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The children's commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke, has announced a far-reaching review of arrangements to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of young people in Wales.

During a speech to the all-Wales social services conference in Swansea, he outlined plans that include setting up an advocacy, whistleblowing and complaints procedure in every social services department.

He told conference delegates that social services played a key role in the lives of the most vulnerable children. But he said that there was an undoubted need for a national advocacy, whistleblowing and complaints procedure, and stressed the importance of giving children a role in shaping the services and structures.

"I hope that the review will be an invaluable policy-making tool, helping to shape the future of children's services in Wales and making the goals of those working within those departments achievable," he said.

Delegates heard that for the first step in the process, the commissioner's team would look at present arrangements in social services departments throughout Wales, and that children and young people will be involved in the design and evaluation of the mapping exercise.

An initial questionnaire will be sent out to all 22 of Wales' social services departments next month and further information would be gathered through a series of in-depth interviews. Clarke told the conference that he intends to publish his report in February next year and that it would be followed by a full evaluation of services in 2003-4. In the longer term the children's commissioner team will undertake similar reviews in health authorities and education departments in Wales.