Calling for a Guardianship Service for every Unaccompanied Child in Wales

Photo by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels.

Reports ResourcesMay 1st, 2024

We’ve partnered with Children’s Legal Centre Wales, The Children’s Society and British Red Cross, to make the case for a national Guardianship Service for all Unaccompanied Children in Wales.

“If you don’t have a guardian, it’s like trying to look in the dark.”  Member, Youth-Led Commission, The Children’s Society

Our joint briefing identifies gaps in support for Unaccompanied Children, highlighting barriers to accessing rights and justice, essential services, and engaging with the process of seeking asylum.

It sets out the need for a statutory but independent Guardianship Service that will ensure that all Unaccompanied Children in Wales are appointed a Guardian and presents the benefits that Guardians would offer, including advocating for and promoting children’s best interests, supporting children through the process of claiming asylum, providing a consistent and trusted point of contact, and protecting children’s rights.

The briefing states that an effective Guardianship Service must:

be available to all Unaccompanied Children in Wales, from the point that they arrive
be independent of any statutory body and work in the child’s best interests
build a trusting and supportive relationship with children
be trained to OISC Level 2 or working towards that qualification
work closely with social workers, legal advisors, Home Office caseworkers, schools and colleges, hospitals, and third sector agencies.

Unaccompanied Children are children who have been separated from their parents and are not cared for by an adult with legal responsibility. They are some of the most vulnerable members of our society, who have to go through a complex process of seeking asylum, often while experiencing trauma and upheaval. Any child, including one seeking asylum, should be able to enjoy all of their rights set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and should be accorded the same protection as any other child permanently or temporarily deprived of their family environment.