Children's Commissioner for England

What Children's Commissioner for England does

The Children's Commissioner for England is a UK statutory independent government body established under the Children Act 2004 to promote and protect the rights of children and young people aged 0-18 in England. Operating as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) accountable to Parliament through the Ministry of Justice, the office is headquartered in Sanctuary Buildings, Westminster, London. The current Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, was appointed in March 2021 for a six-year term ending in 2027. The Commissioner holds statutory powers to request information from public bodies and to access premises where children are accommodated, and the office functions as an independent voice for children at the highest levels of government.

Name

Children's Commissioner for England

Legal name

Children's Commissioner for England

Website

https://childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Commissioner for England is a statutory independent government body that promotes and protects the rights of children in England, conducting research, advocacy, and direct support services such as Help at Hand and The Big Future survey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's rights statutory advocacy (public sector)

NAICS

Public Administration (92), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Safeguarding, Student Welfare & Child Protection Compliance Audits (EDADAGAI), Early Childhood Education Regulators (EDADAAAI)

Keywords

• Children's rights advocacy
• Statutory child welfare
• Public sector research
• Child protection policy
• Vulnerable children services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Children's Commissioner for England is a statutory independent office that promotes and protects the rights of children and young people aged 0-18 in England. It delivers free direct services (Help at Hand advice for children in care and care leavers, In My Opinion platform for looked-after teenagers), runs large-scale national surveys and research programmes (The Big Future, The Big Ambition, The Big Ask, The Children's Plan), publishes statutory reports and policy recommendations, and advocates for children's interests to Parliament, government departments, and local authorities.

Product overview

Children's Commissioner for England is a government body that operates a portfolio of advocacy services and research platforms rather than a commercial product. The core offerings include The Big Future survey platform (for gathering children's voices on their concerns and hopes), Help at Hand (advice service for vulnerable children in care), and In My Opinion (IMO) (voice platform for teenagers in care). Supporting resources include the Youth Voices Hub, Digital Safety and Wellbeing Kit, Digital 5 a Day Guide, and comprehensive research publications. These services work together to fulfill the Commissioner's statutory duty to listen to children and represent their rights to decision-makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Help at Hand Free, confidential advice and assistance service for children in care, children living away from home, children with a social worker, and care leavers. Provides direct support, information, and advocacy via freephone 0800 528 0731 and dedicated email.
• In My Opinion (IMO) Online platform providing a voice for teenagers in care and care leavers to share stories, experiences, and achievements and access useful life hacks.
• Youth Voices Hub Online hub that publishes young people's contributions on topics that matter to them and creates structured opportunities for young people to have their say.
• The Big Future Survey Largest national survey by the Children's Commissioner, open to all children in England aged 0-18, collecting views on changes children want in their communities, their biggest concerns, and hopes for the future.
• Reports and Publications Statutory research reports, policy recommendations, and publications covering children's rights, welfare, education, health, and social care in England, intended for Parliament, government, local authorities, and the public.
• Children's Commissioner Ambassadors Programme Engagement programme that recruits young ambassadors to help amplify children's voices and participate in the Commissioner's initiatives.
• The Big Ambition National initiative that captured one million children's voices and solutions, producing policy recommendations aimed at election manifestos and government policy.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SchillingsminorOthersThe organization partnered with leading privacy law firm Schillings to produce a digital safety and wellbeing kit for parents and a safety guide for children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ofsted: HM Inspectorate for education, children's services, and skills in England. Unlike the Commissioner, Ofsted has direct regulatory enforcement powers over schools and children's social care providers, but produces overlapping inspection and research outputs and shares the same English-jurisdiction scope.
• Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities, providing direct services for vulnerable children (including children in care and care leavers) and running major policy and research programmes. Comparable as a broad child-welfare incumbent with overlapping themes around care leavers, child protection, and policy advocacy.
• NSPCC: The UK's leading child protection charity, operating the national Helpline and delivering direct safeguarding services, policy advocacy, and large-scale public education campaigns. Much larger in scale and budget than the Commissioner's office, but overlapping in child welfare research, policy submissions, and safeguarding guidance.

Others

• Save the Children UK: Major UK-based children's rights and welfare charity. Adjacent rather than directly competitive: focuses on poverty alleviation, education, and emergency response domestically and abroad, while sharing overlapping child-rights research and policy submissions with the Commissioner's office.
• UNICEF UK: UK arm of the UN children's agency, operating child-rights advocacy, research, and public engagement programmes. Comparable as a thematically related rights-based voice for children, but operating internationally and at a national-campaign level rather than as an English statutory commissioner.
• National Children's Bureau (NCB): UK-wide charity that brings together organisations working with children and young people, producing research, policy analysis, and practitioner resources. Adjacent as an evidence and policy intermediary focused on children's wellbeing in England and across the UK.

Direct peers

• Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY): Statutory commissioner for children and young people in Northern Ireland, established under the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Northern Ireland) Order 2003. Operates the same independent-advocate model with research, advice, and advocacy services directly comparable to the England office.
• Children's Commissioner for Wales: Statutory independent children's commissioner for Wales, with an almost identical mandate, statutory powers, and product set (surveys, advice line, research reports). Directly comparable in scope, model, and statutory authority, differing only in devolved Welsh jurisdiction.
• Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland: Scotland's independent commissioner for children and young people, with a parallel statutory advocacy mandate covering rights, welfare, and participation. Closely comparable in role, structure, and product portfolio (surveys, research, rights-based advocacy).

Emerging players

• Coram Voice: UK charity advocating for children and young people in care and care leavers — the same primary cohort served by Help at Hand and In My Opinion. Smaller and non-statutory, but operates directly comparable advocacy services (participation work, complaints support, research) for looked-after children.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ChildrensComm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCriFe51AU_RomWvSzZxCgfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrenscomm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/childrenscomm
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrenscommissioner

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Children's Commissioner for England