Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 30/11/21.
Opinion: Why free school meals in Labour-Plaid deal are an investment not a cost – Nation Cymru
26 November 2021. Dr Victoria Winckler, Director of the Bevan Foundation. Labour and Plaid Cymru’s pledge to provide a free meal to all primary school children in Wales is an incredibly bold and positive step:
Article: Early intervention cuts have placed 1m children at risk of poor life chances – Willis Palmer
November 2021. A failure to invest in children at risk of harm has affected over one million children, with those in deprived areas being worst affected. This has resulted in worse life chances for vulnerable children and increased pressures on children’s services:
Article: Government reveals £2.4 billion underspend on Tax-Free Childcare – Nursery World
Katy Morton, 26 November 2021. New data from the Treasury shows the a difference of £2.4bn between the amount of money allocated for Tax-Free Childcare and actual spending on the scheme since its launch in 2017:
Ministerial Statement: Early Years Education Entitlements: Hourly Funding Rates – Parallel Parliament
25 November 2021. Ministerial Statement – The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Will Quince) – on Early Years Education Entitlements: Hourly Funding Rates:
Inquiry: Universal Credit and childcare costs – Work and Pensions Committee
November 2021. Call for evidence: Universal Credit and childcare costs Inquiry:
Link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1611/universal-credit-and-childcare-costs/
Article: Outdoor play is ‘every child’s right’ – Nursery World
25 November 2021Catherine Gaunt and Katy Morton. Every child has a right to spend time outdoors, said Professor Jan White, speaking at Nursery World’s outdoor play conference:
Link: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/outdoor-play-is-every-child-s-right
News: Mental health: Western Trust sees rise in children treated for depression – BBC News Online
25 November 2021, Laura Trueman. A five-year-old was one of a number of children sent to a hospital emergency department by their GP after suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59353305
Guidance: Youth Investment Fund Phase 1: Grant Competition – Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Nigel Huddleston MP
23 November 2021. VCSE organisations are invited to deliver Phase 1 of the Youth Investment Fund, up to £10 million capital in left-behind areas of England by 31 March 2022:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-investment-fund-phase-1-grant-competition
News: Child obesity: Why has the situation got so bad? – TES Online
22 November 2021, Dan Worth. The impact of Covid lockdowns on the childhood obesity problem has been laid bare by new NHS data:
Link: https://www.tes.com/news/child-obesity-why-has-situation-got-so-bad-covid-lockdowns
News: Wales: Free primary school meals and childcare pledges – BBC News Online
22 November 2021. All primary school pupils in Wales have been promised free school meals within three years after a co-operation deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59378951
News: Facebook and Instagram encryption plans delayed by Meta until 2023 – BBC News Online
22 November 2021. Facebook and Instagram encryption plans delayed by Meta until 2023:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59373959
News: Children in care in England could hit almost 100,000 by 2025 – BBC News Online
22 November 2021, Chris Mason & Hannah Capella. Research commissioned by county councils said the figure would represent a 36% rise in a decade. And the expected increase is already putting “unprecedented pressure” on local authority’s budgets:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59365725
News: Dr Alex George: ‘Young people face a mental health emergency… we must act now’ – Express Online
21 November 2021, Lucy Johnstone. GOVERNMENT mental health tsar Dr Alex George says the growing mental health crisis faced by young people can only be tackled by a national network of “wellbeing hubs”:
Article: Cross-party Lords urge ministers to reverse cuts to early years services – Nursery World
19 November 2021, Katy Morton. A House of Lords committee are calling for the Government to restore funding for early years services and youth support to 2010 levels to protect vulnerable children:
Article: Fifteen times more child abuse content found online than 10 years ago – Willis Palmer
November 2021. Internet Watch Foundation analysts are finding more than fifteen times as much child sexual abuse material on the internet as they were ten years ago, it has emerged:
Link: https://www.willispalmer.com/fifteen-times-more-child-abuse-content-found-online-than-10-years-ago/
News: School uniform costs: ‘It amazes me how much I spend on my children’ – BBC News Online
19 November 2021, Hazel Shearing. Parents in England must be allowed to buy some uniform from High Street shops as well as school suppliers, according to new government rules:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59339687
Article: New research supports call for 30 hours to be extended to vulnerable children – Nursery World
18 November 2021, Katy Morton. Vulnerable three- and four-year-olds who received 30 hours of free childcare in LEYF’s nurseries, demonstrated improved communication and maths, reveals an analysis of the nursery group’s programme:
Press release: Government funds new tech in the fight against online child abuse – Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Home Office, Chris Philp MP, and The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP
17 November 2021. New innovative technology to help stop the spread of child sexual abuse material on end-to-end encrypted social media and online messaging platforms will be developed thanks to UK government funding:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-funds-new-tech-in-the-fight-against-online-child-abuse
Lords Debate: National Food Strategy Report – Parallel Parliament
17 November 2021. Text of a short debate in the Lords on Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy:
Article: Is ending anonymity the price to pay for online safety? – Politics Home
16 November 2021, Sheila Amedodah. Home Secretary Priti Patel’s suggestion that the government could look at restricting online anonymity in the wake of the killing of veteran Conservative MP Sir David Amess highlights the difficult balance lawmakers must strike in regulating powerful social media companies to reduce online harm while protecting those who need to hide their identity to speak truth to power:
Link: https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/is-ending-anonymity-the-price-to-pay-for-online-safety
News: Pandemic sees big rise in obese children in England – BBC News Online
17 November 2021, Nick Triggle. There has been a substantial rise in the number of obese children in England during the pandemic, data from NHS Digital suggests:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59308878
News: Obesity among children soars after lockdown – Yahoo News
16 November 2021, Ellie Pickover. Data from NHS Digital show that almost one in seven children start primary school obese. And more than a quarter are obese by the time they finish primary school:
Link: https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/obesity-among-children-soars-lockdown-103813488.html
News: Obese children as young as two years old will be sent to NHS clinics to help them lose weight – I news
16 November 2021, Paul Gallagher. Around 1,000 children a year aged between two and 18, and experiencing health complications related to severe obesity, will receive tailored care packages developed with their family:
Article: New training programme aims to combat early years recruitment crisis – Nursery World
15 November 2021, Katy Morton. A training programme to support those who are unemployed to gain the skills and qualifications to work in the childcare sector and find employment has been launched with funding from the Mayor of London:
Official Statistics: Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: 23 March 2020 to 11 November 2021 – Department for Education
16 November 2021. A summary of attendance in education settings up to 11 November 2021:
Press release: More support for schools to tackle bullying – Department for Education and Will Quince MP
16 November 2021. Schools across England to benefit from further specialist training to help pupils combat bullying:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-support-for-schools-to-tackle-bullying
Article: Teen Mental Health – A Guide for Parents
A resource for parents of teenagers
Link: https://www.mytutor.co.uk/blog/parents/teen-mental-health-a-guide-for-parents/