View some suggested actions for your service area by using the filter below.
Core aim 3: ‘every child should enjoy the best possible physical and mental, social and emotional health, including freedom from abuse, victimisation and exploitation’ and is aligned to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Articles 3,6,9,11,13,19-25,32-40 and supported by Entitlements 6 and 7. To read more about Entitlements click here.
Read full briefing
Read additional briefing
The UNCRC places great emphasis on the welfare of the child; from the ‘right to life’ to the principle of best interests. A commitment to safeguarding children from abuse, neglect and exploitation is firmly enshrined within the convention. It is the role of service providers to meet those needs and to ensure that where parents are unable to provide the necessary nurture and support, the best substitute provision is made.
The role of local government and partners
Local government was founded on the need to protect people from the detrimental effects of poverty and poor living; as such local services continue to play a fundamental part in tackling the determinants of poor health and poverty through delivery of targeted and universal services. Services such as housing, education, public protection and regeneration all have a crucial role to play in improving health at a local level and reducing the detrimental effects of poverty and local authorities have a range of statutory and policy mechanisms to support improved outcomes for children experiencing poverty
Local government is driving forward the development of a Public Health Strategic Framework, Developing Our Healthy Future. This sets out a vision of how we can improve public health by 2020, with specific chapters on children and young people and on the socio economic and cultural determinants of health which will provide an evidence based route map to mitigating the effects of poverty and deprivation on a child’s health.
The National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 also places a duty on Local Health Boards and Local Authorities to jointly formulate and implement a stratgy for the health, social care and well-being of its local population.
Policy and initiative links