CYP Now - Children’s commissioner for England criticises officials ‘lack of understanding’ of vulnerable children

Outgoing children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield has used her final speech in the role to launch a scathing attack on government officials’ lack of understanding of children.

Outgoing children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield has made her final speech. Picture: Alex Deverill

She is urging the government to deliver on its promise to “build back better” for children as the country recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.

But current policy and support is being hindered by failures by officials, who see the challenges children face as statistics or “remote concepts”, she warns.

“I have been shocked to discover how many officials have never met any of the children they are responsible for,” said Longfield.

“So many seem to view them as remote concepts or data points on an annual return. This is how children fall through the gaps – because too often the people in charge of the systems they need simply don’t see them and try to understand their world.”

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