Dame Rachel de Souza is a nationally recognised educator and advocate for improving the life chances of disadvantaged children. She was appointed Children’s Commissioner in 2021. As Children’s Commissioner her role is to listen to children, to hear about their lives and deliver for them. The Children’s Commissioner’s office is formed to deliver for children. The office’s work is laid out by the key priorities children have told the Commissioner they care about: Family, Community, School, Health, Jobs and skills, Children’s social care and Better world. The Children's Commissioner's Help at Hand service is for children in care, leaving care, living away from home or working with children’s services to offer free support, advice, and information. If you’re in care, leaving care, living away from home or working with children’s services Help at Hand can offer you free support, advice and information. Contact Help at Hand: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/help-at-hand. Alongside this, the Children's Commissioner has a digital platform, In My Opinion (IMO) for teenagers in care and for care leavers to share their experiences and stories: https://www.imohub.org.uk. As well as a team of staff, the Commissioner is supported by an advisory group, an audit and risk committee and children’s groups, stakeholders, and specialists. If you would like to get in touch with us please head to our website: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/about-us/contact. If your enquiry involves an urgent concern about a child protection issue, you should contact your local police or social services.
