Media centre

A child was strip searched more than once a day by police in England and Wales between January 2018 and June 2023, with the youngest child being just eight, data from the Children’s Commissioner has revealed. More than 3,000 strip searches were conducted on children over a five-and-a-half-year period, equivalent to one search every 14 […]

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 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 […]

New analysis shows that children starting treatment for eating disorders has more than doubled, with waiting times of over 12 weeks for urgent cases.   1st August 2023: The number of children and young people starting treatment for eating disorders has more than doubled since 2016-17, new analysis shows, as young people face increasingly long waiting […]

Children’s Commissioner for England turns the spotlight on the most vulnerable children missing from education, part of her work to urgently improve school attendance 25th May 2023: Vulnerable children in care are missing from school and at risk of becoming ‘invisible’ to the services there to support them, without any of the vital opportunities education […]

The Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza responds to measures announced by the Home Secretary to take forward recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. “Today the Government has published its response to the recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.  I welcome today’s commitment to a redress […]

Getting children back into school and attending consistently is an absolute priority for me. I want this for 100% of children, which means everyone has to play a role in making it happen and digging deep into the reasons why it is currently not happening. Those reasons are complex – children might have special educational […]

New report by Children’s Commissioner for England identifies links between children’s experiences of pornography and subsequent harmful sexual behaviour or abuse  9th May 2023: Testimonies from young people exploring the links between watching violent pornography and experiencing harmful sexual behaviours are highlighted in a new report published today by the Children’s Commissioner for England.   The […]

As Children’s Commissioner for England, it is my mission to make sure every child is protected from harm and has their rights upheld. I am therefore deeply concerned about the Illegal Migration Bill, as it is opaque on what it means for children and their rights.   Any child arriving in the UK must first and […]

Good morning everyone – thank you for inviting me today. I am delighted to be speaking to you all for the second year in a row. Virtual School Heads are immensely important, and I want to thank all of you for your commitment to making sure children receive the best possible education. As Children’s Commissioner […]

The Department for Education (DfE) has today published the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan (hereafter the Plan). The Plan sets out how DfE intends to deliver ‘a single national system that delivers consistently for every child and young person with SEND and in alternative provision’. The review of the SEND system […]

Today (27th February), it has been announced that the legal age of marriage in England and Wales has risen to eighteen. This is to protect vulnerable children from the damaging impact of forced marriage. The Children’s Commissioner has previously called for a change in the law to end child marriage and therefore welcomes today’s announcement. […]