CCYHC Symposium What Role is there for a Canadian Children’s Commissioner? Perspectives and Insights from Jurisdiction to Opportunity

1. What Role is there for a Canadian
Children’s Commissioner? Perspectives
and Insights from Jurisdiction to
Opportunity
Anne Longfield
Childrens Commissioner for England.

4. Anne Longfield OBE is the Children’s
Commissioner for England. She has a statutory
duty to promote and protect the rights of all
children in England in accordance with the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
She speaks for wider
groups of children on
non-devolved issues such
as immigration (for the
whole of the UK) and youth
justice (for England and
Wales.
The Children and Families
Act 2014 gives her special
responsibility for children in
or leaving care, living away
from home or receiving
social care services
She is supported in her
work by a small team of
experts at the Office of the
Children’s Commissioner.

5. Relationship with Government and
Parliament
• I report directly to Parliament
• I have a 6 year term of office
• Budget envelope is set by Government
• Office of approximately 25 staff to assist with this
• I set my own strategic priorities

6. Independence
• The Children’s Commissioner legal status is permissive
• Independent from Government
• Paris principles
“Consultative, inclusive and transparent, initiated and
supported at the highest levels of Government, the legislature
and civil society”
• Balance of trust and independence

7. Childrens Engagement
• All of the work I do is informed by children
• Including decisions at an individual level
• I work at both levels to ensure that children’s voices are heard,
and that their voices make a difference
• Children and young people inform my business plan
• Participate in my projects
• Shape my thinking on policy issues through direct consultation

8. Powers
The ‘Super Powers’
• Powers to gather information and data
• Powers of entry

9. Help at Hand
• The Children’s Commissioner must have ‘particular regard’ for
children who are in care or who live away from home
• Help at Hand
• Correspondence from approximately 1,000 children of their
representative per year
• Lead to wider investigations
• Advisors will listen and ask questions
• Representation

10. Ambitious For
Children – 5 year
Plan

11. Ambitious for Children
• Growing up, childhood and children’s rights
• Being ambitious for children in care
• Preventing and protecting children from harm
• Sustained action to reduce inequalities
• Action to ensure that children’s best interests are
considered in all policy making

12. Focus children in need/in care/all
children

13. Lightening reviews

14. The unique role of the Childrens
Commissioner