Unregulated
Children in care living in semi-independent accommodation
Ban the use of unregulated accommodation for under 18s in care
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is calling for the Government to change the law to stop councils placing under 18s in care in unregulated accommodation. The change would see all children in care who need a residential placement housed in accommodation regulated under the same standards as children’s homes, and would put an end […]
Accessibility
This accessibility statement applies to the Children’s Commissioner for England’s website at www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk This website is run by the Children’s Commissioner’s office. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to: We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible […]
Protecting children’s digital privacy with the Age Appropriate Design Code
Today is the day that the Age Appropriate Design Code comes into force, marking an enormous step forward for children’s digital rights. The Code consists of 15 standards which online platforms will be required to meet in order to protect the data and privacy of under 18s. Platforms failing to do so will more than […]
Back to school after lockdown
The coming weeks will be an exciting time for millions of children in England. It’s almost six months since most children were in school, and many children will be glad to be with their friends again, though perhaps nervous about what it will be like to be back. For some time children have watched the […]
Supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities to return to school
As we approach the start of term, with teachers preparing their classrooms with new social distancing guidelines and families sorting out new shoes and uniforms, many children with special educational needs will be excited to be joining their friends back in the classroom. I visited a school this week that had really carefully thought about […]
Going back to school guide
A guide for children to tell them some of the changes they might see when they go back to school this September as well as providing tips on how to cope if they’re feeling worried or nervous and helpful resources to stay safe.
How lockdown has affected children’s lives at home
Since schools closed to all but a few students in March, millions of children have had to stay at home. While schools started to open in the weeks leading up to the summer holidays, many children did not return to school and will not until September. Given this unprecedented interruption to learning for many children, […]
No way out
Last year, our report Bleak Houses found that there were around 210,000 homeless children in England. This included 120,000 children being housed by their council in temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation comes in many forms, but unfortunately it is often very poor quality. My team spoke to families living in homes that were cramped, noisy and […]
Children’s Commissioner warns 420,000 children in England are at risk of eviction unless Government acts
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today warning that hundreds of thousands of children will return to school in two weeks with the threat of housing eviction hanging over their families, unless the Government changes its mind and extends its ban on evictions. Her intervention comes as the Children’s Commissioner’s Office publishes a new […]
Response from Universities UK to the UK’s four Children’s Commissioners regarding A Level results
Response from Universities UK to the UK’s four Children’s Commissioners regarding A Level results
Children without internet access during lockdown
An estimated 9% of families in the UK do not have a laptop, desktop or tablet at home. This digital divide is not new, but during the Covid-19 crisis its implications have been particularly stark. A good quality device (or more than one) and reliable internet connection have made all the difference for many children, […]
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. […]
