The Group\u2019s Secretariat is led by long-standing members Helen Clark and Lisa Robillard Webb, through The Voice for Children Partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE VOICE FOR CHILDREN works with like-minded colleagues to achieve beneficial change to the health and wellbeing of children, young people and their families.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In just eleven years:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are no quick fixes but unless we want to write off the future, a start must be made \u2013 and quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2014, our Report \u2018Healthy Patterns for Healthy Families\u2019 called on the Government to appoint a Cabinet Minister for Children but we should start where we are by:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Policies affecting children and young people affect all of us and aren\u2019t the prerogative of the Departments for Education and Health and Social Care. Every year, the Secretary of State for each Department has to make a case to the Chancellor for the amount of money that they will need to pursue their policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This as an ideal time for Secretaries of State to itemise the resources that they will need for their policies to include measures to benefit children and young people<\/strong>. The amounts allocated should be published by the Chancellor at the same time as the Annual Budget Statement and held to a similar process of scrutiny in the ensuing Budget debate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n IT MUST BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED \u2013 BY ALL OF US! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Each devolved UK nation has a Children\u2019s Commissioner and the Children\u2019s Commissioner for England has statutory powers to talk with children, gather data and obtain evidence in order to effect change and long-term improvements to their lives. Yet there is no requirement for the Commissioner\u2019s Reports to be debated at Westminster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Voice for Children wants an allocated day within the Parliamentary Calendar for debate on the Commissioner\u2019s Annual Report, introduced by the Government. In this way, the issues raised and the response to them would become a matter of public record.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We will not stop until significant change is delivered because we believe that Government both nationally and locally must ensure that for EVERY newborn baby, tomorrow will be better than today<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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