WIREDGOV

On Wednesday, King Charles outlined the new government’s law-making plans in a speech to Parliament.

Among the 39 bills announced was the Children Wellbeing Bill. The Bill aims to transform the life chances for the millions of children and young people in England by introducing new measures in the education and social care systems, including:

• A children not in school register;
• A legal requirement for schools to have breakfast clubs;
• A limit on the number of branded items schools can require as part of school uniform;
• Enhanced powers for Ofsted;
• Inspections of MATs;
• Plans to make all schools follow the national curriculum;

And a requirement for all teachers to have or be working towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

It was clear from The Big Ambition how passionate children and young people are about their education – but for too many, there are barriers to accessing education. Having spoken to thousands of children I know children aren’t absent from school because they don’t want to learn. On the contrary, they are desperate to learn but everyday thousands of children find themselves without the support they need to engage in education.

While these are important and positive steps set out for including in new legislation, we must ensure that all children, no matter their circumstances, have access to the best possible education. I am looking forward to scrutinising the details of the Bill to make sure it, and other bills, deliver real change for children in England.

While the new government’s plans signaled their ambition for change, there were a number of areas where more detail is needed.

We need an ambitious and bold vision for children in care, so I’m keen to see more detail on the plans to strengthen child protection and safeguarding.

Noticeably absent was any mention of children in custody – over the last few days we have had a stark reminder of how much is at stake for children living in Young Offender Institutions, with the shocking report on violent conditions at Feltham. No child should grow up in prison, so we need to completely rethink how we care for these children, and this must take place hand in hand with adult prison reform.

There must also be greater support for local authorities to deliver change. I am really pleased to see plans for a register of children not in school prioritised, along with the proposed use of a unique identifying number and better support in schools, including for mental health – but with this, local leaders need the resources to deliver this and end the postcode lottery that exists for too many children around the country.

Given the shocking data and thousands of children and young people struggling to access the support they need, it’s vital to have a commitment on reform the Mental Health Act – my research shows that thousands of children are waiting as long as two years for mental health treatment. That’s a significant portion of their childhood, and to them it will feel agonisingly long. The government has ordered a full and independent investigation into the state of the NHS, there was no mention of tackling waiting times for health care.

No matter the issue, it’s paramount that in all these conversations, the voices and experiences of children must be central to decision making. I will do everything I can to make that happen.