earlier
A version of the below blog appeared in Schools Week. “Take young people’s mental health seriously and intervene much earlier.” – Girl, 17, The Big Future Sadly, this is far from an isolated plea for help. Children have been crying out for earlier mental health support for too long, yet their concerns have not been properly […]
Press Notice: Over a million children referred to mental health services, with highest annual referrals as demand rises faster than systems can respond
Demand for children’s mental health services is rising – and rising faster than in previous years – the Children’s Commissioner has warned, as for the first time more than a million children in England had active referrals to mental health services in England last year – leaving increasing numbers of children waiting for months or years for support. In her fifth annual report on children’s mental health services, Dame […]
Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health Services: 2024-25
As I enter my final year as Children’s Commissioner, one thing is clear: before we make decisions that affect young people, we need to listen to young people. Children’s mental health is no exception. I am in no doubt that we are facing a crisis in young people’s mental health. The number of children with a referral […]
The need to protect the rights of every child, regardless of their asylum status
A version of the below blog appeared on LBC News. As Children’s Commissioner, I have a statutory duty to protect and promote the rights of children – no matter how they get here or what their asylum status is This is how I have approached every government proposal throughout my five years, including its interventions […]
Press Notice: Children’s Commissioner demands Home Secretary releases data on children affected by plans to withdraw support from failed asylum-seeking families
The Children’s Commissioner for England is demanding the Home Secretary releases figures for the number of children that will be affected by proposals to withdraw support and forcibly remove children and families with failed asylum claims. Dame Rachel de Souza argues that the plans, which have been under consultation, to push families (including those with children receiving ongoing medical treatment) to leave the UK would cause significant harm to children and should not be implemented as proposed. The Commissioner argues in a highly critical submission to the Home Office (published today) that the […]
The Children’s Commissioner’s response to the Home Office consultation on changes to the provision of support for failed asylum-seeker families
As Children’s Commissioner, I have a statutory duty to protect and promote the rights of children – that includes all children who arrive in this country, no matter how they get here or what their asylum status is. I have always been clear that it is for government to determine the right rules and levels […]
The Big Future: Speaking to children in Suffolk
In Westminster, the debate around social media use came to a head last week, with the proposed limiting of children’s access to social media. In the days after the announcement, as part of my tour for my survey The Big Future, I was in Ipswich, answering a question that children have asked me for almost as long as the screen time debate has gone on: “If […]
Social media ban for under 16s: Reflections from my Youth Ambassadors
This week, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans block social media platforms for those under 16 which “allow interactions and allow users to post material”. The ban, which would not cover messaging services like WhatsApp, is expected to take effect in early 2027 and is expected to cover popular platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. I have asked some of my Youth Ambassadors for their reaction to the ban. The Ambassadors […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner following sentencing in Preston Davey murder case
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “This is a truly harrowing case and today will be a very difficult day for all who loved Preston Davey. In delivering the sentences, the judge described the unimaginable cruelty of the crimes. “I am clear that this is a failure of the state and the safeguarding system. […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on the social media ban for under 16s
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “Children have told me time and again that they want to be protected online. My research showed that too many young people see pornography – and that the most common way to see it is accidentally on social media. Many children say they want to spend less time […]
The need to ensure all children are safe online, not just under 16s
A version of the below blog appeared on Politics Home. As Children’s Commissioner I have been clear that all online services – not just social media platforms – that use harmful features and functionalities should be banned from access to children. The government is due to respond to the consultation on banning social media for […]
Archived Content
Children will keep dying on our streets until there is a joined up public health response to gangs
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today (Saturday) publishing a report assessing how effectively existing infrastructure within local authorities is being used to deliver a public health approach to preventing gang involvement and youth violence. The Children’s Commissioner concludes that two years on from her last report into this issue and a year after […]
Detention of unaccompanied children arriving in Kent during 2020
This briefing looks at the immediate conditions unaccompanied asylum-seeking children faced after travelling to the UK, usually via boat, during 2020. Specifically, it focuses on the children who arrived at the Kent Intake Unit, where children’s identities are checked and their initial asylum claims are processed before they can be accommodated by local authorities. After […]
Our joint call on the government to include a statutory duty on local authorities to fund community-based services in the Domestic Abuse Bill
The Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, the Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, are jointly calling on the government to include a statutory duty on local authorities to fund community-based services in the Domestic Abuse Bill. In a joint statement, the Commissioners say: “It is vital that the government […]
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Children’s Commissioner’s podcast: Lockdown, school and football
In the second episode of the Children’s Commissioner’s podcast, Anne Longfield visits a school in South London where she talks to students about how the first coronavirus lockdown affected them, both at home and at school and what impact it had on their education and relationships. She also hears about a programme called Football Beyond […]
The state of children’s mental health services 2019/20
This is my fourth annual report on the state of children’s mental health services in England, and my last as Children’s Commissioner. I started this series of briefings because of the torrent of stories I was hearing from children about needing mental health services that weren’t there for them. I wanted to examine the data […]
Damage to children’s mental health caused by Covid crisis could last for years without a large-scale increase for children’s mental health services
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today (Thursday) publishing her fourth annual report on the state of children’s mental health services in England. The analysis examines the progress that has been made over the past five years as well as looking at the impact the Covid crisis has had on children’s mental health. The […]
Roadmap to reopening schools
Policy briefing Ever since last August, the Children’s Commissioner has said “Schools must be the last to close and the first to reopen.” This is now a well-used phrase as parents, teachers, scientists, politicians and the media all recognise the massive impact that the lockdowns are having on children’s education, and even more importantly, on […]
Our joint letter with Solace urging the PM to set-out a roadmap to reopen schools
The Children’s Commissioner and Solace have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging him to set-out a roadmap for the reopening of schools to all pupils. *** Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to urge you to set-out a roadmap for the reopening of schools to all pupils. We welcome your personal […]
Too many at-risk children are still invisible to social care
Since March 2020 when schools closed at the start of the first national lockdown, more families have fallen into poverty and all the major risk factors to children – domestic violence, poor parental mental health, and alcohol/substance abuse – have heightened. At the same time there has been a significant fall (by 10% compared to […]