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Author: Sam Nelson

SEND Children Again Facing Worst Impact Of Covid School Exclusions

8 September 2021
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

08 September 2021

The Children’s Law Centre has warned that children with special needs and disabilities are once again being forgotten in the pandemic response. The warning comes after reports of disabled children facing severe negative impacts as a result of exclusion from education settings due to direct contact tracing or testing positive for COVID-19.

Rachel Hogan, Special Education Needs and Disability Expert with the Children’s Law Centre said: “We have consistently raised concerns that vulnerable SEND children have been some of the hardest hit during COVID-19. We voiced our concerns early during the first lockdown and it was too long before action was taken. We are seeing it again and it must be addressed urgently.

“Children with challenging behaviour on the edge of care are being sent home from special school when being identified as being a direct contact. Those who test positive are at home with no access to education or respite for ten days. Vulnerable children are suffering, parents and carers are being injured and families are facing breakdown.

“We are seeing the impact it is having on our clients in our day to day work.”

Mrs Hogan continued: “We need to see an urgent and joined up response from both the departments of health and education to protect these children. We cannot see the same mistakes repeated from the past. There can be no delay or failure to act collectively.

“We have already witnessed the drastic impact on vulnerable children when decisions are made without fully considering the adverse impacts. We cannot be looking back in weeks or months wishing action was taken earlier. Disabled children are being hit hardest when they are excluded from educational settings. Decision makers must do all they can to ensure their needs continue to be met.”

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Children Should Not Be Excluded From the High Street Voucher Scheme

25 August 2021
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

25 August 2021

The Children’s Law Centre has raised concern at the exclusion of children from the high street voucher scheme. Writing to the Minister for the Economy, the Children’s Charity requested the rationale for the decision, including any equality screening or equality impact assessment carried out by the Department.

Speaking before the Committee for the Economy was due to discuss the scheme, Claire Kemp, said:

“The Children’s Law Centre are surprised at the exclusion of under 18s from the high street voucher scheme. Not only does this ignore the fact that children are major consumers on the high street, we are also concerned its introduction breaches the Department’s statutory equality duties. We have written to the Minister to request information on any equality screening and equality impact assessment carried out to assess the adverse impact the scheme could have on children.

“We cannot understand the rationale for the exclusion of under 18s, especially given the massive contribution many made in the response to COVID-19. Despite being some of the lowest paid members in our society, many young people worked throughout the pandemic as essential workers, playing their part in getting us all through it. To exclude them from participating in the recovery through the high street voucher scheme is incredibly unfair and potentially unlawful.

“The decision also ignores the reality of children’s lives. Some children live independently of adults and some are young carers. Why should they miss out on this opportunity simply because of their age?

“Children have suffered tremendously throughout the pandemic. Disruption at school, increased stress around exams and significant concerns around the impact COVID-19 has had on their mental health. Many children and families have also been further plunged in to poverty as a result of the pandemic. This was a chance to not only stimulate the economy but also help children living in poverty at the same time, but it will now be missed unless there is a major rethink.

“The Children’s Law Centre is clear, under 18s should not be excluded from the High Street Voucher Scheme.”

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Stop Recruiting Children, Rights Groups Tell MOD

23 June 2021
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

23 June 2021

The Children’s Law Centre joined numerous human rights organisations in calling for the Ministry of Defence to end the recruitment of children to the UK military.

In a joint letter to the Defence Secretary, the groups call on the UK government to use the Armed Forces Bill debate at Westminster to raise the minimum recruitment age to 18.

The call comes as it emerges that girls under 18 in the armed forces have made 16 complaints of sexual assault to the military police since 2015.

The joint letter states that recruiting children from age 16 is “unambiguously incompatible with their rights and welfare”, as it draws them out of education early, exposes them to the “intense stress of military training”, and requires them to commit to “sweeping obligations that could not lawfully be imposed on a civilian worker of any age”.

  • The UK is the only country in Europe to recruit children from age 16 into the armed forces; more soldiers are recruited at 16 than any other age.
  • The latest recruitment figures show that in the year 2020-21, one in every five new recruits was legally a child; one in four in the army (3,280 under-18s were enlisted into the armed forces; 2,410 of them joined the army).
  • Signatories of the joint letter include: the Chilren’s Law Centre, the Children’s Commissioners for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; Amnesty International UK; The Children’s Society; Human Rights Watch; Liberty; the National Education Union; and War Child.
  • New figures from the MoD show that, in the last six years, girls under the age of 18 in the armed forces have made 16 allegations of sexual assault to the military police, equivalent to 3 per year, or one for every 75 girls.
  • Most recruits under the age of 18 train at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate. Recruits at the College, and their parents, made 60 complaints of violent behaviour by staff between 2014 and 2020.

The letter argues that this simple step forward would set the same standard in the UK that it has asked of armed forces and groups around the world, and help to bring a global ban on the military use of children into view.

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Empowering Visually Impaired Children and Young People to Access Equal Education

20 May 2021
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

20 May 2021

EqualEyes, a new collaborative project by the charity Angel Eyes NI, in partnership with the Children’s Law Centre, will empower visually impaired children and young people to access equal education, advocate for their rights and influence decision makers.

The project, which will provide expert led workshops to 125 children and young people, as well as their parents and carers, is being funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Speaking after the new funding was announced, Sara McCracken, CEO of Angel Eyes, said:

“We are excited about this partnership project bringing together expertise on the impact of visual impairment in education and knowledge of the legislation that protects the rights of children.

“The EqualEyes project will provide expert led support, education and information to ensure children with a visual impairment get the help they need to access the curriculum and give a platform to those with lived experience, so they can influence decisions.”

Children’s Law Centre Director, Paddy Kelly, added:

“The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes the right for every child to freely express their views in all matters affecting them, including education. For this to be meaningful, children and young people must be aware of the rights and resources available to them.

“They must also have the tools and opportunities to influence people making the decisions at all levels, from classroom assistants to politicians.”

The dad of a visually impaired 11 year old boy, Jake, who has been receiving help and support through the charity Angel Eyes said:

“Charities like this have such a positive impact on children and parents struggling to cope. They make such a huge difference to families dealing with the daily challenges placed upon children with sight loss.

“Through the Angel Eyes events I have learnt so much. The information shared by parents and children who face similar challenges has been extremely valuable.

“The stories have been inspirational. Hearing those shared experiences and the issues many visually impaired children face in education, as well as the social interaction, has been very important. “There are so many areas I would have not considered until I spoke to other parents and children through Angel Eyes.”

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Two-Tier Immigration Plan Sends ‘Horse and Cart’ Through Children’s Rights

17 May 2021
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

17 May 2021

The Children’s Law Centre has raised alarm at the UK Government’s New Plan for Immigration and the impact it will have by curtailing children’s rights, placing vulnerable children in extreme danger. The alarm was raised after the Home Office consulted on the new plan and measures were announced in the Queen’s speech.

Find the CLC consultation response here

Immigration lawyers at the Children’s Law Centre say the plans water down child protection safeguards, place children at increased risk of exploitation and trample on devolved matters.

Speaking after hearing confirmation of new measures in the Queens’ Speech, an immigration solicitor from the Children’s Law Centre, Maria McCloskey said: “The proposed New Plan for Immigration creates a two-tier immigration system that will put vulnerable and traumatised children in harm’s way by sending a horse and cart through children’s rights and protections. It runs contrary to important obligations under international law, tramples on domestic laws and encroaches on devolved issues in Northern Ireland.

“The general tone and intent of the sweeping changes is deeply concerning. There is a well-established international framework for providing sanctuary and security to asylum seekers and the UK Government is proposing a seismic shift away from this. The continued assertion that routes are illegal, when it is well established that this is in fact contrary to the Refugee Convention is troubling. There is also a constant effort to attribute criminality to a group of people who are in fact the victims of criminality. There is no such thing as a good and bad refugee, just people fleeing for safety.

“At the Children’s Law Centre, we provide legal assistance to the majority of separated children and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who arrive in Northern Ireland. We are talking about very traumatised, scared and vulnerable children. Under these new rules they would be treated as a separate and secondary tier of asylum seeker, by refusing to grant them full refugee status and the ability to remain in the UK. We have no doubt the changes will put them at increased risk of exploitation, act as a barrier to protection and add significant trauma to an already challenging process.

Read analysis of the changes from CLC immigration solicitors here

“Instead of placing children in more danger, the Home Office should be looking at ways to improve rights protections for children. They should be working on ways to provide legal routes for family reunification, ensuring primary decision making is improved, and making decisions that are lawful in the first instance. If tackling people smuggling is the aim, then provide safe and legal routes for asylum seekers.

“Children should not be punished for their nationality or immigration status. They should be protected from harm.”

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