ABSTRACT
Children are citizens in their own right. They need protection, provision and participation, the fundamental principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In drafting the National Service Framework for Children, much time was spent in considering how to change the culture and delivery of our services for children bedeviled and constrained by bunkers and silos. The Nottingham Centre for Children, Young People and Families and the Duchy Health Charity in Cornwall are at early stages in developing and making the concept real. In the emergency department, the child needed experts who understood the vulnerability and instability of seriously injured children could provide a comprehensive assessment of the child's condition and had the ability to communicate with parents. 'Change for Children' must be embedded in local communities with changes in practice driven by policy and political will supported by professionals and the public, especially parents.
