The Bosdet Foundation has provided £12,000 of funding for the project and is working with the Office of Jersey’s Commissioner for Children and Young People. The initiative will involve around six young people from Jersey attending the United Nations Day of General Discussion in September.
The theme of this year’s event is Article 20 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which focuses on ‘the right to special care and protection if a child cannot live with their own family’.
Taking more steps to give children and young people a voice was one of the original recommendations of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry. September’s delegation will be the first time young people from Jersey have taken part in such an event.
The Bosdet Foundation is now recruiting for an ‘energetic professional’ to support Children’s Commissioner Deborah McMillan to lead the delegation.
Amounting to around 15 hours of work per week for six months, the job will involve supporting, co-ordinating and ultimately leading the group.
Ms McMillan said: ‘We are so pleased to be able to partner with the Bosdet Foundation on what will undoubtedly be an invaluable project, both for the young people who will be representing us and for the broader reputation of the Island.
‘I know that, somewhere out there in Jersey, there will be the ideal candidate to lead the Island’s first ever delegation of young people to a UN Day of General Discussion. We very much look forward to meeting potential applicants and to finding the best person for this
challenging and rewarding project.’
Alan Le Pavoux, charity manager of the Bosdet Foundation, added: ‘Having met with and supported some young care leavers, much can be learned from listening to them, understanding their needs and hopes for the future. Jersey should have a care system that is the envy of the rest of the world and it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that children are put first in every situation.’
