Abuse at Whitefield School – Children’s Commissioner’s response
The investigation by the BBC into abuse at Whitefield School in Walthamstow is absolutely shocking. I am horrified by the content of the CCTV footage and the scale of what was uncovered. My heart goes out to any child who experienced that and the families who have never been given the full details of what […]
Projects and Engagement Officer
Salary: HEO £35,733 – £39,369 per annum Hours: Full-time Do you want to make a tangible difference to the lives of children across England? Can you use your skills to be a catalyst for creating meaningful change? Are you ready to join a committed team dedicated to giving children and young people a voice on […]
The Big Ambition for Jobs and Skills Â
As Children’s Commissioner, it is my privilege to speak to hundreds of thousands of children about their lives, their hopes and dreams for the future. I want children to be ambitious about their futures as well as about their present – and overwhelmingly, they are. What’s clear is this is an ambitious generation, who want […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on strengthened strip search proposals
The Children’s Commissioner for England responds to Home Office proposals to amend Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Codes to strengthen regulation around the use of strip and search powers on children. The Commissioner will be responding to the Government’s proposals in detail as part of the formal consultation. “Since the shocking and avoidable circumstances of […]
The Big Ambition for Online Safety Â
As Children’s Commissioner, I have spoken to thousands of children about the impact of the online world on their lives and wellbeing, and how much time they spend online. It was clear in The Big Ambition that children do not see a difference between their online world and offline world. Children want to engage with […]
The Big Ambition for Safety from Crime Â
As Children’s Commissioner, I have heard from hundreds of thousands of children, parents and carers about children’s life experiences, what they want to achieve and the challenges they face. A strong theme emerging from children was the desire to feel safe and confident in public spaces. Making sure that children and young people feel safe […]
The Big Ambition for Youth WorkÂ
Childhood is precious. Every child deserves the opportunity for play and leisure time, alongside a great education – the two things are key to developing the skills to succeed in adult life. As Children’s Commissioner, children tell me all the time about the importance of play and activities, especially access to safe outdoor spaces. […]
The Big Ambition for Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum Â
As Children’s Commissioner, I have a duty to promote and protect the rights of all children. But I have a particular duty, and feel a profound responsibility, towards those who are not living with their own families. This includes the children who have arrived here unaccompanied, fleeing war and persecution in their home countries. The […]
The Big Ambition for Children’s Social Care Â
Children in care and those receiving support from children’s social care share the same hopes and dreams as their peers: they want to be supported to reach their aspirations in the same way as any other children. Like all children, they want a loving, stable home, a brilliant education and grown-ups who love them into […]
Child victims’ access to advocacy
In a world designed by – and mainly for – adults, children’s voices are very often not heard. It is for this reason that the role of the Children’s Commissioner was established in 2004 – to ensure children’s needs and best interests are advocated for at a national level. The Children Act 2004 gives the […]
Thousands of child abuse victims forced to navigate criminal justice system without support
Thousands of child victims of domestic or sexual abuse are being forced to navigate complicated and often traumatic criminal justice processes alone, without being offered specialist support. New figures from the Children’s Commissioner for England show that the vast majority (92%)[1] of cases involving child victims of sexual violence or domestic abuse are receiving no […]
The Big Ambition for Education
As Children’s Commissioner, I have spoken to hundreds of thousands of children, parents, and carers, hearing about their experiences of school, and the barriers that sometimes prevent them from getting a good education. After a period where schools were closed for most children, children and young people repeatedly spoke about their desire to return to […]
Archived Content
New report suggests significant group of children are being denied advocacy despite having a statutory entitlement to it
This year marks the 30th anniversary of two significant breakthroughs in children’s rights legislation: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children Act 1989. Central to both these documents was the idea that children’s wishes and feelings must be taken into account when making decisions that affect them. Thirty years […]
Advocacy for children
This report follows previous studies commissioned by us and other recent research into advocacy. This work builds on research by the Children’s Commissioner in 2016, which also explored the provision of advocacy across England and found substantial variation across local authorities, with spend per child or young person ranging from £2 to £668 each year. […]
Too many vulnerable young children are missing out on the vital speech and language help they need to get ready for school
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, is today (Tuesday) publishing a new report “We need to talk: Access to speech and language therapy“, which shines a light on spending on speech and language therapy services (SLT) for children across the country to help identify where children who need support are falling through the gaps. […]
Speech
We need to talk: Access to speech and language therapy
This report shines a light on spending on speech and language therapy services (SLT) for children across the country to help identify where children who need support are falling through the gaps. Previous research has shown that children with poor vocabulary skills are twice as likely to be unemployed when they grow up, and over […]
Complaints procedure
We aim to provide the highest standards of work and service and to resolve any concerns about us immediately. However, if we cannot do so and you wish to make a formal complaint, this procedure explains how to do so and how we will investigate and respond to it.
Explore the data
Latest data on the overall levels of vulnerability and need among children and young people in England
The first step in redressing the balance of power between children and the tech giants
This year marks two important anniversaries: it is thirty years since the creation of the World Wide Web, and of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The digital world and children’s rights should not be in opposition – indeed, the internet can be an extraordinary force for good in children’s lives. But […]
Many vulnerable children with learning disabilities are stuck in mental health hospitals for too long in poor conditions
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, is today publishing a new report, ‘Far less than they deserve: Children with learning disabilities or autism living in mental health hospitals’. The report shows how too many children are being admitted to secure hospitals unnecessarily – in some cases are spending months and years of their childhood […]
Far less than they deserve
Children with learning disabilities or autism living in mental health hospitals This report shows how too many children are being admitted to secure hospitals unnecessarily – in some cases are spending months and years of their childhood in institutions when they should be in their community. It warns that the current system of support for […]
The World Wide Web at 30: Re-imagining a web built for children
Between 9 – 10 May, the Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, hosted a conference on children’s digital rights at BBC Salford for ENOC – the network of Children’s Commissioners and Ombudsmen from all over Europe. Pupils from two local schools, Chorlton High School and Manchester Communication Academy, joined the conference for a session in […]
