CiW Response to ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice’ – Extended Child Practice Review - Gwynedd

All children have the right to be protected from violence and harm including sexual abuse. Article 19 of the UNCRC makes it clear that children and young people have the right to protection from abuse. This includes being able to report abusive acts in a safe and confidential way.

At Children in Wales we are committed to the full realisation of all children’s rights in Wales. This means that we want to see children and young people’s voices being actively considered in all parts of how they are safeguarded from violence and sexual abuse, in all the places and spaces they occupy. From schools, to home environments, in play settings and across youth provisions, babies, children and young people should be protected from abuse and harm as an absolute priority and we must prioritise listening to those who feel they are at risk of harm.

The Child Practice Review’s principal recommendations relate to listening to children. The review makes clear that children were not listened to soon enough in the Foden case, nor were they given the opportunity to be heard in safeguarding processes. Children in Wales fully supports the recommendations of the review to strengthen procedures to enable children’s voices to be heard in all organisations that work with them.

Children in Wales recognises that learning from this review must lead to meaningful change across safeguarding systems. Organisations have a responsibility to reflect, learn and strengthen how they listen to and protect children and young people. Drawing on our expertise in children’s rights, safeguarding and participation, Children in Wales supports organisations across Wales through safeguarding training and our Building Voices work, helping to embed child centred, rights based approaches that ensure children are heard, believed and involved in decisions that affect their safety, so that failures such as those identified in this Review are not repeated.