Listen to this episode below, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can download the transcript below.
The UK Government introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in 2024. This proposed measures to improve information sharing between services, strengthen safeguarding, reform children’s social care and raise standards and protections in schools. This received Royal Assent in early May 2026.
In this episode, you'll get a behind-the-scenes insight into how our Health Policy and Public Affairs teams work with members and partners to influence legislation – from tabling amendments and building coalitions to working with civil servants - and help ensure it delivers real impact for children and paediatricians.
In the context of a long campaigning process where you're going to change hearts and minds over a long period of time, there's a case to be made about the importance of bringing an issue to light in the consciousness of parliamentarians and the public.
A team effort
Andrew is joined by Elizabeth Collin, RCPCH Public Affairs and Campaign Manager and Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Associate Head of Policy (Devolved Nations), to discuss how the organisations worked together to influence the Bill, as part of our campaign to secure equal protection from assault for children in the UK.
We want to see the legislation as the vehicle to stop children being physically punished. So we're both going to pursue the legal change, but also pursue government to say, how are you making sure that parents can be the best parents that they want to be for their children?
Andrew also speaks with Grace Hastie, RCPCH Policy Manager for Child Protection and Ethics about the College’s long-term engagement and policy work. This includes measures in The Bill on the single unique identifier for children and the development of a multi-agency child protection teams.
The common theme in terms of the Wellbeing and Schools Bill, or Act, is that we've really tried to position ourselves as a source of expertise for civil service colleagues so they can come to us with their ideas, have an open discussion.
How to get involved
If you’re a member and interested in getting involved in the College’s influencing work you can sign up to our Paediatric Influencing Network. It offers an opportunity share experiences and insights that shape our policy, media and public affairs work and strengthen our influencing to UK-wide decision‑makers.
You can find out more about the NSPCC’s ongoing campaign to end physical punishment on the NSPCC website.
- About the speakers
Professor Andrew Rowland is the RCPCH Officer for Child Protection and a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine. He has worked nationally and internationally in child protection, advocating for and with children and young people and safeguarding vulnerable groups.
Elizabeth Collin is the RCPCH Public Affairs and Campaign Manager. She works with College Officers, staff and members to make the case to Parliament and government for policies to support the paediatric workforce and improve child health outcomes.
Joanna Barrett is the Associate Head of Policy at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). She was heavily involved in the successful campaign to end the physical punishment of children in Scotland and is leading NSPCC's work on this campaign in England.
Grace Hastie is the Policy Manager for Child Protection and Ethics at RCPCH. She works closely with the Officer for Child Protection to improve child protection and safeguarding across the UK.