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States Greffe
Connétable Richard Vibert Minister for Children and Families
BY EMAIL
17th October 2024 Dear Minister
Follow-up matters from the Public Hearing on 14th October 2024
Thank you for attending the public review hearing last week, together with the Assistant Minister and your Officers, your time is much appreciated. As we came to the end of the time allocated for the hearing you agreed to respond to the Panel's additional queries in writing, and I set these out below, for your attention:
- Minister, the Children's Commissioner for Jersey's Annual Report for 2023 recommended extending the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) to Jersey. Can you describe if the Government of Jersey will take any action on this recommendation?
- Minister, could the ratification of OPCAT enhance protections for children and young people in Jersey?
- Would the ratification of OPCAT change the current approach to safeguarding children in detention?
- Have you identified any challenges that would arise from the ratification of OPCAT?
- Minister, how do you coordinate policies to safeguard children and support children's wellbeing in reference to work that is being led by other Ministers?
- Minister, what has been your involvement with the next tranche of the updates to Jersey's Mental Health Law?
- Are you aware of what work has been done to specifically assess Child Rights as part of the updates to the Mental Health legislation?
- Minister, what is your evaluation of how Government is assessing Children's Rights before it has to undertake a formal Child Rights Impact Assessment for lodging to the States Assembly?
a) Do you (or your officers / CYPES) provide support or advice relating to Children's Rights?
- Minister, with reference to CAMHS, we understand that some children and young people are having an Autism assessment through an online process. Can you tell us about how the online assessment process works?
a) What support is available to children, young people and their families during and after they have been through the diagnostic process?
- Minister, at our last hearing, we were advised that the draft regulations for independent advocacy would be lodged by the end of the year, after a code of practice is developed. Please can you advise how the development of the code of practice is progressing?
a) Is the timeframe still on course for lodging the regulations at the end of 2024?
During the hearing, in response to a Panel question about zero hours contracts, you indicated that there are 100 zero hours contracts in Children's Social Care and 87 zero hours contracts in Young People's Youth Service. The Panel would be grateful if you could provide further detail to confirm:
• what the roles are;
• how the zero hours contract terms are reviewed for the employees, to ensure that the work has not become regular?
• how often the zero hours contract terms are reviewed?
Thank you in advance for your assistance. The Panel looks forward to your formal response and would request that this is received by 24th October 2024.
Yours sincerely,
Deputy Catherine Curtis
Chair, Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel