General article http://www.education.gov.uk/a0074780/office-of-the-childrens-commissioner 2013-02-05T10:14:14 Office of the Children’s Commissioner Office of the Children’s Commissioner An overview of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and details of its responsibilities. <![CDATA[ The role of Children’s Commissioner was created by the Children Act (2004) to promote awareness of the views and interests of children in England. The Office has the status of a non-departmental public body (NDPB). The Department for Education is the sponsor. Respective responsibilities are set out in a framework agreement which supports the work of both organisations and ensures the Children’s Commissioner’s independence, propriety and value for money. The post is currently held by Dr Maggie Atkinson, who took office on 1 March 2010.  She is supported by an office of staff and Grant-in-Aid from the Department for Education. The Children’s Commissioner is a corporation sole and is not an agent of the crown. The Children Act (2004) specifies the Commissioner’s general functions: <ul> <li> to encourage people who are planning or providing services or activities that affect children, to take account of their views and interests;</li> <li> to advise the Secretary of State on the views and interests of children;</li> <li> to consider or research the operation of complaints procedures in so far as they relate to children;</li> <li> to consider or research any matter relating to the interests of children; and</li> <li> to publish reports on any of the above.</li> </ul> In carrying out these functions, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner must have regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2010, as part of a government-wide review of arms-length bodies (ALBs), the Secretary of State (SofS) invited Dr John Dunford to undertake an independent review of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. John Dunford’s report concluded that the role of the Commissioner was necessary and important, and made 46 recommendations to improve impact, including ones which require a change to the legal framework.  On 6 December 2010, the Minister of State for Children and Families announced through a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament that the Government had accepted, in principle, John Dunford’s recommendations.  Subsequently, a DfE consultation on legislative proposals ran from July to September 2011. The draft legislation underwent Pre-legislative Scrutiny by the Joint Committee on Human Rights during July to November 2012.  ]]> false Local authority Social worker Voluntary sector worker Department for Education English Review of the Office of the Children's Commissioner (England)

An independent review of the office, role and functions of the Children’s Commissioner for England.

External link https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/CM%207981 Written Ministerial Statement on publication of the draft Office of the Children's Commission legislative clauses for Pre-legislative Scrutiny

External link http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120709/wmstext/120709m0001.htm#12070911000012 Joint Committee on Human Rights report following Pre-legislative Scrutiny

External link http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201213/jtselect/jtrights/83/8302.htm Office of the Children's Commissioner - written ministerial statement

Written ministerial statement on the publication of the independent review of the Children’s Commissioner.

PDF, 17 Kb //media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/w/office of the childrens commissioner written ministerial statement.pdf Office of the Children's Commisioner - DfE framework agreement

This framework agreement sets out the respective responsibilities of the Department for Education and the Children’s Commissioner.

PDF, 179 Kb //media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/o/office of the childrens commisioner dfe framework agreement.pdf Consultation on legislative proposals to reform the Office of the Children's Commissioner

Word, 136 Kb //media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/doc/c/dfe consultation on establishing a new office of the childrens commissioner for england_001.doc Report on consultation outcomes on legislative proposals to reform the Office of the Children's Commissioner

Word, 225 Kb //media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/doc/r/report on responses to consultation on establishing a new occ_001.doc Government response to the consultation on legislative proposals to reform the Office of the Children's Commissioner

Word 2007 / Office Open XML, 37 Kb //media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/docx/g/goverment response to consultation on establishing a new occ_002.docx

74766 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Information on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), including a breakdown of its articles and access to UK reports.

Multi-page article http://www.education.gov.uk/b0074766/uncrc