National Preventive Mechanism Eleventh Annual Report 2019–20 In March 2020, we published our anniversary report, Ten years of the NPM: Working together to prevent torture and illtreatment.187 This special report looks back at the history of the NPM and the invaluable contribution it has made to the prevention of torture. Ten years of the NPM provides examples of the work done to strengthen the human rights focus of inspection and monitoring work. The report also highlights how the NPM works together effectively and engages with international efforts to prevent torture. Member-specific developments In 2019–20, the Children’s Commissioner for England (CCE) engaged in research on the situation for children who are deprived of their liberty without appropriate legal authorisation. The CCE published a report on the topic: Who are they? Where are they?188 For this research, the CCE expanded their visiting programme and worked with secure children’s homes (SCHs), local authorities and social workers to find out more about this complex area where children are deprived of their liberty without proper legal authorisation in place (for more on the CCE’s findings on this issue, see ‘Children in detention’, p.48). The CCE also published research on the excessive lengths of stay for children in secure hospitals in England.189 As a result of the CCE’s work on this issue, the NHS announced a taskforce with the aim of changing the situation for children. Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner, chairs the Independent Oversight Group attached to the taskforce and throughout the reporting year worked to amplify the voices of children who are detained for extensive periods in secure hospitals. 187 UK NPM, 2020, Ten year of the UK National Preventive Mechanism: Working together to prevent torture and ill-treatment, https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/npm-prod-storage-19n0nag2nk8xk/uploads/2020/03/6.6303_NPM_10-YearsReport_V7_WEB.pdf [accessed 10/11/2020] 188 CCE, May 2019, Who are they? Where are they?: Children locked up, https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2019/05/cco-who-are-they-where-are-they-may-2019.pdf [accessed 27/08/2020] 189 CCE, May 2019, Far less than they deserve: Children with learning disabilities or autism living in mental health hospitals, https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/CCO-far-less-than-they-deserve-2019.pdf [accessed 27/08/2020] 64