Childcare Bill

moved Amendment No. 8:"Page 3, line 10, at end insert ““, and" ( ) young children”” The noble Baroness said: I will speak also to Amendment No. 46, which is grouped with it. These amendments are intended to ensure that local authorities consider children’s and young people’s views in the development of early years services and the placement of those services. The amendments amend both Clauses 3 and 11. The omission of young children does not sit well with the UK’s obligations under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child or the outcome of the:"““contribution made by children to society””," one of the outcomes under the Children Act 2004. The Government have been supportive of listening to young children, and we heard a great deal more about that today from the Minister. We all welcome that commitment. They have committed, through funding for research and responding to urgings from this House, to put the voice of the child into other pieces of legislation. However, the Government must be consistent and put it in here too. It is important enough to need to be in the statute, not just in the guidance. The Childcare Bill is a real opportunity to declare in statute that listening to the voice of the child includes very young children just as much as older children and young people. There are so many advantages in doing so, not just for the quality and accessibility of services, but for individual children too, when they make their contribution. Children who feel their views are valued are able to develop their self esteem, independence and ability to make choices. Involving children in decision-making can present challenges. That is why the phrase ““all reasonable steps”” is appropriate for this age range. Although those working in local authorities may not have the skills to consult young children, a well-trained children’s workforce practitioner can easily do so and feed those views into the decision-making process. Of course, we are not talking about toddlers attending committee meetings or contributing to focus groups. Mind you, we might get some common sense out of them. Although I welcome indications that statutory guidance under the Bill will,"““expect that the views of young children also be actively sought and taken into account””," I am concerned that this may be limited to children’s centres. The need to listen to children is a whole sector need, and should apply to every kind of setting. I have submitted amendments, not just to the arrangements about the type of services provided, in Clause 11, but also to Clause 3, about where the services should be. That has been the subject of the most vehement rejection by the Minister in conversations that we have had. I see no reason why young children should not be able to express views about how far they want to travel to reach their services, or whether they should have to pass through crime-ridden areas or estates to get there that would make them feel threatened. Those are matters where it is perfectly appropriate to get a child’s perspective. Where an adult would not feel threatened, a child might. Where an adult may not mind a three-bus journey, with no room for a push chair, a child might. Amending Clause 3 to include the voice of the child is just as appropriate as amending Clause 11. I conclude by giving a short case history, which shows that we cannot always predict what children will think. In a setting in Brent, a practitioner asked each child what they would like to change about the nursery. One child answered that she would like to change her mind. She was not being cute or sharp. When the practitioner looked into it and watched that child at play, she found that the nursery was so laid out that the child could not easily change her activity to play with something else without the help of an adult. In other words, the ability of the child to make choices and change her mind was being limited by the actual layout of the nursery. You will not be surprised to learn that something was done about it. Things look different when you are less than a metre tall and not very strong. That is why I beg to move.