Unicef found UK fails its children

Why did Unicef find that the UK is failing its children? It's 2020 report looked at child well-being in the world's richest countries. The UK comes near to the bottom of the table. The Unicef report, 'Worlds of influence: Understanding what shapes child well-being in rich countries' found:

1. The Unicef report found that the UK came 29th out of the 38 richest countries for children's mental well-being.

2. Unicef found that the UK's children came 26th out of the 38 richest countries for skills, with only 63% having basic maths and reading skills at age 15.

3. 31% of our children are overweight or obese.

4. Unicef found that only 64% of our children have high life satisfaction compared with 90% of children in the Netherlands.

5. Only 50% of children felt that they have enough outside places in which to play, compared with 70% of children in Switzerland or Estonia.

Let's refocus the lens away from child protection and social work, and towards improving our early years provision, our schools, our environments and our levels of child poverty.