A charity leader said yesterday she looked forward to consultation over Government plans to boost child protection.

Nicola Paugh, the executive director of the Inter Agency Committee for Children, Families and the Community, said the organisation was encouraged by efforts to develop stronger safeguards.

Rena Lalgie, the Governor, said in the Throne Speech, delivered on behalf of the Government: “During this session, the Department of Child and Family Services will be strengthened in the area of child safeguarding to reduce the harm, abuse and distress of children on our island.”

Dr Paugh said: “IAC is aware that there are Government efforts already under way around various child safeguarding initiatives.

“We are encouraged by this and look forward to ongoing updates as well as opportunities for our stakeholders, who are mutually concerned about child wellbeing, to be consulted throughout the process.”

The IAC is an umbrella group that supports the work of service providers and non-profit organisations.

Tiffanne Thomas, an independent social worker, backed Dr Paugh.

She said: “The Government’s commitment to strengthening its existing framework related to child safeguarding is welcome news.

“Research has widely established that adverse childhood experiences that go unresolved have the potential to impact people’s ability to adjust and function adequately throughout their lifetime.

“I look forward to hearing more details about the Government’s plans.”

Ms Lalgie said in the speech: “Wherever Government services touch the lives of the island’s children, the approach must be one through which they are nurtured and developed.

“The Swiss psychologist and philosopher Alice Miller observed that ‘children who are respected learn respect. Children who are cared for learn to care for those weaker than themselves. Children who are loved for what they are cannot learn intolerance. In an environment such as this, they will develop their own ideals, which can be nothing other than humane, since they grew out of the experience of love’.”