Covid 19

Our key call for change:

• All public authorities adopt a Children’s Rights Approach to the exercise of their functions, at all times, including in public emergencies.

Background information and introduction to our work

The Covid-19 pandemic had a huge impact, in Wales, the UK, in Europe and globally. By October 2021, nearly 1.5 million people in Europe had died due to the Covid-19 virus, although research confirmed that deaths of children were rare. Despite this they had to suffer many restrictions on their rights as governments across the world introduced laws and policies in response to the pandemic.

During the pandemic, Dr Croke and Professor Hoffman were commissioned by the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC) to assess the impact of Covid 19 Emergency Measures across ENOC Member states on children. Their research highlighted how Emergency Measures had a negative impact on children’s rights. Working with ENOC Members, a Position statement on a Children’s Rights Approach to Covid 19 was drafted and shared with governments across Europe.

Based on the research for ENOC, CLCW and the Observatory wrote a response to the UK Covid Inquiry.

Dr Croke, Arwyn Roberts and Professor Williams conducted research for the Welsh Government on the impact of Covid-19 on Pupil Voice in education settings across Wales.

Dr Croke and Rhian Thomas Turner and their paediatric colleagues, using Wales as a case study, discussed the challenges of children in Wales being able to access the benefits of paediatric research before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using the power of the language of international human rights and parliamentary scrutiny, they have been successful in securing additional funding to paediatric research in Wales.