Outspoken children’s champion Daphne Caine has quit the role after the government decided to slash her remit.

The Garff MHK tells Chief Minister Howard Quayle in her resignation letter that, given the changes, she could do more by working from the ranks.

’I would rather be an untrammelled backbencher than a constrained champion,’ she says

Mrs Caine - who was appointed to the role, which receives no extra pay, shortly after the 2016 general election - clashed with Education Minister Graham Cregeen on numerous occasions on a wide range of issues.

The paring back of Mrs Caine’s role receives just one line’s mention in the summary of Council of Ministers proceedings.

It states: ’Council considered a paper submitted by the Cabinet Office and agreed the revised terms of reference for the children’s champion.’

But Mrs Caine, who said she had been inspired by the people she had met as children’s champion, told the Manx Independent the effect of the changes would limit her role to covering looked-after and vulnerable children, rather than representing the needs of all children.

The majority of her contact in the role over the last 18 months would have fallen outside the new remit.

In her resignation latter, she states: ’The revised role of children’s champion is too restrictive. I believe it would be untenable for me to continue, given recent meetings and correspondence with parents and young people concerning a range of issues spanning health to education, plus leisure activities.

’I feel I could be a more effective champion for all island children by progressing concerns directly with departments and by referring matters to the Social Affairs Policy Review Committee.

’I feel this is actually a more efficient route rather than reporting annually to the chief minister.’

She also raises concerns after being told the role was impartial - saying that would affect the ability to scrutinise.

’If the children’s champion must be completely impartial, I cannot have an opinion and cannot criticise,’ she argues.

’I am aware that reporting the various feedback and concerns in my annual report seems to have been difficult for ministers/departments and note Minister Cregeen’s comment in Tynwald that his department welcomed challenge but did not like reports based on "hearsay".’

Mrs Caine says her ability to investigate certain complaints would also be compromised.

’Supposing the complaint is that a family’s human rights are being breached by a department, am I to say that is not in the remit?’ she asks.

’Also, while I would not intervene in a department’s complaints process, would I be overstepping the new remit by listening to a complaint or writing to a department on their behalf?’

She says the remit change means ’the role of the children’s champion would be rendered totally ineffectual’.

Looked-after children already had a ’children’s rights champion’ based in the Department of Health and Social Care, she points out.

’Public perception could be that looked-after children have two champions and other children none.’

She finishes her resignation letter by urging the Council of Ministers to consider ’whether the Isle of Man would benefit from a non-political children’s commissioner in place of a children’s champion’.

In his reply to Mrs Caine, Chief Minister Howard Quayle thanks her for her ’enthusiasm, passion and commitment’, but concedes their views differ on the scope of the role.

’I believe your aspirations in including all children within your remit set you an almost impossible task.’

He adds: ’While the issues you raise â?¦ such as access to play facilities or service provision for island children are important, they are also issues that are able to be raised by parents and other groups.

’Where I see the role of my children’s champion adding most value is in providing a voice for those groups of children who do not have parents able to communicate on their behalf.

’In particular this means looked-after and vulnerable children.’