Children's commissioner says 2025 was 'challenging'

A team aiming to make sure children are safe was only able to do half the work it wanted due to staff absences and vacancies, a report says.

The Office of the Children's Commissioner for Jersey (OCCJ) has published its 2025 Annual Report highlighting the work it has done over the 12 months.

Dr Carmel Corrigan, the island's children's commissioner, said it had been a "challenging year" for a variety of reasons with the office operating at 50% capacity for most of it.

She added there had also been a number of positives, including taking part in United Nations work and the OCCJ holding its second World Children's Day event.

Work affected by staff shortages included the OCCJ's advice and information service, which was closed to new inquiries in order to prioritise existing cases.

Corrigan said, while the OCCJ had been restructured and vacancies had been filled, the staff absences had impacted the work it could do.

"It is only fair to say that not everything went as planned during the year," she said.

"Unfortunately, due to staff absences and vacancies, I did not get to visit many of Jersey's schools to talk with children and staff - this is very firmly in my plans for 2026.

"However, staff from the OCCJ visited various schools and youth groups in the lead-up to World Children's Day, and actively engaged with groups of pupils about their right to be heard."

Corrigan added the OCCJ's focus in 2026 would be on listening to children and young people, holding decision-makers to account and strengthening foundations needed to protect children and promote their rights in Jersey.

She said other projects the OCCJ would work on during the year included launching its new website, completing research on children's experience of poverty in Jersey and new policies and procedures for the advice and information service.

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