Hounslow Council says a mistake by its own officers has led to the borough being named one of the hardest in the country for children to grow up in.

The council says it has identified errors in information it supplied to the Children’s Commissioner which significantly affected its position.

The landmark ‘Childhood Lottery’ report was published on October the 19th.

In it, Hounslow, Middlesborough and Bradford were named as the hardest places for children to grow up in England.

But the council says its own officers had not submitted accurate data which led to a mis-representation of the borough compared to other upper-tier authority areas.

Twelve services which the Council provides for children and young people were omitted.

Hounslow council says had they been included, Hounslow would have been positioned 84th out of 148, rather than 147th.

The Council says it recognises it should have provided the correct data at the time of collection to ensure a more accurate representation of the experiences of, and support available for, children and young people in Hounslow.

Councillor Madeeha Asim, Cabinet Member for Children and Young Futures, said: “We are not expecting the Children’s Commissioner to change the report and understand they had to base their positions on what was presented. The Council is investigating why the correct data was not supplied to ensure such an oversight does not happen again.

“However, we felt it was important we correct the record, provide a more accurate picture, and reassure people who were understandably concerned by the original findings.

“Despite this revised assessment, we recognise that too many young people in our borough still face challenges and unacceptably high levels of deprivation. That is why we made addressing inequality central to our manifesto and the Council’s Corporate Plan ‘A Fairer Future’.

“We want young people to get the best start in life. I stood for election to make a difference and create a fairer future for our children and young people. That commitment remains central to my role as Cabinet Member because every child and young person deserves an opportunity to thrive.

“That’s why we put improving outcomes for children and young people at the heart of our ambitions for the borough. It’s why we are investing in our play spaces through our playground pledge; giving a library card to every newborn; strengthening our fantastic Family Hubs which bring health, parenting, childcare and education together in one place; connecting young people to jobs through our Young People’s Skills and Employment Guarantee programme; and will be opening the first new residential home in the borough in over a decade.

“These are just some of the steps we’re taking to improve the lives of children and young people and build on years of investment and initiatives by the Council, partners and community organisations across the borough, all supported by high-performing local schools, the majority of which are rated Good or Outstanding.

“Hounslow is my home, where I am raising my two children. Like every parent, I want them to grow up safe, supported, and able to reach their full potential. I want nothing less for every child in our borough.”