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A coalition of more than 120 charities and organisations working with children has called on Ministers to make children’s rights a statutory duty, warning that England is falling behind Wales, Scotland and other nations in embedding children’s rights into law and policymaking.
The coalition – which includes UNICEF UK, the Children’s Charities Coalition, the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, Just for Kids Law and Save the Children UK – is urging Ministers to support amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill put forward in Parliament today by Baroness Lister.
The amendments would:
Require Ministers to consider children’s rights when exercising functions relating to children’s wellbeing, social care or education
Introduce a statutory requirement for Ministers to publish child rights impact assessments on any proposed law, policy, budget or strategic decision affecting children
Campaigners argue these steps would be a significant milestone towards full incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into UK law, bringing England into line with other parts of the UK.
Key rights at stake include children’s access to healthcare, education, safety from violence and abuse, freedom of expression and privacy, and an adequate standard of living. Advocates say that while Wales and Scotland have made progress in embedding these protections, children in England currently have fewer legal safeguards.
Sam Whyte, associate head of policy at the NSPCC, said:
“To put children at the heart of our society means delivering the rights and protections they are entitled to. This must be an absolute priority for Government.
The changes put forward today are simple but powerful. They’d make sure Ministers think about the rights of children every time they make a decision that affects young lives.”
Louise King, co-lead at Just for Kids Law, including the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, added:
“In recent years, we’ve seen how children’s rights have been overlooked in key Government decisions, from Covid-19 policies to reforms to welfare and asylum, with damaging consequences for children and young people.
These proposals would help ensure that children’s rights, interests and voices are not overlooked in decision-making – especially those of the most disadvantaged.”
Joanna Rea, director of advocacy for UNICEF UK, said:
“Right now, a record 4.5 million children in the UK are growing up in poverty and the government makes choices every day that affect their lives. Yet, unlike decision-makers in Scotland and Wales, UK Ministers are still not legally bound to consider children’s rights.
This Bill is a crucial opportunity to change that. It’s time to stop treating children as an afterthought in policymaking and start putting their rights at the heart of government decisions and action.”
The coalition is clear that the proposed amendments should be a first step, with full incorporation of the UNCRC into UK law the longer-term goal. Campaigners say this would “fundamentally transform how children’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled across England” and deliver parity across the UK.
