650,000 children, one Minister, and a Third Youth Parliament. What have these three things got in common?
Together, they set some of the context for next week’s Senedd debate on the Children’s Commissioner’s Annual Report. In the report, Rocio Cifuentes gives her verdict about what 2023-24 has meant for children’s rights in Wales. It also sets out her view on what more needs to be done and by whom.
Members of the Senedd will have their say on the wide range of children’s rights and policy issues raised in the report, when it is debated in Plenary next Tuesday, 15 October. This article sets out some recent context to the children’s rights debate.
Children and young people: the numbers
Senedd debates about children and young people often include reference to the data that is, and isn’t, published about their lives and their long term outcomes. Some of the key sources are available to use include:
- In 2023, the number of 0-18 year olds living in Wales was 656,430 (267,197 were aged 19-25).
- More than one child in every hundred is ‘looked after’ (see our statistical publication about care experienced children). Other statistics are published about children’s safeguarding and children receiving care and support.
- 981 referrals were received for children under 18 in the month of June 2024 by Local Primary Mental Health Support Services (compared to 4,727 over 18s). (This is a recent change in how numbers were reported.) 90% of children who were in receipt of secondary mental health services had a valid care and treatment plan (compared to 81% of adults.)
- The Pupil Level Annual School Census is a collection of pupil and school level data provided by all maintained sector primary, middle, secondary, nursery and special schools in January each year.
- 28% of children in Wales are living in relative poverty once housing costs have been taken into account. The child poverty rate reduced during the early years of devolution, before rising again during the 2008 financial crisis, and has fluctuated ever since. A child is considered to be in relative poverty if the income of the household they live in falls below 60% of the UK median (the median is the middle value in a list of numbers arranged from smallest to largest).
- The Welsh Government publishes statistics and research on a range of issues relating to children, including on youth justice, maternity and birth statistics, and the Wellbeing of Wales: national indicators.
The Commissioner’s report says that in 2023-24 she and her office engaged with “10,953 children and young people from all over Wales”. She says her office worked on a total of 658 individual cases, supporting them with 985 issues.
A new Ministerial portfolio for Children and Social Care
In the early days of devolution, Wales was seen by some as a leading light in terms of children’s rights. Children and young people’s issues were prominent in early Welsh Government cabinet structures, including having a minister whose portfolio and title centred wholly on children and young people. There was also a cabinet sub-committee specifically to decide on policies affecting children and young people.
Following seven years without a cabinet role that has ‘children’ in its title, the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee recommended late last year that “at the earliest available opportunity” the Welsh Government should appoint a “dedicated Minister for Babies, Children and Young People”.
The then Welsh Government rejected this recommendation, but following two changes of First Minister and a number of Cabinet reshuffles, Dawn Bowden MS was appointed as Minister for Children and Social Care. Her responsibilities remain very much in line with her previous ministerial portfolio which had the title of Minister for Social Care. So, while stakeholders representing children and young people are expected to welcome the inclusion of the word ‘children’ in the Ministerial title, they are likely to look at what difference, if any, it will make to Welsh Government policy and approach.
Children voices and a Third Youth Parliament
The principal aim of the Commissioner is to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of children. Central to this is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 12 is about adults respecting the views of children, summarised as follows by UNICEF:
Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life.
In her report the Commissioner says her role is to “to be here for all children” and that she has “purposefully set out to reach a diverse range of children and young people”. In the year covered by the report she says that she has visited children in every local authority in Wales.
Rocio Cifuentes goes on to say that in January 2024 her office launched a new initiative called launched called Monthly Matters. The Commissioner reports hearing from “around 1500 children and young people every month, on topics so far including school dinners, and priorities for the new First Minister.”
The Commissioner also says:
This year, I also published the findings of my national survey Ambitions for Wales, based on over 10,000 responses, which informed my new three-year strategy ‘Making Life Better for Children in Wales’, with the four strategic priorities identified being child poverty, mental health, equalities and education/ Additional Learning Needs.
Back in 2016, the UN published its report on children’s rights in Wales and expressed concern that “children’s views are not systematically heard in policy-making on issues that affect them”. It noted there was no youth parliament in Wales and recommended one should be established as a priority. Fast forward eight years and the pre-election period for the Senedd’s Third Youth Parliament is in full swing. Young people aged 11-17 can register to vote until 20 November with the election itself open between 4-25 November 2024. The First and Second Youth Parliaments prioritised the curriculum, the school day, mental health and the environment. It will be for the Third Youth Parliamentarians to decide their own priorities going forward.
Welsh Government itself funds a way it can consult with children and young people, called Young Wales. During Autumn 2024 it is inviting children and young people to Join the Young Wales Big Conversation.
The Commissioner’s verdict on 2023-24
In the report foreword the Commissioner sets the context by identifying financial pressures as a key issue:
Sadly, this year the cost of living crisis has continued to dominate and blight children’s lives. As such, I’ve challenged and spoken out strongly on this topic […].
The report gives her verdict and makes a wide range of recommendations for change across a range of policy areas. These include her four stated priorities of: equalities; education / additional learning needs; child poverty; and mental health. The report closes by looking ahead at Rocio Cifuentes' priorities for 2024-25 including:
- what it’s like to be a disabled child in Wales;
- where children live in Wales (Housing and homelessness);
- sustaining the roll-out of ‘Right Way’ resources and supporting many more public bodies to implement a children’s rights approach;
- school complaints systems;
- UK Covid-19 Inquiry work relating to children and young people;
- protecting and promoting the rights of children in alternative care; and
- scoping a model complaints procedure for children with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.
You can watch Senedd Members debate the Annual Report, the Commissioner’s verdict on the past and her plans for the future on Senedd TV on Tuesday 15 October.
Article by Sian Thomas, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
