Senedd to debate Children’s Commissioner’s third annual report

Published 17/10/2025

Issues affecting the lives of children and young people are never far from the Senedd’s agenda. These include a wide range of policy areas such as childcare, additional learning needs, child poverty and children’s mental health. This month also sees the UK Covid-19 Inquiry take evidence about the profound impact of the pandemic on children and young people.

In her third Annual Report as Children’s Commissioner, Rocio Cifuentes sets out her verdict about what 2024-25 brought for children in Wales. She also makes recommendations for what more she thinks needs to be done.

Members of the Senedd will have their say on the wide range of issues raised in the report, when it is debated in Plenary on Tuesday 21 October.

What powers does the Commissioner have?

The principal aim of the role is to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of children. There are a wide range of rights set out in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) including protection, health, family, education, culture and leisure. The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011 places a duty on Welsh Ministers to have ‘due regard’ to the UNCRC in everything they do.

The Commissioner has a set of legal powers that enable her to:

Review the effect on children of the exercise of functions, or proposed exercise of functions, of defined public bodies in Wales including the Welsh Government;
Review and monitor how effective the arrangements are for complaints, whistleblowing and advocacy of defined public bodies in safeguarding and promoting the rights and welfare of children;
Examine cases in respect of individual children in certain circumstances;
Provide assistance to a child in certain circumstances; and
Make representations to the Welsh Government about any matters affecting the rights and welfare of children which concern her and for which she does not have the power to act.

However, there are some limitations that mean the Commissioner does not have the power to act:

On matters that have not been devolved to the Senedd, including immigration and asylum, welfare benefits, justice and policing, and children in the military;
Where the Children and Court Advisory Service Cymru (CAFCASS Cymru) is able to act and where Welsh Ministers have functions in respect of family proceedings; and
By enquiring about or reporting on any matter that is, or has been, the subject of legal proceedings.

629 cases of advice and assistance to children and young people

In Wales, unlike Scotland and England, the Commissioner’s role includes giving direct advice and support on individual cases. This is via the Children's Rights Advice and Assistance Team, which offers a free helpline.

As in previous years this Annual Report provides an update on the work of the Investigations and Advice Officers. It says that the total number of cases handled in 2024-25 was 659, a slight increase from the 623 cases managed in the previous year.

40% of these cases were about Education and Additional Learning Needs: These included issues relating to school complaints, access to appropriate support, bullying, placement decisions, and challenges around exclusions and transport. They also included concerns about assessments, placement disputes, provision concerns, and lack of access to appropriate support.
24% of cases were about Social Services, including complaints about service quality, provision and funding of support, and concerns about placement stability.

The Commissioner says that ‘the insights gathered through our casework help inform our influencing work’. Going on to say:

This enables the office to take forward emerging issues with Welsh Government and other public bodies, ensuring that individual cases contribute to wider systemic change.

26 recommendations for change

The report makes 26 recommendations for change across a wide range of policy areas.

Unsurprisingly based on the casework the Commissioner dealt with, these include calls for change about school complaints and Additional Learning Needs. Other policy areas where the Commissioner says change is needed include child poverty, housing, transport, disability, mental and physical health, neurodiversity, community cohesion and safeguarding. You can read more about the specifics in the report.

Other sources of information about the Commissioner’s current work include: