Briefing for Peers on the Illegal Migration Bill
As the Illegal Migration Bill enters the House of Lords, the Children’s Commissioner remains concerned about provisions in the Bill for children and young people. The Children’s Commissioner has a statutory duty, as set out in the Children Act 2004, to promote and protect the rights of children all children, with particular regard to children […]
Information sheet: Pornography and young people
This information sheet contains findings from the Children’s Commissioner’s survey of over 1,000 young people aged 16-21, conducted in November 2022. The findings are nationally representative of young people in England. At the end, you will find some resources and ways to access help and support.
Evidence on pornography’s influence on harmful sexual behaviour among children
This paper is the second in a series of reports exploring the impact of pornography on children. As Children’s Commissioner, it is my duty to protect children from harm in both the physical and online worlds. As the Online Safety Bill moves through Parliament, I want to use this opportunity to turn the tide on […]
New evidence on pornography’s influence on harmful sexual behaviour among childrenÂ
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 […]
Press release
Visit to The Lighthouse
Last week we visited The Lighthouse, a brilliant multiagency safe space supporting children and young people in their recovery from sexual abuse and exploitation. Not only does The Lighthouse highlight the importance of access to local services to support victims of child sexual abuse, but it also highlights the brilliant work that can be done […]
The Coronation of King Charles III – reflections from the Children’s Commissioner
Today’s Coronation offers a moment for families, neighbours, communities to come together and mark history. We look forward to a new era, after an incredible 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. For many of us, the transition from one monarch to another is a symbol of our changing world – particularly after Queen Elizabeth’s long […]
Celebrating the Coronation
The coronation of King Charles lll will take place on Saturday (6th May). It aims to be a huge national event, with a long weekend of celebration and events, with an extra Bank Holiday thrown in on Monday. The king will travel to Westminster Abbey in London, for a ceremony attended and witnessed by thousands. He will follow in the footsteps of 39 […]
Celebrating the RE Council’s 50th Anniversary
Draft speaking notes – speech to the RE Council Speech 3rd May 2023 Thank you so much. It’s a pleasure to be here with you today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the RE Council. I qualified as an RE teacher in 1991, after my degree in Theology and Philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London […]
Director of Finance and Resources
The Children’s Commissioner for England sits at the heart of Government, delivering for children, and championing their voices and needs. This includes a particular responsibility towards children who rely on the state for their safety or protection. The Children’s Commissioner is a unique statutory role with powers to help bring about long-term change and improvements […]
The impact of the Illegal Migration Bill on children
A week on from the Illegal Migration Bill entering Report Stage in Parliament, I remain deeply worried about the rapid pace at which it is progressing – and the lack of movement on crucial elements of children’s rights. I have a statutory duty, as set out in the Children Act 2004, to promote and protect […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on the Illegal Migration Bill
Statement by Dame Rachel de Souza on the progression of the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill to Report Stage, released Wednesday 26th April: “I welcome the work by MPs in laying amendments that seek to cement children’s rights within the Illegal Migration Bill, but remain deeply disappointed by the continued lack of clarity by the government […]
Supporting parents & the community
It was great to visit Babyzone Croydon and to see all the innovative work they are doing to support parents and the community. They are charity which support families providing activities and spaces for parents to bring their babies and todlers. Babyzone is based on the Onside Youth Zone model, which gives children and young […]
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