Middlesbrough and Sunderland are among the hardest places in England for children to grow up, a report says.
The findings come from The Childhood Lottery, a new dataset and interactive map produced by the Children’s Commissioner for England. It examines the challenges facing children in every local authority across the country.
More than 160 measures are brought together in the report. An overall score has been given to each area, with rankings based on almost 100 measures.
These include access to health and social care, education and housing, safety, opportunities to play, and whether children have a voice in decisions made by local leaders.
The report lists Middlesbrough, Hounslow, Bradford, Nottingham, Halton, Peterborough, Leicester, Liverpool, Sunderland and Medway as the hardest places to grow up.
Areas identified as the least challenging include Cheshire East, Merton, Surrey, Richmond upon Thames, Hertfordshire, Cheshire West and Chester, Haringey, Leicestershire, Central Bedfordshire and Wokingham.
(Image: GOOGLE)
Its conclusions state that “the postcode lottery is real”, with children’s experiences differing according to where they live.
The report also identifies “unacceptable outcomes and levels of service delivery for children in too many parts of the country”. It says these differences amount to a “state of emergency” in some areas.
For children using mental health services, the report highlights a difference in waiting times between areas.
More than one million children had active referrals to children and young people’s mental health services in 2024-25. The median time from referral to a second contact was six days in Leicester, compared with 118 days in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
All regions are represented among the 25 places where the data shows childhood is hardest. Other examples include Somerset in the South West, Birmingham in the West Midlands, and Hounslow in London.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, is expected to discuss the findings in a speech on Monday. She is expected to call on Andy Burnham’s Government to ensure children’s outcomes and life chances are not decided by where they live.
Dame Rachel is expected to say: “every single local area in England has work to do to make lives better for their children”.
She is also expected to say: “In some communities, these challenges amount to nothing less than a state of emergency. Not for every child. Not everywhere.”
She will add: “But what we see here is a litany of failure. In so many areas of the country, children are being radically failed.”
Dame Rachel is expected to describe devolution as “an opportunity” and a “unique chance to remove the extreme inequality and unfairness” identified in the report.
She will say: “New powers will mean new structures, and therefore new opportunities to think about, listen to, and deliver for children.”
Her recommendations are expected to include appointing a deputy mayor for children in every strategic authority.
Dame Rachel will also call for local areas to receive support from central government to raise standards across health, social care, housing and communities.
She will say: “Local areas must be provided with support from central government to raise standards for children across health, social care, housing and communities, with urgent action where it falls beyond a set level.”
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She is expected to conclude: “This needs to be our response to the emergency.”
The report uses data collected by the Children’s Commissioner, alongside figures from the Department for Education and 10 other public bodies.
It is due to be launched at an event in Westminster on Monday.