Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 13/08/20
Report: Babies in Lockdown – Babies in Lockdown
5 August 2020, Best Beginnings, Home Start and Parent-Infant Foundation. This report sets about to change this by exploring pandemic and lockdown reflections from a diverse group of expectant and new parents during the critical first months and years of their babies’ development:
Report: Life on Hold – Children’s Society
July 2020. The Coronavirus pandemic, together with the associated social distancing and lockdown measures, have had a substantial impact on health and public freedom. This report looks in depth at the impact of Coronavirus and the associated lockdown on young lives:
Article: Schools and nurseries should be last to close in future coronavirus lockdowns, government told – Politics Home
5 August 2020, Kate Forrest. Schools and nurseries should be the last to close in any future coronavirus lockdowns, the Children’s Commissioner has said. In a new briefing, Anne Longfield said classrooms should have their doors shut only once all other options have been exhausted:
News: One in eight childcare workers in England earn less than £5 an hour – Guardian Online
5 August 2020, Sally Weale. Report finds workload and lack of career development having an adverse effect on the sector:
Article: Ministers urged to prioritise mental health as survey reveals 1.1m teens felt unhappy during lockdown – Politics Home
30 July 2020, Eleanor Langford. Labour has backed calls for “immediate mental health support” for young people after a survey revealed 1.1 million teens reported feeling unhappy with their lives during lockdown:
Open consultation: Front-of-pack nutrition labelling in the UK: building on success – Department of Health and Social Care
30 July 2020. Views sought on making sure the ‘traffic light’ front-of-pack nutrition labels (FOPNL) scheme continues to help people choose what food and drink to buy:
News: PM’s child poverty claims ‘inaccurate,’ says statistics watchdog – BBC News Online
30 July 2020. Boris Johnson has made a number of inaccurate claims about child poverty levels since coming to power, the UK’s statistics watchdog has said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53588275
News: Huge growth in free school meals urged to tackle food poverty crisis – Guardian Online
29 July 2020, Patrick Butler. Up to 1.5 million more children in England should get free school meals to help tackle a growing crisis of food poverty and unhealthy eating, according to a blueprint billed as the first national food strategy since war rationing:
News: Why lessons in healthy eating will never work – TES Online
28 July 2020, Dr Tara Porter. Schools must remember that tackling obesity is not about imparting knowledge but changing behaviour:
Why lessons in healthy eating will never work
Article: Boost free school meals to avert ‘slow-motion disaster’ of hunger and malnutrition, ministers urged – Politics Home
29 July 2020, Matt Honeycombe-Foster. The Government should dramatically increase the number of children eligible for free school meals to address the “slow-motion disaster of the British diet”, according to a major review:
News: Unhealthy diets are ‘slow-motion disaster’ – BBC News Online
29 July 2020, Sean Coughlan. Free school meals should be extended to another 1.5 million children in England, says a government-commissioned review into food and healthy eating. The National Food Strategy warns that England’s eating habits are a “slow-motion disaster”:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53574164
Guidance: Nursery and early years sector: COVID-19 restrictions and consumer law – Competition and Markets Authority
28 July 2020. Advice to help nurseries and early years providers understand how consumer law applies to arrangements they make with parents during the coronavirus pandemic:
Nursery and early years sector: COVID-19 restrictions and consumer law
Article: Intervention at early years is essential for tackling child obesity – Nursery Management Today
July 2020. The Government has launched its anti-obesity strategy which brings an end to displaying sweets at the checkouts and bans adverts that promote unhealthy food after 9pm. A new “Better Health” campaign, run by Public Health England, will call on everyone to “embrace a healthier lifestyle”:
Intervention at early years is essential for tackling child obesity
Article: Boris Johnson’s u-turn on obesity is welcome, but real action must follow – Politics Home
27 July 2020, Alex Norris MP. After years of inaction, the Government has revealed a plan to tackle the obesity crisis. But we’ll judge ministers on their actions, not their words. Across England, almost one in four 4-5 year olds begin primary school either overweight or obese. By the time these children leave, aged 11, this will have risen to over one in three:
News: Obesity: Have 20 years of policies had any effect? – BBC News Online
28 July 2020. The prime minister has launched a new policy on obesity in England. This will not be the first attempt to tackle the problem – at least a dozen policies or white papers have been announced on the topic since 1997:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/53494616
Policy paper: Cycling and walking plan for England – Department for Transport
27 July 2020. Sets out a vision for a travel revolution in England’s streets, towns and communities:
Cycling and walking plan for England
Policy paper: Tackling obesity: government strategy – Department of Health and Social Care
27 July 2020. Sets out the actions the government will take to tackle obesity and help adults and children to live healthier lives:
Tackling obesity: government strategy
Press release: New obesity strategy unveiled as country urged to lose weight to beat coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect the NHS – Department of Health and Social Care
27 July 2020. New package of measures and ‘Better Health’ campaign announced to help people lose weight: