Rights, what are they and who has them? Alderson¹ describes rights as “equal entitlements for all members of the human family to respect their worth and dignity…” as a reflection of the preamble stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989.² The Convention reflects the philosophy that children too are equals, having the same inherent value as grown-ups. The value of childhood itself is emphasised by the child’s right to play within Article 31 of the Convention.³ The Articles of the convention have been divided into three sections:

• Provision: setting the rights to the provision of necessary goods services and resources that will help them reach their potential. This includes the right to food, health care, education, etc.

• Protection: the right to be protected from neglect, abuse, exploitation, and discrimination.

• Participation: the right to be respected; being active participants in the family, in the communities in which they live, as well as in organisations that provide services for them.

This includes being informed and having access to information, to the opportunity to express their views, and to have those views and wishes taken seriously in all matters that affect them (Articles 12, 13, and 17). In a health care setting these rights are especially challenging in relation to consent to treatment.

Working from a rights base perspective is important to my personal and professional accountability in my role as a nurse and manager within the NHS. All rights are applicable in health care but it is the application of the participation rights that are perhaps the most challenging because they challenge our power and authority. A rights based approach requires that we examine and understand our power and influence in the roles we have with …