The Big Ambition and quality family time
“To make children’s lives better they should make sure every child has a place to call home and parents who love and care for them.” Over the three years the Children’s Commissioner has heard from a million children, parents and carers, exploring how they experience family life. In The Big Ask the vast majority – […]
Business Plan 2024-25: a critical year for children’s rights
I am now half-way through my term as Children’s Commissioner, and this coming year will be a critical juncture for children’s rights. There will be a general election, and a new government – whichever party or parties form it – will have a new mandate to set out an ambitious vision for what childhood can […]
Giving all children a voice: Children’s Commissioner’s three-year strategy
“During my tenure, I want my work to improve the chances of every single child, whatever their early standing in life, wherever they are, from the inner city to the most remote corner of every county in England.” That quote is from my first day as Children’s Commissioner on 1 March 2021. Three years on […]
Business Plan 2024-2025
The Children’s Commissioner is now halfway through her term. The coming year will be a critical one for children’s rights, with a General Election and a new government – whichever party or parties form it. They will have a new mandate to set an ambitious vision for what childhood can be, and for putting children’s […]
Delivering the Children’s Commissioner’s Strategy: 2021-2024
The purpose of this paper is to provide a self-assessment on the progress the Children’s Commissioner’s Office has made against its three-year strategic (2021 -2024) plan. This has been divided into two sections:
The Big Ambition – The Story of a Million Children
The Big Ambition survey is a new large-scale consultation from the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza. After the Children’s Commissioner’s The Big Ask in 2021, it is the second largest survey of its kind, with engagement from nearly 367,000 voices. In three years, this office has gathered close to a million responses […]
One million voices: The Big Ambition calls for children’s solutions to be at the heart of election manifestos
Just one in five children in England believe their views are important to the adults who run the country, while only 10% of teenagers believe they have the power to influence the issues they care about. Findings in a landmark survey of children’s voices, The Big Ambition, published today by the Children’s Commissioner for England, […]
The Big Ambition: Ambitions, Findings and Solutions
As Children’s Commissioner it is my job to promote and protect the rights of children, and to make sure their voices are heard. That’s why in September 2023, I launched The Big Ambition to hear directly from children, young people, and parents across the country. I wanted to hear about what they wanted for the […]
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: record numbers arriving once again in Kent
My unique responsibility as Children’s Commissioner, enshrined in law, is to protect children and give them a voice – and I have a particular duty of care towards those children who aren’t able to live with their birth families. That includes those arriving on these shores completely alone, having left their families to escape war, […]
Children’s Commissioner welcomes closure of Cookham Wood
In response to the decision by the Youth Custody Service (YCS) and the Ministry of Justice today to close down HMYOI Cookham Wood. Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza said: I welcome today’s decision by the Youth Custody Service (YCS) and the Ministry of Justice today to close down HMYOI Cookham Wood. I […]
Reaction to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, from young Ambassadors
Today the Prime Minister has renewed his commitment to creating a smoke free generation by banning the next generation from being able to buy cigarettes. Introduced today, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will prevent anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 – in effect anyone who is 14 or younger now – from legally […]
Over a quarter of a million children still waiting for mental health support
Shocking new statistics show that more than a quarter of a million (270,300) children and young people are still waiting for mental health support after being referred to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) in 2022-23, the Children’s Commissioner for England has revealed today. New figures sourced from NHS England using the Children’s […]
Archived Content
Thousands of children growing up in shipping containers, office blocks and B&Bs
The terrible reality of how some children are living in converted shipping containers and office blocks, and B&Bs, in cramped conditions
Insights into the lives of children and young people
This blog looks at 3 recent studies that provide interesting insights about the lives and views of children.
Leon Feinstein appointed Professor at the Rees Centre
Professor Leon Feinstein has been appointed to the post of Professor of Education and Children’s Social Care at the Rees Centre.
The Government should finally make ‘left behind’ children its priority
Boris Johnson has this week established three new cabinet committees on Brexit, and one on the whole of the domestic policy agenda. This is a clear indication of the dominance of this one issue for our new Prime Minister. During the leadership election I gave a speech to launch our 3rd Childhood Vulnerability Report where […]
Stability Index 2019
The Stability Index is an annual measure of the stability of the lives of children in care. It was first launched by the Children’s Commissioner in 2017 to shine a light on the issue of stability, provide data that allows stability to be monitored over time, and ultimately drive improvements in stability for children in […]
Explosion in number of older children going into care over last five years is hitting stability of the system
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, has published the Children’s Commissioner’s 2019 Stability Index, an annual measure of the stability of the lives of children in care in England. The Index was launched in 2017 and shines a light on the number of times children in care move home placement, school or social worker. […]
Children’s Voices: Children’s experiences of instability in the care system
‘Children’s Voices: Children’s experiences of instability in the care system’ is published alongside the Children’s Commissioner’s third annual Stability Index, which measures stability in the care system by looking at how often children in care move home, school or social worker over a year. In addition to this data analysis, the Children’s Commissioner’s Office also […]
Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield responds to Home Affairs Select Committee report on serious violence
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, responding to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Serious Violence, said: “This hard-hitting report exposes the dangers facing the many thousands of vulnerable children who are at risk of grooming by ruthless criminal gangs. Many of the mistakes that led to failings in child sexual exploitation are now […]
Annual report 2018-19
My work experience fortnight at the Children’s Commissioner’s Office
Before I begin I just like to introduce myself. I’m Jade. I wasn’t sure what skills or talents I could offer, because to my knowledge I don’t have any, but it turns out that being under the age of 18 was a huge advantage, unlike in literally every other setting, so my input was useful. […]
