Last year, the inquiry released its report and made a number of recommendations for improving the lives of vulnerable young children living in Jersey.
The first recommendation – appointing a children’s commissioner to champion children’s rights – has been completed, while Chief Minister Ian Gorst has committed to enforcing the seven other suggestions made by the inquiry.
A Scrutiny review panel, chaired by Deputy Sam Mézec, was set up to monitor the progress of the work that had been done.
In official comments made before the States debate an action plan to respond to the inquiry, the panel raised concerns that some departments were not prioritising the inquiry’s findings as highly as others.
It also raised concerns that the election could pose a threat to progress while making the point that an adequate funding stream was essential if the States were to implement the recommendations. Money should not be found by ‘cutting the budgets of other services for vulnerable people’, the panel warned.
They said: ‘Some of the deadlines for the headline actions have been met in a timely fashion, specifically from the Chief Minister’s Department.
‘Other departments, however, have yet to show the same level of prioritisation, and some actions which were due to be completed by a set date are still outstanding.
‘The review panel is concerned that the upcoming election poses a significant risk to the progress that is being made in response to the inquiry. It is vital that the work is not affected by the election and the period of uncertainty that both precedes and follows it.’
The panel praised the work of the Jersey Youth Service in giving children a voice – one of the inquiry’s recommendations – but added that the States had placed a ‘great deal of dependence’ on the partly States-funded service. One of the findings of the review panel was that the youth service needed ‘greater certainty’ of its funding.
An in-committee debate, which has no time limit, is due to be debated by States Members on Wednesday at 9.30 am.
