Abstract

Health and Personal Social Services are required to respond positively and effectively to complaints from service users. This paper discusses the importance of such complaints systems in upholding children's rights, and in particular Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It outlines the nature of some of the advocacy services available to children and young people who may wish to make a complaint about their treatment within Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social Services. It then moves on to discuss some possible future developments, and in particular speculates on the potential role of the Northern Ireland Children's Commissioner in investigating complaints concerning the care and treatment of children in Northern Ireland health and personal social services.