Reform of the Office of Children's Commissioner

Reform of the Office of Children's Commissioner
Author: Department for Education
Publisher:
Total Pages: 60
Release: 2012-07-09
Genre:
ISBN: 9780101839020

This paper follows the independent review from John Dunford (Cm. 7981, 2010, ISBN 9780101798129) on the role and functions of the Children's Commissioner. It sets out a new role, focusing on promoting and protecting the rights of children, in line with the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The new role would incorporate the functions of the Children's Rights Director, currently part of Ofsted. The Commissioner would have new powers to take an active role in assessing the impact of new policies and legislation on children. This paper contains a draft Bill, explanatory notes to the Bill, and a section showing changes made to the Children Act 2004 by the proposed provisions.

Legislative scrutiny

Legislative scrutiny
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: Joint Committee on Human Rights
Publisher: Stationery Office
Total Pages: 88
Release: 2013-06-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780108551093

This legislative scrutiny report on the Children and Families Bill deals with issues to do with adoption and looked after children (Part 1 of the Bill), family justice (Part 2), Special Educational Needs (Part 3), the Children's Commissioner (Part 5) and statutory rights to shared parental leave and pay (Part 6). The Report also includes an analysis of two issues connected with the Energy Bill.

HL 114, HC 749 - The Next National Security Strategy

HL 114, HC 749 - The Next National Security Strategy
Author: The Stationery Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 67
Release: 2015
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 010855774X

The last five years have seen a range of international developments, ranging from the growth of radicalisation and fundamentalism, to growing concerns around our energy supply, and rising aggression from Russia. The NSS must be flexible enough to support contingency planning, and in this Report the Committee recommends that the Government produce a classified NSS or annex which can be used in Government departments to influence planning assumptions for a range of scenarios. In its report the Committee said that the next NSS should look hard at the UK's place within the international order, and what strategic thinking should underpin its actions over the next five years. It also needs to influence the Comprehensive Spending Review, to ensure that the Government can make fully-informed decisions on security-related spending. The next NSS should set clear objectives for the UK's future place in the world and geopolitical priorities, and inform the Strategic Defence and Security Review's assessment of the means required to achieve them.

Human rights of unaccompanied children and young people in the UK

Human rights of unaccompanied children and young people in the UK
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: Joint Committee on Human Rights
Publisher: Stationery Office
Total Pages: 80
Release: 2013-06-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780108550980

In 2012 around 1,200 unaccompanied migrant children sought asylum in the UK, and around 2,150 unaccompanied migrant children were being cared for by local authorities. The Committee heard evidence of the range of issues that unaccompanied migrant children face during their time in the country. Children who had often faced traumatic journeys, many of whom are fleeing violence or who have been subject to abuse and exploitation, faced intensive interviews on arrival for which there were too rarely interpreting facilities available. There was also evidence of children being placed in inappropriate accommodation facilities without suitably trained staff to provide support, which was a point of particular anxiety where children were victims of trafficking. Concerns were also expressed about the educational services provided, with delays in enrolment due to documentation and too little development as language skills improved. These concerns built upon those expressed in a recent inquiry by Members of both Houses regarding destitution and inadequate support. The Committee concludes that, despite the rights to protection and support owed to those children by the UK under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, immigration concerns are too often given priority. The report calls for a change in emphasis to put the best interests of such children at the heart of the often complex and stressful asylum and immigration processes affecting them.

Foster Care

Foster Care
Author: United States. General Accounting Office
Publisher:
Total Pages: 14
Release: 1989
Genre: Foster home care
ISBN:

Pre-legislative Scrutiny

Pre-legislative Scrutiny
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Education Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 78
Release: 2012-12-19
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780215051134

This report welcomes the overall direction of the Government's proposed legislation to reform provision for children with special educational needs (SEN), but warns that the NHS Constitution cannot be allowed to prevent the imposition of much stronger duties on commissioning boards to ensure that adequate, joined-up services are put in place. Draft legislation relies too heavily in its current form on the duty of joint commissioning between Health and local authorities to ensure co-operation throughout the system. It will be essential that the forthcoming regulations commit Health providers to specific timetables when conducting SEN assessments and that responsibilities for Health and local authorities in providing certain therapy services are substantially clarified. The Committee also calls for all current protections afforded by a Statement of SEN to be maintained and recommends that the Code of Practice should also remain a statutory document. The Committee notes how the 'pathfinder projects' set up to test the approaches described in the 2011 Green Paper on SEN have not had time to report back in order to advise on the development of the legislation. MPs welcome the Minister's decision to extend the Pathfinders for a further 18 months, but point to several aspects of the new legislation where learning from the Pathfinders will be particularly important, not least how to ensure the 'Local Offer' put in place is sufficient to ensure the needs of young people with SEN, as identified in an Education Health and Care Plan, can be met.

Review of the Office the Children's Commissioner (England)

Review of the Office the Children's Commissioner (England)
Author: John Dunford
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 120
Release: 2010-12-06
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780101798129

John Dunford was asked to undertake a review of the office, role and functions of the Children's Commissioner for England. The review also examined the relationship with other Government-funded organisations carrying out related functions, and value for money. Chapter 1 explore the unique role of the Commissioner. The UK has obligations to meet as a result of being a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the role of the Commissioner is crucial to compliance with the Convention. In chapter two, the report recommends strengthening the remit, powers and independence of the Commissioner. Areas addressed include: children and young people's rights; focus on vulnerable groups; credibility; casework; independence; additional powers. The relationship with other organisations is the topic of chapter 3. It is recommended that the Office merges with the Children's Rights Director, currently located in Ofsted, with safeguards built in to protect the interests of vulnerable children covered by the CRD's remit. The Office is not expensive to run but has not yet provided value for money (chapter 4) principally due to the flaws in the present model. The proposed new model would provide that value for money in future, particularly with robust performance measurement to assess its impact. A new Office of the Children's Commissioner for England should be established through the merger. The review believes it will meet the Cabinet Office tests of technical expertise, impartiality and independence.