Slide 1 - Childrens Rights in Wales

							An introduction to
 children’s rights
Group activity
agenda
•   What are human rights?
•   Why children’s rights?
•   The UNCRC
•   Children’s rights in Wales
•   Children’s rights for parents and carers
•   Reflection and evaluation
Core Principles of Human Rights

• Universal

• Inalienable

• Indivisible

• Accountable
FREDA principles

•   Fairness and freedom
•   Respect
•   Equality
•   Dignity
•   Autonomy
Why do children need separate rights?

 • Maturity
 • Voiceless and invisible
 • Possessions
Wants, Needs and Rights

• Want - a desire for something

• Need - the state of requiring help, or of
  lacking basic necessities such as food

• Right - a moral or legal entitlement to have or
  do something
The 4 Components of a Right

1. The Rights Holder (a human being )
2. The Object (the thing they have a right to)
3. The Obligated (people or institutions -
   “duty bearers”)
4. The Justification (greater human dignity,
   societal development, a peaceful society)
Body of Rights
The UNCRC

• 54 articles
• 41 substantive articles
• 3 domains
4 underpinning rights

Article 2 - No discrimination
Article 3 - Best interests of the child
Article 6 - Right to life
Article 12 - Right to be heard
National Children and Young
People’s Participation Standards
1. Information- which is easy for children and
    young people to understand
2. It’s Your Choice – enough information and
    time to make an informed choice
3. No Discrimination - every young person has
    the same chance to participate.
4. Respect- Your opinion will be taken seriously
5. You get something out of it- You will enjoy
    the experience
6. Feedback- You will find out what difference
    your opinion has made
7. Improving how we work- Adults will ask you
    how they can improve how they work for the
    future
Implementing the right to education
- an example
Government     Has an obligation to find & allocate resources,
               define policy, achieve progress against targets
Education      Have an obligation to train teachers, organise
institutions   resources, create a child friendly environment
Teachers       Have an obligation to teach well, to encourage
               parents, to support all children


Parents        Should support their children’s learning
Children and Should respect other children in order to support
young people their peers to exercise their rights
The reporting process

• Every 5 years
• Reports to the UN:
   – UK Government (inc section by WAG)
   – NGO report
   – Young peoples report
   – Children’s Commisioners’ report (4 nations)
• Concluding observations
• WAG action plan
• Monitoring group
Coffee break
  UN Concluding Observations 2008 most
  relevant to parents & carers
WAG/UK government must
• Make sure that the rights in the UNCRC are known and understood by adults and
  children
• Must ensure respect for children’s views in the family, school, communities and
  institutions
• Ban all physical punishment in the family
• Make it less acceptable to use smacking to bring up children by promoting positive
  and non-violent ways of disciplining children
• Offer more help to parents and guardians to help them raise their children
• Stop children being taken into care because their parents do not earn much
  money
• Take children’s views into account in everything to do with the family
• Make sure children with one or both parents in prison get the support they need
• Make sure that contact proceedings can be started to allow children separated
  from their parents and siblings to have contact with them
Children’s Rights legislation &
policy in Wales
 • 2004 Children Act – WAG adopted UNCRC as basis for all policy for
   children

 • Seven core aims – based on UNCRC

 • National Action Plan – Getting it Right 2009 - addressing 16 priorities
   for Wales

 • Children and Families (Wales) Measure - passed in 2010

 • Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure -
   Ministers will have to pay due regard to the UNCRC in all decisions they
   take
Articles most relevant to parents & carers 1


 • Article 5 – government should respect the rights &
   responsibilities of families to direct & guide their children
 • Article 7 – right to know and be cared for by your parents
 • Article 8 – governments should respect children’s family ties
 • Article 9 – right to stay in contact with both parents
 • Article 14 – right to practice your religion
 • Article 18 – both parents share responsibility for bringing up
   their children
Articles most relevant to parents & carers 2


 • Article 19 – protection from abuse
 • Article 20 – if you cannot be looked after by your family, you
   must be looked after properly
 • Article 26 – government should provide extra money for
   children of families in need
 • Article 27 – right to a good standard of living and to help
   from government to provide this
 • Article 30 – right to use the customs of your family
 • Article 42 – government should make the convention known
   to all parents and children
Examples of other rights


 • Article 3 – best interests of the child
 • Article 13 – right to get and share information
 • Article 15 – right to meet with other children and young
   people and join groups and organisations
 • Article 16 – right to privacy
 • Article 29 – education should develop your personality
 • Article 37 – protection from torture and deprivation of
   liberty
Think of a child …
Putting learning
  into practice
Any final questions?