Hounslow Ranked as Second Worst Place to Grow Up
Scathing Children's Commissioner’s report reveals big gaps in provision
Child mortality rate among the highest in the country. Picture: Hounslow Council
October 20, 2026
The Borough of Hounslow has been rated the second most difficult place for a child to grow up in England.
A landmark dataset published by the Children’s Commissioner for England found only in Middlesbrough in the North East is it more challenging for a child growing up than in Hounslow. The report revealed deep structural gaps in basic health provision and early intervention across the borough.
For example, only 70.8 per cent of eligible children receive routine MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) jabs which is lower than 132 other local authorities in the country. A significant number of children in the borough – more than 1 in 10 – feel they lack access to good healthcare when needed. This placed Hounslow 146th out of 153 local authorities.
The child mortality rate for 0-19 year olds was also one of the highest in the country at 6.07 per 10,000 – ranking 149th out of 153 areas. The borough reported having no local mental health drop-in hubs, no specialist child bereavement services, and no targeted support groups for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or additional health needs.
The commissioner included a case study of a six-year old Hounslow girl named Sula. Sula strongly agreed with the statement that her family has everything they need to support them, as did many of her friends – only 4.2% of children in Hounslow disagreed with this statement.
However, the report reads: “Sula’s mum knows that vaccinations are important, but when Sula was a toddler, her mum was not able to access childhood vaccinations for Sula in Hounslow because she couldn’t access the vaccination centre on public transport or find information about what support may be available.
“This is an issue across Hounslow, where only 71% of children have had their childhood vaccinations. This rate is lower than 132 other local authorities and may be worsened still by low uptake among her neighbouring local authorities.”
Hounslow Council says that mental health and wellbeing of young people have been boosted through the recent launch of Think Well, a free, non-clinical wellbeing hub in Cranford. This autumn term the council is building on its SEND offer of 290 commissioned specialist places within mainstream schools.
Vulnerable children also face difficulties growing up in Hounslow, with over 65 per cent of looked-after children in care placed outside the borough. Additionally, 10.3 per cent of children experience one or more mid-year school moves.
Local spending on youth services is well below the national median of £92 per teenager. In Hounslow, it is £65.90 per teenager.
Hounslow reported zero local authority youth hubs, youth clubs or youth centres, and no targeted youth groups for LGBTQ+ or Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children. It also reported having no Child Independent Sexual Violence Advisors and no Children in Care Council.
Despite this, Hounslow presents a striking contrast between high classroom achievement and lack of council support services. The borough ranks 26th in England with 52.6 per cent of students achieving a grade 5 or better in GCSE English and Maths.
Additionally, only 1.4 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds are not in education, employment or training, and just 12.4 per cent of children report not enjoying school – the third best in England.
Responding to the report published on Monday (19 October), Councillor Madeeha Asim, Cabinet Member for Children and Young Futures at Hounslow Council, said: “Every child deserves to thrive, wherever they live in the country, or our borough.
“However, as this report shows, each area has different challenges which no single organisation can tackle alone. The report has said this is not a ranking of councils but a diagnostic tool to guide policy and shine a spotlight on the need for resources for local action.
“In Hounslow we stand by our commitment to supporting children and families detailed in our new four-year plan and welcome continued dialogue with system-wide partners in driving our ambitions to create a borough where all children can thrive; where all of the health, education and spaces for children reduce avoidable inequalities early, support families before problems escalate, and help build a fairer future for Hounslow.”
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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