Young people must be put at the heart of the inquiry into the UK’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the Children’s Commissioner has told its chairwoman.
Dame Rachel de Souza said children have expressed to her the long-term impact the pandemic has had on their wellbeing and happiness.
She has written to Baroness Heather Hallett, urging her to put children at the centre of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s work and ensure they are prioritised.
It comes in the same week as more than 40 of the UK’s leading children’s charities and child development experts issued a warning to the inquiry chairwoman about “unacceptable delays” in taking evidence from children on lockdown and its effects.
The letter from the Children’s Commissioner, first reported by the Daily Telegraph, has not been published.
But in a statement accompanying it, Dame Rachel said: “As Children’s Commissioner, it is my job to ensure that children’s voices, views and experiences are heard by policymakers, Government and the Covid inquiry.
“During the pandemic children across the country sacrificed so much to keep us all safe.
“Children and young people have told me how lonely they felt, how much they missed school, seeing their friends and socialising. Now, they continue to tell me about a long-term impact the pandemic has on their wellbeing and happiness.
