In his first King's Speech under a Labour government on 17 July, King Charles III mentioned welcome reforms including “a bill to raise standards in education and promote children’s wellbeing”.
The Children's Wellbeing Bill will give greater powers to local authorities around school admissions, provide free breakfasts for all children in primary schools, and strengthen multi-agency child protection and safeguarding arrangements for vulnerable children.
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Children’s charities on issues the next government must prioritise
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The hits and misses of a ‘patchy’ parliament for children’s services
A landmark Mental Health Bill and the reinstatement of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was also included in the speech.
Sector figures have welcomed these proposals with Laura Bunt, chief executive of YoungMinds, saying: “We were pleased to see a real commitment to children's wellbeing in schools that we hope will reform the education system and ensure all young people have the opportunity to thrive.
"It is also hugely welcome that the outdated Mental Health Act will at last be reformed, strengthening the rights of children and young people who are sectioned under the Act and seeking to address the racial disparities in how it is used.”
Brilliant news that Mental Health Act reform was mentioned in #KingsSpeech🎉
— Children & Young People's Mental Health Coalition (@CYPMentalHealth) July 17, 2024
Massive congratulations to everyone in the sector who worked so hard for this moment! 👏 https://t.co/choZn0btJ0
Councillor Tim Oliver, chairman of the County Councils Network (CCN), said: “The CCN is pleased to see that the Children’s Wellbeing Bill intends to strengthen multi-agency working across the children’s sector, including in particular the duty on schools to co-operate with councils so they are able more effectively plan school admissions, places and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inclusion.”
A Crime and Policing Bill was also announced, which includes the government’s proposal for a Young Futures programme to support children at risk of involvement in crime through a £95mn investment in local youth work hubs, and tougher sanctions for gangs who criminally exploit children.
Mark Russell, chief executive at The Children’s Society, said: “We are pleased to see a focus in the King's Speech on strengthening police powers to deal with adults who target children for criminal exploitation.
"The new Crime and Policing Bill needs to make sure that children who are criminally exploited are seen as victims and are not criminalised via other measures around anti-social behaviour, knife crime, and shoplifting.
“The inclusion of a statutory definition of Child Criminal Exploitation within the Bill can help protect the tens of thousands of children across the UK who are exploited into a life of criminality and violence.”
Yet votes at 16 and social care reform, which were mentioned in the Labour Party's manifesto, published ahead of the general election, were not mentioned in the King’s Speech.
I am disappointed not to see votes at 16 introduced - this could be an easy win for young people’s engagement, with limited funding requirements to deliver
— Kate Roberts (@katelrxberts) July 17, 2024
It wasn’t just Labour who called for this, I hope pressure from across the bench holds the Gov to account on timeframes
Kinship, the UK’s kinship care charity, said: “We would like to have seen today’s King’s Speech include plans to introduce new comprehensive legislation to reform children’s social care. We urge the new government to follow the three step plan outlined in our #ValueOurLove campaign manifesto to maintain the momentum, deliver urgent support, and build a new kinship care system."
Increased work to advance social mobility has also been called for, as well as allowing young people to have a voice in systems designed to support them.
👑 We're sorry not to see #CareExperienced young people mentioned in today's #KingsSpeech, but we’ve been encouraged to hear ministers say they'll be a priority & look forward to working with them to reform the care system.
— Become (@Become1992) July 17, 2024
What we think needs to change:https://t.co/UTjgUB4cbL
Additionally, there was no mention of the government’s manifesto commitment to increasing access to early years education by opening 3,300 new nurseries in schools.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said: “With the next phase of the early education and childcare expansion imminent, it’s critical that the government addresses the recruitment crisis that has been hampering the early years sector for years. We need more staff in order to supply enough places for all those who need them, especially for younger children on a ratio of one adult to three children.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson recently announced that she will prioritise social care reform and tackling child poverty.
Following the King's Speech, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that Phillipson, alongside Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, will lead a child poverty taskforce to over a new cross-government child poverty unit.
