Whistleblowing Report 2022-23
The Children’s Commissioner is named in the Prescribed Persons Order 2014 as someone to whom whistle-blowers can raise concerns relating to the rights, welfare and interests of children. Whistle-blowing arrangements offer a framework of protection against victimisation or dismissal for workers who blow the whistle on criminal behaviour or other wrongdoing. The Children’s Commissioner’s role […]
Children’s Commissioner raises concern about the possible introduction of incapacitant spray into Young Offenders Institutions
As Children’s Commissioner, it is my job to make sure that children’s views, voices and experiences are listened to and understood. I firmly believe that all children and young people deserve and have the right to live in a safe and loving environment. Ideally this would be in a family home but, where that is not […]
Commissioner responds to IOPC investigation into Child Q
As Children’s Commissioner, it is my responsibility to make sure children’s voices are heard and their rights protected. On that basis, I welcome the conclusion of the IOPC’s investigation. My thoughts continue to be with Child Q whose experience of being strip searched by the police at school was incredibly traumatic. As I have said […]
Statement
Commissioner responds to IOPC investigation into Child Q
As Children’s Commissioner, it is my responsibility to make sure children’s voices are heard and their rights protected. On that basis, I welcome the conclusion of the IOPC’s investigation. My thoughts continue to be with Child Q whose experience of being strip searched by the police at school was incredibly traumatic. As I have said […]
The Big Ambition
The Big Ambition – Have your say! The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has launched The Big Ambition, a national survey of children and young people across England. The Big Ambition aims to hear from children across England on what they think is important! In the lead up to the next General […]
The Children’s Commissioner launches ‘The Big Ambition’
Today I am launching ‘The Big Ambition’, a new campaign to hear directly from children, young people, and parents across the country. As we approach the next General Election, I want to give children an opportunity to tell me what they need to make their lives better. Often their voices are overlooked about decisions that […]
The Children’s Commissioner launches new campaign to hear from children ahead of the General Election
The Children’s Commissioner launches ‘The Big Ambition’ to hear directly from children and young people about what they want from Government.   Ahead of the next General Election, the Children’s Commissioner for England is launching a new campaign to ensure that children and young people are at the heart of the political debate.  Dame Rachel de […]
Statement
Data protection impact assessment for The Big Ambition
Things to do
On this page there are lots of things to read and do. There are activities based on different aspects of life. School Back to school On the ‘Back into School’ page there are links to practical support and activities to help return to school. These pages bring together information and resources including activities from BBC Bitesize, an […]
Children’s Social Care Reform
Keeping children safe is the most important thing any society can do, and my responsibility towards children in care and those with a social worker is the one I hold most dear. The children’s social care system is one of the most important mechanisms the country has for keeping children safe, and there is urgent […]
A plan to ensure no child ever goes missing from educationÂ
In July, I submitted evidence to the Department for Education about how we can better support children missing from education. Since starting in this role, I have made it my mission to ensure that every child is in school, ready to learn, every single day. Every child has a right to an education and yet […]
Spotlight on: Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children missing from education
As Children’s Commissioner, I have witnessed the lack of support for migrant children arriving in England. I have visited hotels and accommodation for children arriving in England unaccompanied and have been very concerned about the kind of care they receive when they first arrive in England. They are sometimes placed in hotels where they don’t […]
Archived Content
Gaming the system
The overwhelming majority of children (93 percent) in the UK play video games. Yet despite its popularity, the culture of ‘gaming’- its rules and its rituals, the varying profiles of players, the risks they face – tends to be spoken of by adults, whether they be policymakers or parents, as if it were an alien […]
The state of child poverty and how we can tackle it
On the United Nations Day for Poverty Eradication we should never fail to be shocked that we are talking about child poverty when are one of the wealthiest countries on earth. Yet as all of us here know, the number of children living in poverty has been steadily increasing in recent years. There are around […]
EU children in Britain
If you are an EU citizen living in Britain, Brexit will affect your rights. This means you will need to apply for what the Government calls ‘settled status’ in Britain. What is settled status? Settled status is a special immigration category for EU nationals who have made Britain their home. Once you have settled status […]
Children’s Commissioner for England response to CQC report on the state of care
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, responding to the CQC annual report into the state of care
Almost one in five children left education at 18 last year without basic qualifications
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, has published research looking at the number of children who leave the education system at 18 without reaching Level 2 attainment (five GCSEs grade A* to C, or equivalent technical qualifications). These are children who will have spent 14 years in compulsory education, often having more than £100,000 of […]
Children’s manifesto calls on political parties to back six pledges to transform life chances for all kids
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, has published ‘Guess How Much We Love You: A Manifesto for Children’ ahead of any upcoming General Election.
A Manifesto for Children
The manifesto, published ahead of any upcoming General Election, calls on Britain’s political parties to include a six-point plan in their election manifestos to transform the life chances for disadvantaged children and to help all of England’s 12 million children to thrive. The manifesto sets out some of the key issues that children have told […]
Anne Longfield responds to Government Spending Review
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, responding to the Government’s Spending Review
Children’s experiences of online harm and what they want to do about it
In April this year the Government set out their plans for a world-first: a system of regulations that they argue will make the UK ‘the safest place in the world to be online’. The Online Harms White Paper, produced in collaboration between the Home Office and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), maps out […]
Bleak houses
Tackling the crisis of family homelessness in England