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A senior employee at the Ombudsman for Children’s Office in Ireland has been nominated for appointment as Jersey’s new Children’s Commissioner, following a "comprehensive recruitment process".
The Chief Minister has asked the States Assembly to approve Dr Carmel Corrigan for a six-year term as the island’s children’s commissioner.
Dr Corrigan would be the permanent replacement for Deborah McMillan, who resigned last summer for "personal reasons". The role has since been held by Andrea Le Saint, in an acting capacity.
Dr Corrigan, who is currently based in Ireland, has committed to "further enhancing and embedding the promotion, protection, and fulfilment of children's rights in law, policy, services and in the wider community".
The office will cost the public nearly £1million to maintain over the term, with a £134k yearly salary – an amount which is already accounted for in the existing allocated budget.
Pictured: Dr Carmel Corrigan is currently the Head of Participation and Rights Education at the Ombudsman for Children's Office in Ireland.
Dr Corrigan's nomination – which cannot be confirmed without approval of the States Assembly – comes after a "comprehensive recruitment process" overseen by the chair of the Jersey Appointments Commission.
It included an initial technical interview with a former Children's Commissioner for England and an interview with a panel of local children and young people.
Chief Minister Kristina Moore said she was "delighted" with the nomination, adding: "Dr Corrigan's experience and knowledge will be of enormous value in helping professionals to work together on the importance of children's rights and in transforming understanding and acceptance throughout the community."
She added that the Children's Commissioner is "an incredibly important role for the future of all children in Jersey".
Pictured: Chief Minister Kristina Moore said she was "delighted" with the nomination.
Dr Corrigan said: "Building on the work of my predecessor and the staff of the Commissioner's Office, I am committed to further enhancing and embedding the promotion, protection, and fulfilment of children's rights in law, policy, services and in the wider community.
"I hope both to support and challenge those who have influence at all levels – be they States legislators or individual professionals – to bring about positive change for children."
As required by the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 2019, the nomination will be debated 'in camera' – meaning in private.
Dr Corrigan, a native of County Louth in the South of Ireland, is currently the Head of Participation and Rights Education at the Ombudsman for Children's Office in Ireland where she works to embed participation and rights education in government policy making.
Dr Corrigan has a PhD in Social Work and Social Policy awarded by Trinity College, Dublin; a BA in Sociology and History; an MA in Sociology from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth; and a postgraduate diploma in Child and Family Law from the Irish Law Society.
The role of the Children's Commissioner for Jersey was established in response to a recommendation made during the Jersey Care Inquiry.
The Children's Commissioner promotes and protects children and young people's rights and works for every child and young person in Jersey who is:
The role also involves sharing views and advice on new and major policies, legislation or budgets which may affect the rights of children, participating in consultations and Scrutiny reviews.
Pictured: Andrea Le Saint has been Acting Children's Commissioner since July 2022.
However, when recently asked for views on a number of matters in the Government's proposed spending plans for 2024 to 2027 by Scrutiny, current Acting Children's Commissioner Andrea Le Saint said that "limited staff capacity" had meant that the team had been unable to do so this time, as they had to prioritise other "pressing and complex issues".
Dr Corrigan will take up the role in the New Year, with the exact date to be confirmed following approval by the States Assembly.
The £134k-per-year role was advertised on the Government website as below:
"With an impressive track record as a strategic leader on issues affecting children and young people, you will have exceptional influencing skills, able to inspire confidence with a diverse range of stakeholders including children and young people and decision makers at the most senior levels.
"You will also have a reputation for resolving complex issues with the ability to demonstrate independence of judgement to support decision making and policy development on matters affecting children and young people in Jersey."
The candidate also had to be an "confident and effective communicator" who will "enable Jersey to further develop collaborative relationships with the wider networks of Children's Commissioners across the United Kingdom and with the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC)".
This role, according to the job description, "presents a genuine opportunity to build on success to date and to create a meaningful and lasting legacy in Jersey where children are heard and see improvements to their lives, being actively involved in the decisions affecting them and their futures".
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