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Response to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill from #BeeWell, Fair Education Alliance, Pro Bono Economics and The Children’s Society
National wellbeing measurement – the missing piece from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
We welcome the publication of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, placing children’s wellbeing at the heart of government. The state of children’s mental health in the UK is deeply troubling – young people in this country have the lowest wellbeing in Europe. We have a long way to go to address this and the publication of this Bill is the first step – we mustn’t miss this opportunity to measure children’s wellbeing, listen to their voices and act on what they tell us.
This government has quite rightly said that “nothing says more about the state of a nation than the wellbeing of its children.” The challenge at the moment is that we have no way nationally of truly understanding children’s wellbeing, or what can be done to improve it. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We’re calling on the government to introduce a national wellbeing measurement programme for England as a key amendment to be tabled as the Bill progresses. As a first step they should launch a time-limited cross-sector working group to guide the roll out of wellbeing measurement, as recommended in the Pro Bono Economics report, “Charting a happier course for England’s children”.
Measuring the wellbeing of all children and young people regularly and consistently will allow better decision-making and targeting of support by national policymakers, local authorities, health systems, schools and charities alike. It will create an understanding of the places, practices, policies and services which are making a difference and allow for tailored support for the groups of young people most in need. Ultimately, it will support children and young people to live happier lives and ensure they have access to the opportunities they deserve, by taking positive action to prevent problems before they escalate.
The time has come to listen to what England’s children and young people have to say about their lives and to take action in response to help them thrive.
