Longfield asserts suitability for children's commissioner post

During a pre-appointment hearing with the education select committee on Tuesday, MPs quizzed the government’s preferred candidate on concerns raised by some in the children's sector about her suitability for the role.

In response, Longfield said that she would work both with the government and challenge it, depending on how issues affected children and young people.

“There will be areas where there will be agreement,” she said.

“There will be areas where there will be joint vision – some of that may be joint vision with the local government sector, the voluntary sector and it might be government.”

Longfield, who has worked for 4Children for more than 25 years, said she would be willing to use her media and sector contacts to ensure that children and young people’s rights are at the heart of her work.

“It’s about having a high public profile and to start really being able to set the agenda in a more direct way,” she said.

Asked what her priorities as children’s commissioner would be, Longfield said she wants to focus on creating a system that joins up services around vulnerable children and young people.

“I think a lack of joined-up working actually debilitates a lot of good work,” she said.

“If it [support] doesn’t join up around the child, you’re only trying to address a particular need.”

She also told MPs that she wants to continue outgoing commissioner Maggie Atkinson’s focus on child sexual exploitation (CSE).

“We have major inquiries under way at the moment around CSE and it’s the role of the children’s commissioner to play children’s and young people’s voices into that in a very robust way,” she said.

At the end of the session, chair of the committee Graham Stuart asked Longfield if she would stand down if the committee decided not to recommend her for the post, citing the controversy caused when former children’s secretary Ed Balls appointed Atkinson against the advice of the then children, school and family select committee.

Longfield said she did not know the details of the process but that it would be “really important” to have the committee’s backing.

The committee is now set to compile a report outlining its views on Longfield’s suitability for the post. The report is expected to be published later this month.

If approved, Longfield will take up post on 1 March 2015, when Atkinson’s five-year term ends.