Anne Longfield said she would be pressing the government to look into reports claiming that children in assessment and treatment units (ATUs) have endured being locked in small padded cells, fed through hatches in doors, restrained, and forcibly injected with sedative medication.
ATUs are designed to be short-term secure placements for people with learning disabilities displaying challenging behaviour to receive treatment before moving back into the community.
However, an investigation by the Mail on Sunday has claimed children have been taken away from their parents against their wishes, and kept in the units for years while their conditions deteriorated as a result.
A spokesman for the Office of the Children's Commissioner confirmed Longfield would be writing to NHS England about the matter.
"Children in ATUs are some of the most vulnerable young people in the country and all too often we know little about their experiences," the spokesman said.
"This shocking investigation has raised a number of serious concerns about the way some children are being held in these units.
"We will be writing to NHS England asking why this is happening and what can be done to make sure that no child is condemned to spend years in an assessment unit."
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