AYJ joins coalition of children’s charities warning the UN that children’s rights have worsened in England
Today, the final report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, as part of its examination of the UK, has been published. 97 children’s charities from across England have warned that critical children’s rights issues must be urgently addressed by the UK Government to prevent worsening impacts on the most vulnerable children.
The AYJ is proud to have given written and oral evidence to inform the report, and sits on the Expert Reference Group. Led by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), the report sets out civil society’s assessment of how well the UK is respecting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and reveals that, due to Government failures, children’s rights have worsened in many areas since the UN’s last examination in 2016. Concerning issues highlighted in the report include:
The negative impact of austerity policies on cuts to children’s services have become clearer. Despite some positive developments to children’s social care legislation and the Government’s acceptance of many of the recommendations in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, funding for children’s and youth services have been heavily cut, while the number of children needing care or protection has risen. Although recent funding commitments are welcome, this is not nearly enough to reverse over a decade of underfunding.
Although there is greater recognition of children’s mental health issues, and how this impacts across all areas of their lives, alongside some welcome investment, the sharp increase in the number of children with mental health problems, exacerbated by the pandemic, means that children often struggle to access services due to high thresholds and long waiting times. 18% of children aged 7 to 16 years in 2022 had a mental health problem.
Violence against children in institutions, as well as police use of force, remains troublingly prevalent. Some of our most vulnerable children, including those in prison or in mental health inpatient units, and children with SEND, frequently experience restraint and other restrictive practices and use of isolation, including in school.
There has been severe regression in relation to protecting the rights of children in the asylum system, most recently through measures in the Nationality and Borders Act and children being housed in hotels, which has resulted in many going missing and being trafficked.
A summary of the completed report can be found here.
AYJ Interim CEO Saqib Deshmukh comments:
“A perfect storm laid bare in this report risks more vulnerable children ending up needlessly harmed by contact with police and the criminal justice system. Institutional racism and discrimination continue to shape children’s entrance to and experiences of the youth justice system. Despite dire conditions, children continue to be sent to custody not as a last resort, and new laws will see many locked up for longer. As inequalities widen, injustices persist, and the government sleepwalks into crisis, this report must act as a wake-up call for the protection and promotion of children’s rights."
The full press release from CRAE can be found here.