Rachel de Souza's report identifies ten areas, mostly deprived, where systemic failures in youth services mean children cannot thrive, citing poor education, unsafe streets and long health waits.
01Summary
- 01The report names Middlesbrough, Hounslow, Bradford, Nottingham, Halton, Peterborough, Leicester, Liverpool, Sunderland and Medway as the hardest places in England to grow up.
- 02Data covers more than 160 measures including child poverty, educational outcomes, community safety, NHS waiting times and access to playgrounds.
- 03De Souza said on a visit to Middlesbrough a 14-year-old girl told her local crime statistics, adding that children should not have to know those numbers.
- 04The report calls for minimum standards in education, policing, health and youth services, and a national fund for areas failing to meet those benchmarks.
- 05De Souza recommends every strategic authority should have a deputy mayor for children accountable for a 'children's test' on local policies.
02Why it matters
This matters because it highlights where children face the biggest disadvantages, affecting their safety, education and health – and calls for national minimum standards to close the gap.
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