Campaign to ‘put children first’ cost £20,000

Campaign to ‘put children first’ cost £20,000

The campaign, which was first launched with a pledge for States Members to sign in 2018, was extended last month with Islanders and organisations being asked to show their support through an online petition.

The campaign has now been live for two weeks, and it is not clear how many of
the ‘signatories’ are civil servants, although government social media communications have indicated that the Youth Service, Robin Ward and the Fostering and Adoption Service have all signed up.

So far £15,216 has been spent on raising awareness, with £5,000 being used to develop the pledge website. Money has been spent on advertising in parish magazines, roadside banners, stickers and the distribution of material to schools, parish halls, doctors’ surgeries and sports centres.

Cash has also been spent on digital advertising and internal staff newsletters and emails.

Deputy Kirsten Morel said the majority of Islanders already put children first and questioned whether the pledge was entirely necessary.

He said: ‘I have to question the value of asking people to sign something like this.

‘Most people do put put children’s rights first anyway so I am sceptical about it.

‘Actions speak louder than words and it does seem the executive is trying to spread responsibility away from itself.

‘I can’t say the Children’s Minister is wrong in doing this, but I think his energy can be better spent doing other things.’

Civil servants have not been mandated to sign the pledge, according to the government, with a spokesperson saying they were pleased with the number of signatures gained to date.

Deputy Kevin Pamplin, who didn’t sign the States Members’ pledge last year, said he wanted to see real change.

He added: ‘It is trying to change the way people think and people’s mindsets about putting children first, I get that. It is about getting people thinking.

‘I’ve worked in the media for the BBC and ITV and I know what slogans and phrases are about, but I want to see action. I want to see where are the changes.’

Meanwhile, Children’s Commissioner Deborah McMillan said it was important that the pledge was not simply a ‘tick-box exercise’ and that meaningful change would be delivered as a result.

She said: ‘It gets people talking and thinking about children. From that point of view, I think it is a wonderful idea. However, it cannot be a tick-box exercise.’

Children’s Minister Sam Mézec said the campaign could shift decades of preconceptions.

He added: ‘Putting Children First is the first priority in the Common Strategic Policy and remains the most profound responsibility of government – never to allow the failings that led to children in our care suffering unacceptable abuse to happen again.

‘Around 100 Islanders a day have so far pledged their support to Putting Children First, which is a positive start of what will be a long-running campaign to engage Islanders on these important issues.

‘Part of this campaign will also involve working with businesses and asking them what they do to put children first and give children a positive experience when dealing with companies.

‘You can’t shift decades of preconceptions without serious effort and this campaign seeks to reach every family and business in the Island.

‘It is a small budget for such a major awareness campaign, and will cost just 40 pence per household.’

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