Children's
Commissioner champions the cause
of children and young people
On
1 July 2005, Professor Al Aynsley-Green takes up his role full-time
as Children's Commissioner for England, following his initial appointment
in March 2005 by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills,
the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP.
Al Aynsley-Green has now stepped down from his roles as National
Clinical Director for Children and Chair of the Children's Taskforce
at the Department of Health as well as Nuffield Professor of Child
Health at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and at the Institute
of Child Health, University College London. He will now focus entirely
on his role as Children's Commissioner to act as an independent
voice for children and young people, champion their interests and
bring their views and concerns to the national arena.
The Children's Commissioner was chosen and recruited with the involvement
of children and young people. His main function is to seek and promote
the views, interests, needs and rights of children and young people;
look into any matter relating to the interests and well-being of
children and young people; and initiate inquiries on behalf of children
and young people.
Professor
Al Aynsley-Green says:
"Now I am working full-time as Children's Commissioner I will
be dedicating my time to listening to the views of children and
young people and presenting them to those who take decisions which
affect them. Since my initial appointment I have been raising awareness
of my role among key stakeholders in health, education, social care,
and amongst voluntary and community groups and I look forward to
doing more of this in the coming months.
"I
am already speaking to many children and young people about issues
that concern them and have also been setting up my office. There
is still a lot to do but I want to work with partner organisations
committed to raising the status of children and young people in
society to ensure they get the best out of life."
Paul
Ennals, Chief Executive of the National Children's Bureau, says:
"The appointment of the Children's Commissioner gives our nation
a chance to place children and young people right back in the centre
of public thinking.
Children and young people need a champion, and Al Aynsley-Green
will fulfil that role. The National Children's Bureau - and, I know,
the rest of the children's sector - look forward to working with
him as he embarks on his role full-time."
- Ends -
For further information or to arrange an interview with the Children's
Commissioner, please contact:
Anna Martin, Press Officer
anna.martin@geronimocommunications.com, 0207 273 4912 or 0207 299
8776
To
contact the Children's Commissioner, please contact:
Claire Carroll, Private Secretary
support@childrenscommissioner.org
Editor's Notes
1. Professor Al Aynsley-Green was appointed Children's Commissioner
on 1 March 2005 and becomes full-time on 1 July 2005. He was previously
National Clinical Director for Children and Chair of the Children's
Taskforce at the Department of Health as well as Nuffield Professor
of Child Health at the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond
Street Hospital for Children.
2. The functions and remit of the Children's Commissioner are set
out in the Children Act 2004. The Bill received Royal Assent on
15 November 2004.
3. The role of the Children's Commissioner is to: seek views and
identify the needs of children and young people; look into any matter
relating to the interests and well-being of children and young people
and; initiate inquiries on behalf of children and young people.
He will act as an independent voice for children and young people,
to champion their interests and bring their concerns and views to
the national arena.
4. Children and young people were involved at every stage during
the recruitment of the Children's Commissioner, from developing
the person specification and designing advert material to short
listing and interviewing.
5. In carrying out his work, the Commissioner must take account
of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. He will also encourage
the participation of children and young people by using their ideas
to shape his priorities and promoting their involvement in decisions
which affect them.
6. The Children's Commissioner will work closely with the Children's
Commissioners in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, specifically
on non-devolved issues, to promote awareness of the views and interests
of children and young people across the UK.
editor@childrewebmag.com
PARENTS
ARE AT CRISIS POINT – THEY NEED HELP NOT CRITICISM
SAYS
BARNARDO’S AS IT LAUNCHES NEW AD CAMPAIGN
Barnardo’s
launched its latest advertising campaign on Tuesday 24th May with
the message that children and young people need help and support
to restart troubled lives, which are often blighted by the kind
of issues that even their parents can’t cope with.
The
arresting images of the “New Life” campaign symbolise
older children who have been abused, neglected, or brought up in
homes where domestic violence, alcohol or drug misuse blights their
lives being given a fresh start. The posters, newspaper and magazine
adverts are designed to demonstrate the new life that the expert
help offered by Barnardo’s projects can give them so that
they can regain their chance of better future
Negative
images of young people are everywhere: “Hoody” wearing
hooligans, troubled toddlers and endless discussion of ASBOs and
curfews. The new campaign aims to move the focus of attention from
the threat posed by the minority of young people who cause trouble,
to the reality of the serious threats faced by the tens of thousands
of young people with whom Barnardo’s works.
To
support the adverts, Barnardo’s commissioned a new NOP poll.
The research paints a picture of parents who desperately need help
not criticism, as they and their children battle with serious issues.
An outline of the NOP results follows: some of the most serious
issues worrying parents:
Alcohol
- The NOP research shows that mothers and parents aged 34-45 are
the most concerned that parent’s alcohol use can impair their
ability to care for their children (90% agreed)
Most of Barnardo’s 361 projects (64%) work with parents whose
alcohol misuse is a problem, and the charity is asking that the
children of all substance misusers are offered help designed for
them.
Domestic Violence – The NOP shows 83% of parents questioned
think that children should have specially designed services to help
them cope, rising to 100% of older parents (55-64)
Barnardo’s currently has waiting lists at many of its projects
and is asking for such services to be made widely available to children,
at present it is a “postcode lottery”.
Tracing sexual abusers – The NOP shows 90% of parents want
it to be an official police priority that abusive adults be traced
and prosecuted. Again the older parents are most concerned (100%
of 55-64s agree).
Barnardo’s runs 13 projects working with children who have
been abused through prostitution over the last three years Barnardo’s
has had contact with 4,000 children at risk of or affected by sexual
exploitation
Website
Relaunch for Children’s Charities
National
charity the Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) has launched
a new website to coincide with its Silver Jubilee year.
Visitors
to the lively, interactive site now have 24-hour access to accurate,
up to date information on childhood liver diseases including baby
jaundice, an area of concern for many new mothers. The site also
includes information on the Foundation's emotional support service,
fundraising opportunities, events, specialist liver units and
transplantation.
Formed
in 1980, CLDF is a unique national charity that fights liver disease
in children and young people, and is the only organisation in the
UK funding pioneering research, educating healthcare professionals
and providing emotional support to those affected by childhood liver
disease.
Catherine
Arkley, chief executive of CLDF, said: "Not many people realise
that two children every day will be diagnosed with a liver disease
in this country, or that there are over 100 different liver diseases
that can affect babies, children and young adults. The Yellow Alert
section of the site looks at jaundice, a subject that many new mothers
have questions about.
"We
have also made the site more interactive so that visitors can make
contact with the CLDF team and introduced on-line giving so people
cannow make donations at a time convenient to them. As the site
develops we hope that it will help create a real feeling of community
among supporters and families."
To view the new site visit www.childliverdisease.org
Organising
and running outdoor activities for children can be a daunting task
with potentially many risks and worries for teachers, youth workers
and volunteers.
Girlguiding
UK has the answer in the form of Icando - an innovative activity
centre and sleepover venue in the heart of central London. The interactive
visitor centre, that focuses on bringing the outdoors indoors, is
the perfect alternative venue for trips into the capital.
The
Icando centre provides lots of fun activities in a safe and enclosed
environment. Not only is the centre open for weekday and weekend
visits, it is also an excellent base for youth parties, offering
an ideal sleepover venue for up to 40 children.
Icando
is open to all and is perfect for girls and boys aged 7-14 years
old. Split into two levels, there is enough sleeping room for both
sexes. Basic refreshment facilities are available at all times.
There
are lots of different activities available for the kids to do, such
as building urban landscapes and bridge construction to putting
on a play or puppet show. There are also puzzles and quizzes to
work through, focusing on important outdoor issues such as ecology
and recycling awareness. Children will find that they can express
themselves
freely in this fun and exclusive safe environment.
Icando
can cater for parties of up to 40 for sleepovers, and to a maximum
of 150 at any one time during the day. Sleepovers can be for either
one or two nights from Monday to Saturday. The centre is open all
year round from 9.30am-5pm but is closed most Sundays and bank holidays.
It has full disabled access and baby changing facilities.
The
Icando staff can also help arrange for you to visit other tourist
attractions in central London as part of your trip into the capital
city.
For
further information about the accommodation, visits, activities
and
a price list for Icando, please contact the Icando team on 0207
592 1818
or email: icando@girlguiding.org.uk or visit the website on
www.icando.org.uk.
4CHILDREN
WELCOMES NEW FUNDS TO BUILD NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL VILLAGES OF THE FUTURE
BUT WARNS INVESTMENT WILL NEED TO CONTINUE IF EXTENDED SCHOOL TARGETS
ARE TO BE MET
Leading
childcare charity, 4Children, applauds the pre-election Budget announcing
a total investment of £9.4bn over the next five years to rebuild
8,900 primary schools – money that will be vital to help deliver
Government’s ambitious programme to open all schools from
8am-6pm.
Anne
Longfield, Chief Executive of 4Children said: “New money announced
today will help transform primary schools in this country to create
new primary school villages of the future for children and families.”
“Since
the re-launch of our charity last year, we have seen unprecedented
commitment to improving and re-shaping the support our society offers
to children, young people and their families. Schools have the potential
to provide additional, crucial opportunities for children and significant
support for families. Childcare services are central to this and
an area where funding is crucial if we are to establish government
targets of half of all primary schools and a third of secondary
becoming extended schools by 2008.”
Whilst
today’s announcement represents an important building block,
the charity believes specific and additional financial commitments
will need to be made for delivering the extended schools programme
over the coming years. The charity’s own figures suggest that
a total £910million will be needed just to establish an additional
13,000 primary schools which offer childcare services – an
estimated 7,000 schools currently offer these services.
One of the central challenges for school age childcare remains sustainability
with 67% of out of school clubs citing sustainability as a key concern.
According to 4Children’s own research, 22% of childcare for
school age children made a loss over the last 12 months, down only
slightly on the 25% in deficit two years ago. This figure rises
to 37% for clubs serving disadvantaged areas, but is significantly
lower then the corresponding 58% two years ago. There are also deficiencies
in the Childcare Tax Credit funding model, and only 7% of clubs
actively encourage parents to claim the childcare element of the
Working Tax Credit.
With
the election approaching, 4Children is launching the first stage
of Children First with a call to voters to demand answers from candidates
on their doorstep. How, When, What 4Children? suggests voters ask
key issues facing children and families, during the election –
how they will make their area better for children, how they will
ensure safety and when will they make it happen.
For
further information please contact:
Alex Campbell or Katherine Abbott at 4Children on 0207 7522 6917
or
020 7522 6928
