The NSPCC has asked parents and young people how they feel about the impact of smartphones and social media on child safety and wellbeing. Young people told the NSPCC that they feel trying to keep them away from smartphones and social media was unrealistic in an online world, and that having a phone to...
Young people urged to ‘choose respect’ this Anti-Bullying Week
This week (11th-15th November) is Anti-Bullying Week 2024 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with Odd Socks Day held on Tuesday and World Kindness Day marked on Wednesday. Organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), Anti-Bullying Week aims to highlight the issue of bullying and the theme for 2024 is: ‘Choose Respect.’ The ABA consulted...
Youth Mental Health Day urges young people to control their scroll
It’s Youth Mental Health Day and the theme for 2024 is #ControlYourScroll. Youth Mental Health Day is an annual awareness campaign falling on 19th September which aims to raise awareness and foster discussion around the mental health challenges young people face. This year, the mental health campaign, spearheaded by youth mental health charity stem4,...
Reforming Mental Health Act a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’
A leading mental health charity has called the new government’s pledge to reform the Mental Health Act a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” Responding to the King’s Speech, national charity Mind said that plans announced within it to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983 were “a welcome first step in tackling the nation’s mental health crisis.” The...
Youth group to advise on child safety online
A new group of young people has been set up to advise politicians, regulators, parents and professionals about child safety online. The Voice of Online Youth group consists of 15 young people aged 13-16 from across the UK. They were selected based on their passion for helping children to remain safe online. The group...
Thousands of young people seek support for gender and sexuality
Childline marked Pride Month by highlighting the “crucial” support it offers to thousands of children and young people with concerns about gender and sexuality each year. National children’s charity the NSPCC, which operates Childline, had a presence at Pride events in Britain to remind young people that it offers free, impartial and non-judgmental support...
CQC community mental health survey finds poor care
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently published the results of its 2023 Community Mental Health Survey, which revealed that people’s experiences of community mental health services are generally poor. The watchdog says that the survey, which received feedback from 14,770 people who received treatment for a mental health condition between 1st April and 31st...
Childline: Children struggling with feelings of unhappiness
Childline has revealed that it receives nearly 40 contacts per day from children who are struggling with feelings of unhappiness and low mood. The national charity helpline, operated by the NSPCC, delivered 14,253 counselling sessions last year for children who were struggling with low mood and unhappiness, leading them to launch a new campaign...
Self-Harm Awareness Day aims to improve understanding
This Friday, 1st March 2024, is Self-Harm Awareness Day in the UK, aimed at improving understanding of this sensitive and often misunderstood topic. Run by Harmless, the national centre of excellence for self-harm and suicide prevention, the awareness campaign, sometimes known as Self-Injury Awareness Day, provides “an opportunity for everyone across the country to...
New briefing reveals concerns about in-patient mental health care for children
The NSPCC has published a new briefing about young people’s experiences of in-patient mental health care after a sharp increase in the number of children contacting Childline about this issue. The Helplines Insight Briefing reveals that children and young people often feel as though they’re not being listened to when they’re admitted to, cared...
75% of parents of young children worry for their mental health
New research shows that 3 in 4 UK parents with pre-school aged children worry about their mental health and wellbeing. A recent survey carried out by the NSPCC found that UK parents are anxious about their child’s mental health as well as issues such as social media use and bullying. The issue that parents...
Children’s Mental Health Week: give children a voice
It’s Children’s Mental Health Week in the UK (5th-11th February 2024) and the theme for this year is ‘My Voice Matters’, as new data shows young people face barriers when seeking mental health support. Children’s Mental Health Week was founded in 2015 by the charity Place2Be. Now in its tenth year, the national awareness...
New measures launched to tackle school absences
The government recently launched new measures to help tackle widespread school absences. Launched as pupils were due to head back into the classroom following their Christmas break, the new measures are designed to drive up attendance and tackle persistent absences at schools in England. Figures show that the number of pupils frequently absent from...
AI could speed up diagnosis of child mental health conditions
A research programme is working to develop an AI system that could revolutionise child mental health care. Dr Anna Moore is leading the project, based at the University of Cambridge, which is using cutting-edge technology to hopefully speed up the diagnosis of mental health conditions in children and identify those most at risk of...
Childline: Over 100,000 children seek mental health help
Data released by the NSPCC reveals that over 100,000 children contacted Childline last year for help with mental health struggles. The confidential charity helpline delivered more than 105,000 counselling sessions on mental health and emotional wellbeing between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023 – over half of the total number of counselling sessions...