Children's Services in England Face 'State of Emergency', Report Finds

Source reports published 19 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 2:37 pm AEST

A report by the Children's Commissioner for England identifies significant inequalities in children's services across England, highlighting a 'postcode lottery' and systemic failures in areas like mental health support, GCSE attainment, and safety. The commissioner calls for urgent action and a minimum standard for services.

What happened

• The Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has identified a ‘state of emergency’ in children’s services across England, based on analysis of over 160 metrics.
• The report, titled ‘The Childhood Lottery’, reveals stark differences in outcomes between areas, with Middlesbrough, Hounslow, Bradford, Nottingham, Halton, Peterborough, Leicester, Liverpool, Sunderland and Medway consistently ranking as the hardest places for children to thrive.
• Conversely, areas like Cheshire East, Merton, Surrey, Richmond upon Thames, Hertfordshire, Cheshire West and Chester, Haringey, Leicestershire, Central Bedfordshire and Wokingham are identified as the least challenging.
• The analysis reveals significant issues including long waits for mental health assessments (six days in Leicester, 118 days in Hampshire), low access to dental care (6.7% in Bedford versus 24.9% in Croydon), and disparities in safety perceptions.
• The commissioner expressed dismay at the situation, citing instances where children were aware of crime statistics and where schools were dealing with serious incidents.
• She advocates for a minimum standard for children’s services, a national emergency fund, and the appointment of deputy mayors for children to oversee a ‘children’s test’ of local policies.
• The Prime Minister has pledged further investment in young people’s success, while acknowledging the government’s previous support through the benefits system.

Original reporting

• BBC: Children face extreme inequality in England, warns commissioner
  2026-10-19T04:37:06.618000+00:00
• Guardian: Youth services in parts of England in state of emergency, children’s commissioner says
  2026-10-19T00:00:00+00:00