NSPCC welcomes child-focused commitments in five-year government plan

NSPCC Cymru / Wales has welcomed a set of child-focused commitments within the Welsh government’s five-year plan.

Labelled ‘best start for children’, the document – published today – commits the government to continued development of its positive parenting programme, supporting families to reduce adverse childhood experiences and seeking cross-party support for the removal of the defence of ‘reasonable punishment’.

This can be used as a legal defence if a person is accused of common assault against a child. Children are the only group in society that can be legally assaulted by another person and the NSPCC has long called for legislation to correct this inequality.

Head of NSPCC Cymru / Wales, Des Mannion, said:

“These commitments are welcome. Every new parent wants to do their best but certain experiences and difficulties can affect their ability to provide the warm sensitive parenting that children need. That’s why we’re particularly pleased to see a renewed emphasis on supporting parents.

“Adverse childhood experiences can have a devastating impact on a child’s life and recent research showed that the more of these experiences there are, the more likely a child is to perpetrate violence, use drugs and commit crime in later life.

“Continued efforts to push ahead with the removal of the defence of reasonable punishment are also hugely welcome and we applaud the Welsh government for being the first in the UK to make this commitment.

“This is a clear legal inequality and I very much hope this Assembly will follow in the footsteps of over 50 other countries in putting that right.”