A joined-up vision for children’s support will improve the lives of children with SEND
The impact of the last year and a half on children’s lives has been enormous – not only bringing into focus the many generational problems facing young people, but multiplying and accelerating some of them. As we come out of the pandemic, this should be the moment to tackle them with best practice, new ideas […]
Changing the law to put an end to child marriage
In England in 2016, the most recently available data, 141 girls aged 16 or 17 were legally married, some to men over twenty years older than them. This is lawful because of a loophole in the law dating back to 1929 that says while the minimum age to marry is 18, children aged 16 and […]
Speech by Dame Rachel de Souza at the Independent Children’s Homes Association’s conference, June 2021
The following speech was given by Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, at the Independent Children’s Homes Association‘s conference on residential child care which took place on 10 June 2021. *** This is my first speech about the children’s social care system since becoming Children’s Commissioner for England in March. And I want […]
Speech
Tackling children’s experiences of online sexual abuse
In my blog at the end of March I wrote about the urgent need for action to support children, especially girls, affected by sexual harassment and violence by their peers. This followed thousands of stories being shared on the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website – shocking in both their volume and their descriptions of the everyday abuse […]
A big thank you for a huge response to The Big Ask
After six amazing, frantic weeks, our survey of children in England, The Big Ask, has closed and what a stunning response we have had. I’m delighted to say that we have received over half a million individual survey responses from children and young people, the largest response by far to any survey of children in […]
The Big Ask – Thank you
The Big Ask ran for six weeks, and is now closed We’d like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who took part, shared their views, experiences and ideas with us, and those who really helped spread the word far and wide in schools and on social media. We have received over half a […]
The Big Ask goes to Bolton
A guest blog post by Bernie Brown, Director of Children’s Services for Bolton We were delighted to welcome the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza to Bolton last week to talk to children in local schools about The Big Ask. This is the largest ever survey of children in England, designed to find out what […]
Local authority response rates
Response rates of The Big Ask survey by local authority. Local authority Number of responses Response rate (as % of all 4-17 year olds) Barking and Dagenham 3341 6.93 Barnet 4288 5.9 Barnsley 1405 3.52 Bath and North East Somerset 1236 4.28 Bedford 1931 6.12 Bexley 2230 5.01 Birmingham 10041 4.52 Blackburn with Darwen 1667 […]
Primary school resources to support The Big Ask
The Big Ask’ is the largest ever consultation held with children. In this survey the Children’s Commissioner is asking children what they think is important for their future and what is holding young people back. The Children’s Commissioner will use the results to show the Government what children think and what they need to live […]
Everything you need to know about The Big Ask
Be in the know Everything you need to know about The Big Ask What is ‘The Big Ask’ survey? The Big Ask is a survey for children and young people aged 4–17 in England. It’s being run by the Children’s Commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza. Her job is to speak up for children in England, stand […]
The Big Ask – Adult Survey
The Big Ask – Thank you adults
Archived Content
Improving the living situation of children living in secure accommodation
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commisioner for England, has written to Vicky Ford MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, Lucy Frazer QC MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice and Nadine Dorries MP, Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health regarding concerns about children in living in secure accommodation, particularly those […]
Children in custody during lockdown
Since the start of the Covid pandemic, the Children’s Commissioner’s Office has investigated and highlighted concerns about the treatment of children in secure settings. Our briefing in May used data collected from the Youth Custody Service (YCS) alongside a series of interviews with children to shine a light on conditions for children in custody during […]
Help at Hand annual report 2020
Our 2020 annual report for Help at Hand, our advice line for children in care.
Response to the DfE’s announcement on unregulated accommodation for children in care
Anne Longfield, responding to the DfE’s announcement on unregulated accommodation for children in care, said: “The Government’s ban on unregulated provision for under-16s in care is very welcome, but needs to go further and include all under-18s. There are too many teenage children in care living in completely unsuitable and sometimes dangerous accommodation, including hostels […]
Five things you need to know about SEN in schools
How children’s needs are met (or go unmet) in schools, and the implications of these for the SEND Review and other reforms
Building back better
When I became Children’s Commissioner for England six years ago, I set out an ambitious vision for a nation where childhood is understood and celebrated and where the voice of all children is listened to at the heart of Government. I had in mind a particular group of children who, in my experience of working […]
Building back better – Anne Longfield’s final speech as Children’s Commissioner
 Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, has delivered her final speech in post with a challenge to the Prime Minister to show he is serious about children by putting them at the heart of his post-Covid plans. Her speech warned that the Prime Minister’s promise to ‘level up’ will be ‘just a slogan unless […]
Speech
Characteristics of children entering care for the first time as teenagers
Last year, research from my office showed that even before the pandemic, there were 120,000 highly vulnerable children in England who were falling through the gaps in education and social care. This group of children – equivalent to 1 in 25 13-17 year olds – all had significant additional needs and vulnerabilities but were not […]
Spend over £25,000: 2020 – 2021
We publish details of all spending over £25,000 on a quarterly basis. 1 April 2020 – 30 June 2020 Nil 1 July 2020 – 30 September 2020 Transaction date Merchant name Transaction amount Entity Details 14/08/2020 National Audit Office £33,600.00 OCC External Audit Services 1 October 2020 – 31 December 2020 Nil 1 January 2021 […]
Still not safe
The public health response to youth violence
