Establish National Agency to assess, advise, and monitor children and families policy

The newly established National Agency for Children and Families should have the following responsibilities: • to assess, and advise the ministerial Children and Families Board about, the impact on children and families of proposed changes in policy; • to scrutinise new legislation and guidance issued for this purpose; • to advise on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; • to advise on setting nationally agreed outcomes for children and how they might best be achieved and monitored; • to ensure that legislation and policy are implemented at a local level and are monitored through its regional office network; • to report annually to Parliament on the quality and effectiveness of services to children and families, in particular on the safety of children.