CHILDREN AS COMPLAINANTS IN THE HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICESIN NORTHERN IRELAND

Health and Personal Social Services are required to respond positively and effectivelyto complaints from service users. In the case of children and young people,complaints about their treatment may arise within the post 1996 ‘Wilson Complaintsprocedures’ or within the post 1995 Children Order procedure. This reportinvestigates the operation of these two systems within Health and Social ServicesTrusts in Northern Ireland with regard to complaints made by or on behalf of childrenand young people. It also discusses the importance of such systems in upholdingchildren’s rights and in particular Article 12 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights ofthe Child which establishes the principle that children have a right to express theirviews on all matters of concern to them.