Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Article 39 children's rights charity

UK Covid-19 Inquiry @ukcovid-19inquiry.bsky.social · 14h

Today, at public hearings for Module 8: Children and Young People we will hear evidence from three witnesses: Dr Shona Arora, Carolyne Willow and Lucy Frazer KC.

UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Module 8
Thursday 16 October 2025
Children and Young People
10:00 - 16:30

Dr Shona Arora, on behalf of the UK Health Security Agency
Carolyne Willow, on behalf of Article 39
Lucy Frazer KC, Former Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

Please note timings are provisional and subject to change.

Content warning: this module contains references to child death and harm to children through illness, abuse, suicide and crime.

1 2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · 3d

article39.org.uk/2025/10/13/c...

Children's social care and education ministers to be questioned at UK Covid-19 Inquiry | Article 39

article39.org.uk

3 2

Reposted by Article 39 children's rights charity

YJ worker @yotworker.bsky.social · 16d

I was working with several children in custody in 2020. It was just awful for them. Unless they chose to phone me (one child did; multiple times each day) I had no idea how they were.

1

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · 16d

article39.org.uk/2025/09/30/p...

Plight of children in prison laid bare in today's UK Covid-19 Inquiry hearing | Article 39

article39.org.uk

1 1 1

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · 17d

UK Covid-19 Inquiry, day 1 hearing: strong and consistent calls for making the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child fully part of UK law
article39.org.uk/uk-covid-19-...

UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 8 hearings - day 1 (29 September 2025) | Article 39

article39.org.uk

2 3

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · 19d

UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s dedicated hearings on children and young people start this Monday 29 September, through to 23 October.

Article 39 is a core participant. We will be holding last government to account and pressing for greater rights protection, more here: article39.org.uk/2025/09/26/i...

Impact on children of government decision-making during the pandemic to be focus of UK Covid-19 Inquiry hearings across next four weeks | Article 39

article39.org.uk

2 4

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 31

🪜✨ Thinking of our dear friend Ian Dickson today. Lifetime champion of children and young people, always spoke truth to power. Before he died, he advised us to know the difference between all the brilliant people working in children’s care settings, and the cowboys.
article39.org.uk/our-story/ch...

A ladder to the stars | Article 39

article39.org.uk

4 16

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 31

In addition to the headline used, this is also a report of a young child in care dying and his foster mum fighting for justice for him.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Dec 31

NHS ombudsman criticises CQC for failing to fully investigate boy’s death

Exclusive: Care Quality Commission did not act on evidence casting doubt on care provider’s version of events, ruling says The NHS ombudsman has criticised the service’s care regulator for failing to properly investigate the death of a five-year-old boy…

www.theguardian.com

3 9

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 29

Our children’s welfare system has been wilfully restructured to put children aged 16 and 17 at the margins, treating them as if they’re adults. Can imagine plight of your pupil. Excellent they have your support 🙏

2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 29

Yes it is. We’re an experienced team at Article 39 and the accounts we’ve heard this past year have been beyond appalling. Yet local authority pressures and narratives continue to shape national policy.

1 2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 29

❗️Alarmed by harms suffered by children, & scale of LA non-compliance with law, this year we published two new resources, and updated a third.

For teenagers: rights4children.org.uk/aged-16-or-1...
For social workers: article39.org.uk/advice-and-r...
For advocates: article39.org.uk/wp-content/u...

3 6 11

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 27

No ambulance available to take a black child to hospital for urgent mental health assessment and care. Police given task instead. Two police officers assault child.
www.voice-online.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Two Met Police officers convicted for assaulting 16-year-old Black boy - Voice Online

PC Gonen is suspended and PC Price remains on restricted duties. Both officers will be sentenced on 24 January

www.voice-online.co.uk

4 3

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 21

❗As we warned: 2021 changes to care planning secondary legislation have radically restructured children's care system, giving veneer of legitimacy to what was once shameful.

⬇️ This kind of accommodation is meant to be restricted to children able to manage without any care or consistent supervision.

2 4

Reposted by Article 39 children's rights charity

Jane Collins @fostersupportcouk.bsky.social · Dec 18

An insightful child focused commentary from Article 39.

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 18

NEW: Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Our initial analysis of the Bill was published this morning. Sorry we cannot join the chorus of congratulations. We expect so much more for children and young people.

article39.org.uk/childrenswel...

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill | Article 39

article39.org.uk

2 2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 18

See our initial analysis here: article39.org.uk/childrenswel...

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill | Article 39

article39.org.uk

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 18

NEW: Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Our initial analysis of the Bill was published this morning. Sorry we cannot join the chorus of congratulations. We expect so much more for children and young people.

article39.org.uk/childrenswel...

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill | Article 39

article39.org.uk

2 7 15

Reposted by Article 39 children's rights charity

martinbarrow.bsky.social @martinbarrow.bsky.social · Dec 12

From Ofsted’s latest inspection of Nottingham children’s services: “A significant proportion of children who have entered care in the last six months have previously been in care.”

1 2 5

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 12

⬇️ So this happened today!

article39.org.uk/2024/12/12/a...

Article 39's Founder Director receives honorary doctorate | Article 39

article39.org.uk

4 4 16

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 11

State of child protection in England. Parents asked to sign agreements with social workers not to hit their children, because the law allows parental assault.

The ‘reasonable chastisement’ common law defence for child assault is from a case in 1860.

The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · Dec 11

🔺NEW: The father of the murdered Surrey schoolgirl had signed agreements not to use physical chastisement on his children ⬇️

Sara Sharif’s father Urfan Sharif was accused of abuse before she was born

The father of the murdered Surrey schoolgirl had signed agreements not to use physical chastisement on his children

www.thetimes.com

1 2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 11

“Cost of sales”

martinbarrow.bsky.social @martinbarrow.bsky.social · Dec 11

Councils are spending almost £10 million a year on this company’s homes for children in care

2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 10

Correction - Gift Aid carried us over our target. Excellent 🌟

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 10

👏 We're very grateful to all those who were able to donate, and to those who helped spread the word. Just a whisker away from our target of £6,000 - this will make a big difference to our little charity. THANK YOU!
#BigGiveChallenge

3

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 10

👏 We're very grateful to all those who were able to donate, and to those who helped spread the word. Just a whisker away from our target of £6,000 - this will make a big difference to our little charity. THANK YOU!
#BigGiveChallenge

2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 9

#BigGiveChallenge
Wow, we are very very close to our £6,000 total target (with match funds).

🙏 Thanks so much everyone. Closes midday Tues (tomorrow): donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

2

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 8

#BigGiveChallenge

Fingers crossed we can raise another £2,000 by Tuesday midday - every single donation doubled!

🔆 Minimum donation £1: donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

Please help us if you can.

1

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Dec 7

None of what is described would be tolerated were children to be seen and treated as human beings with feelings and rights.

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Top London academies face mass claims of emotional harm as Whitehall acts on crisis

Government says allegations ‘deeply distressing’ as dossier of allegations grows in wake of Observer investigation into Mossbourne schools

www.theguardian.com

4