Children's Champion calls for 'meaningful change' for kids with complex needs

Kerry Sharpe has shared a number of recommendations in her latest annual report

Children on the Isle of Man with complex needs who are non-verbal are 'some of the most vulnerable people in our society' because 'they can’t tell us what’s happening in their world'.

That’s the view of the Children’s Champion who says she wants to bring about 'meaningful change' for those children over the next year.

Kerry Sharpe has shared a number of recommendations in her latest annual report which has been published on the Tynwald website.

It marks Mrs Sharpe's second as Children’s Champion and covers the period of April 2023-24.

In that time OFSTED has reviewed the Island's Children’s Services with an improvement board subsequently set up on the topic; and Tynwald has set up its Youth Select Committee where young people can voice their opinions and hold government and organisations to account.

This year, Mrs Sharpe has focussed on children with complex needs and the current gaps in services which their parents, and OFSTED, have raised.

As a result she has penned seven recommendations for Tynwald to approve next month:

Recommendation one

That Tynwald is of the opinion that the Department of Health and Social Care should explore how an official channel can be established through which the voices of young carers can be heard by Government and Tynwald on a regular basis; that the Minister should make a statement to Tynwald in July 2025; and that the Mandate to Manx Care should be updated accordingly. 

Recommendation two

That Tynwald is of the opinion that independent advocacy is essential for children in care and care leavers; that the Department of Health and Social Care should identify a suitable method for this and submit a report, to include a costed, dated plan, to Tynwald in time to be debated at the January 2026 sitting; and that the Mandate to Manx Care should be updated accordingly. 

Recommendation three

That Tynwald is of the opinion that the Department of Health and Social Care, Manx Care and St Christopher’s should identify an appropriate location for an Assessment Home which is ‘good enough for one’s own child’ and submit a report, to include a costed, dated plan for relocating this service, to Tynwald in time to be debated at the October 2025 sitting. 

Recommendation four

That Tynwald is of the opinion that in addition to residential homes and semi-independent homes, the Department of Health and Social Care should inspect all accommodation for older children in care; for young care leavers; and for older children, estranged from their parents, who, having presented as homeless, have been put into accommodation by St Christopher’s. 

Recommendation five

Tynwald is of the opinion that 

(a) the Department of Health and Social Care should identify a solution for accommodation for young people with additional needs, but with no learning disability, who cannot live independently and who need a carer on site 24/7 and submit a report to Tynwald in time to be debated at the January 2026 sitting, to include a costed, dated plan and 

(b) the Department should identify an interim solution for this cohort and submit a report to Tynwald by the July 2025 sitting, to include a costed, dated plan. 

Recommendation six

That Tynwald is of the opinion that the Department of Education, Sport and Culture should continue to deliver the Childcare Strategy and explore approaches for supporting children with complex needs, including the consideration of a government multi-agency complex needs nursery with specialist staff and report to Tynwald by the end of July 2026. 

Recommendation seven

That Tynwald is of the opinion that the Department of Health and Social Care should work together with Manx Care, local authorities, the third sector, private sector and the public to draw up an overall strategy for children with complex needs; that this strategy must include but not be limited to ensuring that:

• appropriate respite is available, including holiday respite
• public space changing places are available 24/7, in the north, south, east and west of the Island
• transport is available, on occasion, for the few families who have no other means of leaving the house
• fully accessible play equipment is available in the north, south, east and west of the Island
• a variety of areas of the Manx countryside are fully-accessible
• adequate numbers of larger disabled parking spaces are available Island-wide
• adequate peer-to-peer support is in place for parents
• independent advocacy is in place allowing parents to raise issues regarding services; and that the Minister for Health and Social Care should deliver the strategy to Tynwald by July 2026

The full report and its recommendations will be debated at next month's sitting of Tynwald.

You can find it HERE.

We have invited Mrs Sharpe to comment on her report and its recommendations.