News

The children’s commissioner for England is to be given greater independence under a government amendment to the Children Bill to be debated in the House of Lords this week, writes Clare Jerrom.

Concerns had been raised that the commissioner, who will also represent children elsewhere in the UK in relation to non-devolved issues, would have less powers and independence than the children’s commissioners in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The amendment, tabled by Sure Start minister Baroness Ashton, states that where the commissioner is concerned that a child’s case raises issues of public policy of relevance to other children, he may initiate an inquiry.

However, he or she must still consult the secretary of state beforehand and ensure the inquiry would not duplicate work carried out elsewhere.

Children’s minister Margaret Hodge told the education and skills committee last week that the amendment was proof the government was listening to concerns raised during House of Lords debates about whether the commissioner post was sufficiently independent. However, she stressed that the commissioner would still be prohibited from getting involved in individual complaints as there was already a structured set of ombudsmen, tribunals and courts to deal with that.

Andrew Cozens, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, welcomed the move but said there were still further discussions to be had around the commissioner’s role.

Government amendments to bring youth offending teams into the heart of the proposed children’s services reforms were also tabled for debate.

These include adding Yots to the list of “relevant partners” with which children’s services authorities must co-operate to improve the well-being of children, and naming them as members of the proposed Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards.

Although Hodge had not hidden the government’s desire for Yots to be involved with children’s trusts, the original draft of the bill did not include them as relevant partners and the document published alongside the bill had suggested that their inclusion in children’s trusts would be down to local discretion.

The Department for Education and Skills is also believed to have accepted the argument for a single children’s services plan covering all services in an area, rather than a plan covering just education services.