£1.4 million set aside for new Children’s Commissioner

Tuesday 11 July 2017

More than £1.4 million has been urgently drawn from government contingency funds to create four new States roles to safeguard the rights of children.

It brings the total to £3.2million of extra funding to look after children in States care, which has all been announced in just a week, following the publication of the damning Independent Child Care Inquiry report.

That report found that Jersey children had been subject to abuse within island care institutions for more than six decades and that, even in 2017, some, “…may still be at risk.”

The Chief Minister’s Department have since called for £1.4 million of funds to contribute to the urgent recruitment of a Children’s Commissioner – an independent role designed to represent and promote the rights of children island-wide – in line with the report’s key recommendations.

The new allocation will see £283,000 in 2017, and £590,000 in each of the years 2018 and 2019 poured into the Community and Constitutional Affairs department to assist with the appointment.

It will also help to fund a temporary increase of four full-time staff within the department until 31 December 2019.

Pictured: Chief Minister Ian Gorst said last week that he was "committed" to adopting the recommendations set out in the Care Inquiry report.

Chief Minister Ian Gorst said that he would begin moves to find the new Commissioner this week, starting with the development of a “detailed” job profile, which will be produced in consultation with stakeholders including care leavers and experts both in Jersey and the UK.

According to Senator Gorst, the role will involve:

• Reviewing Jersey laws, policy and our operational practices to ensure they uphold the rights of children

• Providing an independent complaints and investigation service

• Ensuring children can access, and participate in, all aspects of Jersey’s society

• Bringing matters of importance to the States’ attention

However, it emerged last week that States members already had the opportunity to create such a role in 2009, proposed by Paul Le Claire, but voted it down.

Pictured: The split of the 2009 States vote on whether a Children's Commissioner should be appointed.

A 2013 preliminary report regarding Jersey’s subscription to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child also showed that the Commissioner's role had been considered in 2013, but that it was, “…not perceived to be a proportionate or cost effective response in a small island community.”

Express has contacted the Chief Minister’s Department for comment.