BLOG PODS #28 - Children on the Margins #1 - A New Report Summarised & Improved
Introduction
My first full day back from the Christmas and New Year break began when this landed in my inbox - a new report from the Welsh Government called, ‘Children on the Margins.’
Now having had time to read it, I thought you guys might appreciate a summarised version as it raises some interesting and important things.
I’ve had to break this up in to two posts - one this week and one next week. This one will summarise the
In brief
The Children on the Margins report by the Welsh Parliament’s Children, Young People and Education Committee sheds light on the complex factors contributing to child marginalisation in Wales. It offers recommendations for systemic change and outlines - with some interpretation and considerable digging - actionable steps for practitioners working with vulnerable children.
What is the Focus of the Report?
The report investigates the structural and social factors that contribute to child marginalisation, with a particular focus on children who are at heightened risk due to poverty, abuse, trauma, neglect and systemic discrimination. It highlights how these factors intersect, creating complex challenges that require multi-agency collaboration and sustained intervention…
Blah blah blah… 🙄 Like all such documents it’s full of words and takes longer to get to the point than it should.
For me, though, the focus was very much on children who go ‘missing’ and are therefore vulnerable to exploitation of various kinds, most notably (in the report) criminal and sexual exploitation.
Key areas of focus include:
Children Who Go Missing: Examining why children go missing, the dangers they face while absent and the systemic weaknesses in responding effectively when they do.
Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE): Looking at how vulnerable children are exploited for criminal activities and how inconsistencies in legal definitions (not to mention a lack of funding) hinder more coherent and effective interventions.
Other Marginalised Groups: Recognising groups such as neurodivergent kids, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, care-experienced young people and children living in poverty as particularly vulnerable.
The report emphasises the missed opportunities—moments when early intervention could have changed the trajectory for these children but failed due to systemic gaps. It underscores the importance of adopting a trauma-informed approach, where professionals recognise the impact of adverse experiences on a child's behaviour and well-being.
Additionally, the report highlights the critical role of multi-agency collaboration, urging sectors such as healthcare, education and social services to improve information-sharing and communication.
I feel another blah blah blah coming on…
At its core, the report is a call to move beyond good intentions and address the systemic failures preventing effective support for marginalised kids - THIS I like. Though to me, it read like the Welsh Government telling off the…Welsh Government for not moving fast enough to sort this out.
What are the Primary Recommendations?
The report outlines 23 recommendations aimed at addressing systemic weaknesses and improving outcomes for vulnerable children. Below are the key themes:
1. Data Collection and Accuracy:
The Welsh Government must improve the accuracy and reliability of data on children who go missing.
Data should be comprehensive, including factors such as age, care status and the reasons for going missing.
2. Statutory Return Interviews:
Following every missing incident, children should be offered a statutory return interview.
These interviews should be conducted by a trusted adult chosen by the child, ensuring consistency and reliability.
3. Legal Definitions and Frameworks:
Advocate for a clear statutory definition of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) in UK law to ensure consistent responses.
Explore the feasibility of a national strategy for tackling CCE.
4. Training for Frontline Professionals:
Develop training resources and tools to improve awareness and intervention capabilities among professionals.
Ensure training extends beyond social services to include healthcare providers, educators, youth work (my addition) and Police.
5. Strengthening Multi-Agency Collaboration:
Improve communication and information-sharing between agencies.
Develop platforms for sharing safeguarding information across regional boundaries.
6. Preventative Services and Early Intervention:
Invest in early intervention programs through schools and community services - prevention being better than cure.
Equip schools to identify early signs of exploitation or marginalisation and develop clear reporting pathways for responding.
7. Focus on Trauma-Informed Care:
Embed trauma-informed practices across all child-focused services.
Ensure staff understand the long-term impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
8. Holistic Safeguarding Strategies:
Establish risk assessment tools to identify children vulnerable to exploitation.
Ensure consistency in responses across all safeguarding agencies.
These recommendations collectively advocate for a systemic shift—moving beyond fragmented responses to create a cohesive, child-centred safeguarding system.
As you’d expect from a government report, it emphasises the big picture, strategic stuff. While this is understandable and, arguably, it’s remit, it was also the report’s biggest failing for me.
Good data, consistent practice, statutory guidance, trauma-informed approaches and inter-agency collaboration are all great, but we’ve heard it all before. Nearly every child practice review or serious case review since time immemorial has highlighted these things exactly! What it lacked was clear examples of effective practice that could form the basis of future policy formation.
That said, there were some thoughts and ideas strewn throughout that piqued my interest, so I’ve let my mind wander on these, expanded them a little and tried to summarise what those of us in the ‘real’ real world might do to help kids in the interim…
You can read these in next week’s post.
Final Thoughts
The Children on the Margins report serves as a wake-up call for addressing child marginalisation in Wales. While the systemic challenges are significant, the report highlights some practical and achievable steps that, if implemented, could help transform the lives of vulnerable children.
For practitioners, the message is clear, too: focus on relationship, build trust, listen deeply, act consistently and prioritise your own well-being. More detail on this next week.
For now, though, I really hope the Welsh Government can get over the inertia, stop talking to itself and start implementing policies and resources to set a framework for practitioners to facilitate the change we know we can make.
Together, we can create a society where no child feels forgotten, ignored or left behind.
See you in the next one!
More information:
WEB PAGE: Children on the Margins - report download & information page (link)
WEB DOWNLOAD: A No Wrong Door Approach to Neurodiversity - Children’s Commissioner for Wales (link)
BOOK: Working With Troubled Children & Teenagers - my book on the values of good practice (link)
WEB DOWNLOAD: Youth Justice Blueprint for Wales (link)
WEB DOWNLOAD: Waiting Times for Assessment & Support for Autism, ADHD & Other Neurodevelopmental Conditions - England Children’s Commissioner(link)
Subscribe & Follow?
You can join Jonny’s mailing list here. Your information is safe and you can unsubscribe anytime very easily.
If you want these posts sent straight to your inbox, click the blue subscribe button below.
You can also “Like” this site on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter. (NB: my Pinterest account was hacked and is now permanently offline).
