You can read our Annual Report here.
A visual version showing some of our key achievements is available here.
Recommendations
The report has 19 recommendations for Government on a variety of issues.
Here are some of them:
- The Welsh Government should ensure that through its new childcare offer pilot and any subsequent scheme that the children of non working parents do not miss out on the increased childcare being offered to children of working parents.
- The Welsh Government needs to amend the current home education guidance to give it statutory force and include a compulsory register for all home educated children to ensure they do not end up “off the radar” from even universal services. It is important the revision of the guidance includes clear powers for local authorities to ensure that they are seeing children and speaking to them directly about their own education.
- The Welsh Government should work with the National Adoption Service to ensure that siblings’ rights to contact are fully considered during adoption care planning.
- The Welsh Government and local authorities should ensure appropriate state support for the communication needs for Deaf and hearing impaired children and young people and their families, including accessible and affordable BSL learning opportunities at a range of levels and the employment of staff in schools who are fluent communicators of BSL, to meet individuals’ needs.
Highlights of our work this year
- Consulted with over 2000 children and nearly 300 professionals about their feelings and experiences of bullying in Wales.
- Launched ‘Hidden Ambitions’ report about society’s commitments to Wales’ care leavers. It led to a £1m investment from Welsh Government towards a care leavers’ bursary.
- Created a resource to promote and celebrate intergenerational relationships with the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, which was viewed 9000 within first few months on Facebook.
- Engaged with 10,550 children and young people from across Wales.
- Published ‘The Right Way: A Children’s Rights Approach in Wales’. Organisations including the Wales Ambulance Trust and National Museum of Wales have committed to taking a child’s rights approach to planning and service delivery.
- Assisted 528 cases via the Commissioner’s independent advice and support services, tackling issues ranging from special educational needs to the closure of a sports centre.
Youth Advisory panel
This year we’ve established new advisory panels: one young panel and one adult panel.
Here’s Eve, one of the panel’s Chairs, discussing her experience so far.
Malin, another Chair of the panel, shares his experience of being involved: