While NCB welcomes many of the proposals in the King's Speech, we should be going further if children are to be a defining national mission for this new government.
Babies, children and young people growing up today face challenges of an unprecedented variety and scale. Children’s health outcomes are worsening, public services are on their knees, and far too many childhoods are lived below the poverty line. Today’s King’s Speech includes several positive legislative proposals, but we should be going further if children are to be a defining national mission for this new government.
On education
NCB welcomes the announcement of a bill that will recognise the importance of wellbeing as a key component of our education system. The Children’s Wellbeing Bill gives us a chance to legislate for a school system that makes wellbeing and good mental health a strategic priority for the first time. The pernicious effect of bullying on children’s wellbeing should be recognised as part of this new law. We also urge the government to take this opportunity to legislate for a register of children not in school, ensuring all children get a suitable education and home educators can be appropriately supported.
The King’s Speech set out the intention to recruit 6,500 teachers. We urge the Government to use this opportunity to increase teachers’ knowledge of SEND and inclusion. Similarly, the ambition to raise educational standards is positive but must not come into conflict with the rights of all children, including those with SEND, to high-quality education and to have their progress valued. We welcome the commitment to ensure schools and local authorities work together for a more equitable and inclusive education system.
On health
NCB welcomes measures to reform the Mental Health Act. Whether it’s disproportionate use of detentions or restraint, the exclusion of the patient from the decision-making process in the provision of care, or the inappropriate use of inpatient care for Autistic children and young people and those with a learning disability, the current system routinely fails children who need the most intensive support. For far too long this system has not been fit for purpose. Any new Act needs to reflect the specific needs of children and young people and should safeguard not only their ability to make decisions about their care but to ensure the right services and support are in place to provide that care.
We also welcome measures to regulate the marketing and sale of harmful products to children, including energy drinks and vapes, but regulating the market for harmful products like these is only part of the solution. The Healthy Child Programme is a comprehensive and evidence-based public health framework for children but has been chronically undervalued and underfunded. Local authorities need to be given the levers and resources to deliver it effectively.
Missed opportunities
NCB is disappointed that the Government did not take the opportunity to set down a clear marker by introducing a Child Poverty Bill that would enshrine binding targets for eradicating child poverty in law. While we welcome the development of a cross-government strategy on child poverty, we believe the power of legislation should be utilised to drive this mission forward.
We also warmly welcome the Labour Party’s manifesto commitment to extend voting rights to children aged 16-17 so their voices can be heard in the decisions that affect them. Given this was not included in today’s King’s Speech, we hope the government will make it clear when it plans to legislate for this crucial democratic milestone.
Children at the Table
NCB has also issued a statement the other leading children's charities that make up the Children's Charities Coalition.