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Child Safety Week makes safety simple

It’s Child Safety Week in the UK and the theme for this year is Safety Made Simple.

The annual community education campaign, which takes place from 5^th-11^th June this year, is run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) in a bid to spark safety conversations and build families’ knowledge and awareness regarding child safety risks.

The theme for this year is Safety Made Simple.

The UK charity says that any approach to accident prevention needs to be simple, as accidents usually occur when there is a lot going on.

Simple changes for child safety

That’s why, this year, they are focusing on providing parents with simple changes to stop the most serious accidents and are giving practitioners simple ways to get involved with activities, even when facing increased pressures.

The CAPT’s mission is to ensure all children “have the freedom to grow and learn, safe from serious harm.”

Their Parent Pack outlines simple changes and tips for everything from preventing falls, burns and poisoning to fire safety and safety around dogs, roads and water.

Meanwhile, they also provide a range of free educational resources for practitioners and have a dedicated Child Safety Week 2023 information pack available to download from their website. Resources available include factsheets, printed resources, session plans, activity sheets, videos, display materials and a social media pack.

The charity wants to reach as many families as possible with their key safety advice and is encouraging people to connect with them on social media and share their important safety posts to help extend their reach, using the hashtag #ChildSafetyWeek.

Key child safety messages

Some of the charity’s key safety messages include:

Blind Cords – If a toddler gets a blind cord caught around their neck, they can lose consciousness in just 15 seconds and could die in just 2 or 3 minutes. Blind cords should be fitted with a cleat hook or tensioner to keep cords and chains safely away. Consider using cord free blinds in children’s rooms, move bedroom furniture away from cords and chains, as children may climb, and make sure the cords on the back of roman blinds are connected using a device that breaks under pressure.
Button Batteries – If a small child swallows a button battery – particularly big, powerful lithium coin cell batteries – it can become stuck in their food pipe and burn through to the main artery, very quickly causing serious harm or even death. Children aged 6 months to 4.5 years are most at risk. Check your home for button batteries and keep products containing them well
out of a child’s reach if the battery compartment isn’t secured. Spare batteries should also be stored well out of reach and flat batteries safely disposed of as soon as possible – they can still hold enough charge to pose a danger to your child. The CAPT also advises parents to be wary of online marketplaces or local discount shops, as products sold by them may contain button batteries that your child can access easily. If you suspect your child has swallowed a battery, take them to A&E or call 999 for an ambulance immediately.
Dog Safety – Most families feel that their dog would never bite or attack a child, but its important to understand that any dog can bite if they feel they have no other option, and statistics shows that children are most likely to be bitten at home, by a familiar dog. Calm, happy dogs who receive plenty of exercise and mental activity, as well as having a safe space of their own for peace and quiet when they need it, are less likely to lash out. Teach children to be calm and kind with dogs and to avoid shouting, teasing or giving tight, restrictive cuddles. Children should also be taught about key times when it’s important to leave a dog alone, such as when they’re sleeping, eating or have a toy or something else they really like and may not want to share. Close supervision at all times is key; watch, listen and remain close when your child is with a dog. If you’re ever concerned by the way your dog behaves around your child, speak to your vet in the first instance.
Road Safety – Help your children learn road safety by modelling the correct behaviours yourself; ensure you always check for traffic and pay attention before stepping into the road. You can teach children the Green Cross Code from age 5, but you may need to keep reminding them about road safety rules and should always closely supervise young children, encouraging them to hold your hand or use walking reins when you’re out and about. Make sure your child’s car seat is the appropriate one for their age, height and weight and for your make of car. Ensure children always wear a helmet when cycling and access cycle training for them if possible. Keep an eye on your own speed when driving and never use your mobile phone behind the wheel.

The CAPT is the only charity in the UK which is dedicated to preventing serious injury and death to children from avoidable accidents. They are striving for a safer world for all children.

They want to ensure that children are safe at home, on the roads and in the poorest families and communities, citing the following statistics:

Data from Public Health England (PHE) shows that children from the poorest families are 40% more likely to have a serious accident
PHE data also reveals that 80% of accidents involving children under the age of 5 happen at home, with one child each week being killed as a result of an accident in the home.
The Department for Transport says that 2,400 children are badly injured on roads each year.

Training solutions for those who work with children

First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food hygiene, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.

They work with a large number of early years, schools and childcare providers, as well as colleges, youth groups and children’s services.

Their courses include Safeguarding Children, Health and Safety for Child Carers, Risk Assessment for Child Carers, Paediatric First Aid Training, and many more.

A trainer from FRT says:

“Small children can be into everything and it can take just a moment for them to do something unsafe or injure themselves. It’s essential that those who are responsible for their care are aware of the risks and the sensible safety measures to take to remove or significantly reduce those risks.

“Our common sense safety and first aid training for early years and childcarers ensure that those who work with children have the knowledge, skills and confidence to keep children safe and protected from harm, and that they can take the correct, effective steps if an accident does occur.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

10% increase in children struggling with exam stress

Childline has reported a 10% increase in counselling sessions about exam stress since the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK.

2000 children contacted childline with worries about exam stress The confidential charity helpline for children said that almost 2,000 children contacted them to talk about exam stress last year as formal exams returned following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

Childline said that the impact of the pandemic, coupled with pressures from schools and families, was increasing exam stress among children and young people.

They have advised children and parents to ensure they are undertaking non-revision activities to support their mental health and wellbeing during this stressful time.

Pandemic has increased exam stress

Exam stress has increased following covid-19 disruption Almost half (44%) of the counselling sessions delivered regarding exam stress took place in April, May and June last year ahead of the GCSE and A Level examination periods.

Some students were worried about the disruptions they had suffered to their learning during the pandemic and how this has impacted their performance, and their ability to cope with exam stress. Lots of children were also struggling with their mental health, family expectations and a lack of motivation.

Childline is concerned that the trend will continue this year and are urging children not to suffer in silence.

The free helpline is available 24/7 on 0800 1111. Children and young people can also contact Childline through their website, online message boards and 1-2-1 chats at childline.org.uk.

Childline provides a range of advice and guidance about dealing with exam stress. This includes:

Talk to someone about how you’re feeling – this could be a friend, relative or a trained counsellor. Talking can help you to feel more in control or can help someone else to realise that they might be putting too much pressure on you.
Take regular break from revision. This can help your concentration and make you feel better able to cope. Plan your breaks, aiming to schedule 20-minute breaks each hour to do something fun, get outside or have a snack.
Maintain healthy habits while revising. This includes eating healthily, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and doing things that you enjoy. This can help to boost your overall health and wellbeing and make you better able to cope with any stress.
Practice positive thinking and try not to compete or compare yourself with other people.

Exam stress can impact mental health

The Director of Childline, Shaun Friel, said exams have always proved “stressful” for children but explained that, “for this current generation, the extra disruption can have a really negative impact.”

He continued:

“While some nervousness around exams is normal its worrying to hear from students that stress is impacting their mental health and contributing to negative thoughts and actions.

“Talking about worries is incredibly helpful and so Childline is available for every young person whenever they need it.

“We all have a role to support young people in this situation and as parents and carers we can make sure we are not putting too much pressure on children, encourage them to think positively and reassure them that, while exams are important, there are always options whatever the outcome.”

Training for those working with children and young people

Children feel exam stress as a result of family pressures as well First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services.

Their courses include Understanding Mental Health, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Anxiety Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.

A trainer from FRT says:

“Exams can be a tricky time for children and young people, especially after the last couple of years where they might have missed some periods of school and maybe not undergone exams for a number of years.

“It’s important that anyone working with children and young people is aware of the pressures that they are under and is able to identify warning signs of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, that may arise from or be exacerbated by exam stress. Being able to offer appropriate early help and support is crucial.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Children’s social care strategy ‘lacks ambition and pace’

A new report from a House of Lord’s Committee has concluded that the Children’s social care strategy is unambitious and slow.

The Public Services Committee has published its new report in response to the Government’s Strategy to reform children’s social care, ‘Stable homes built on love: implementation strategy and consultation: Children’s Social Care Reform 2023’.

Although the Committee judged that the Strategy has “much of what is needed to address the problems” in the sector, with the correct focus and approach, they found that it “does not represent the radical reset the children’s social care system needs.”

Children’s social care strategy must go ‘further and faster’

The Committee describes the Children’s social care strategy as a “solid starting point” and a “step in the right direction” but overall concluded that it lacks the scale, ambition, funding and pace to have any immediate benefit for most children, families and staff involved in the sector.

The report states that benefits from changes made will not be felt for several years and that, even then, there was no guarantee of long-term reform.

The Committee therefore felt that, in its current guise, the Strategy represented a missed opportunity to implement far-reaching reform. They are urging the government to go “further and faster” and to ensure that all involved in the sector will see some benefit much sooner.

Their conclusions and recommendations also included:

The voice of children and young people are often not heard when decisions are made about their care. The Strategy currently proposes the use of advocacy services to tackle this. But the Committee suggests that, in order to be really effective, these services must be fully independent and able to hold local authorities to account.
The Strategy lacks detail on recruiting additional staff to support those already performing demanding roles in difficult circumstances. Ambitious recruitment targets are needed to achieve the government’s reform objectives.

Children’s social care system in crisis

The Chair of the Public Services Committee, Baroness Morris of Yardley, said:

“The children’s care system is in crisis and while the Government’s Strategy is a step in the right direction, it falls short of delivering the immediate real time benefits to children and families that we need. The Strategy is a golden opportunity, but it could be wasted.

“Vulnerable young people are being failed by the system. There are shortages of every kind of care, and children are being placed in settings that do not work for them. This is untenable. As one young person we spoke to told us: ‘I am a person, not a number.’

“The Government’s plan has much to recommend it, but unless the proposals go further and faster, the Strategy will leave many children behind. While we accept that not every reform can be introduced everywhere immediately, the Government must ensure that all children and families engaged in the care system see some immediate benefit and can be sure that significant improvements and reform will follow.

“We’ve made a number of recommendations which the Government must follow if it wants to implement the fundamental reforms required to deliver an operationally effective system and prevent a worsening of the current crisis.”

Delaying children’s social care strategy could cost £1 billion

The report comes as the NSPCC and four other children’s charities have called on the government to deliver the reforms in the children’s social care strategy.

Action for Children, Barnardo’s, The Children’s Society and the National Children’s Bureau have joined the NSPCC in urging the government to “take bold action now” across England and not to delay the reforms set out in ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love.’

They say that new analysis shows that delaying the reform programme will cost the public finances £1 billion over the next 10 years.

It comes one year after the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, which recommended immediate investment and urgent reform of the sector.

The CEO of the NSPCC, Sir Peter Wanless, said:

“One year on from the publication of the Care Review, children’s social care is still in crisis. The deep problems within the system will not go away in the next year or the year after.

“While these costs cannot now be reversed, there is still time for the government to step up to avoid even bigger losses in the future.

“The government must take bold action now to tackle this and any future government must be ready to pick up the baton of long-term reform. That is why we are calling on all political parties to commit to a full reform of children’s social care. The children and families who need vital support from children’s social care deserve nothing less.”

Training and development for those working with children

They work with a large number of early years, schools and childcare providers, as well as colleges, youth groups and children’s services.

Their courses include Safeguarding Children, Autism Awareness, Learning Disability Awareness, Understanding Challenging Behaviour, Youth Mental Health First Aid and many more.

A trainer from FRT says: “Children in the UK deserve the support they need to ensure they can grow up safe, healthy and happy.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Child safeguarding needs major overhaul after failings

A safeguarding review panel has made nine recommendations designed to overhaul child safeguarding practices following an inquiry into abuse across three services.

A child abuse enquiry has made recommendations to overhaul child safeguarding practices The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel have called for Councils to take on a bigger role in monitoring residential settings in their areas to tackle failings in safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs.

The Panel wants services for these children to be jointly commissioned by local authorities and NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). They have also recommended more investment in the workforce, better access to advocacy and joint inspections by Ofsted and the CQC to better protect children in residential care settings.

Child safeguarding ‘roadmap’

Panel's child safeguarding recommendations act as roadmap to better protection This “roadmap to more humane treatment” was set out in the panel’s second report into the abuse of children at three residential special schools.

The schools, registered as children’s homes, were operated by the Hesley Group in Doncaster and the report related to abuse which occurred between 2018 and 2021 as a result of failings in care, safeguarding, regulation and oversight.

Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said the report’s central message was “the necessity of keeping the voices of children and families at the heart of their support, and of providing safe, suitable care where required.”

The nine recommendations made by the panel are:

Disabled children and those with complex health needs should have access to independently commissioned, non-instructed advocacy from advocates with specialist training in safeguarding and responding to their communication needs.
When a residential placement of 38 weeks or longer per year us being considered, children and their parents should be given access to advice and support, including the allocation of a ‘navigator’, where necessary.
The Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England should require councils and integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission safe, sufficient and appropriate provision for disabled children and those with complex health needs.
The DfE, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England should co-ordinate support for councils and ICB commissioners to improve forecasting, procurement and market shaping.
The government should prioritise action to improve community-based provision for disabled children in pathfinders programmes for its children’s social care and SEND reforms.
The government should commission a workforce strategy for children’s residential services, covering leadership development, workforce standards and training.
National leadership and investment from providers should be used to boost the recruitment, retention and development of the children’s residential workforce.
Host local authorities and ICBs should have a strengthened role in overseeing residential settings in their areas.
The DfE and DHSC should revise and reduce the complexity of current arrangements for monitoring residential settings and take immediate steps to arrange joint inspections by Ofsted and CQC of those for children with disabilities and complex health needs.

Child safeguarding failures must not be repeated

Child safeguarding failures outlined in the report have been identified previously Christine Lenehan, lead reviewer of the case and Director of the Council for Disabled Children, has highlighted that the new report echoes findings laid out in previous safeguarding enquiries and warned that, this time, it’s conclusions needed to be listened to and acted on.

She said:

“Earlier reports have catalogued how disabled children with a complex mix of autism and health needs can be locked away behind closed doors, often in placements far from their families, with little concern for their quality of life or futures.

“These recommendations set out a roadmap to more humane treatment of these children. But without the wholehearted commitment to implement these measures fully, these failings will come back to haunt us when the next group of disabled children fall foul of services that cost the taxpayer dearly but rob vulnerable children of their basic humanity.”

An official response from the government is expected within 6 months, but Children’s Minister Claire Coutinho has provided a written statement to Parliament in which she said that reforms made by the DfE to children’s social care and special educational needs and disability have already “[laid] the foundation for improving outcomes for this group of vulnerable children.”

She added:

“There is more that can be done to support and protect these children and we intend to focus our existing reform programme to ensure that they consistently receive the care and support that they need and deserve, enabling them to thrive and fulfil their potential.”

Children must be seen and heard to better protect them from failures in care and safeguarding Meanwhile, the President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, John Pearce, said the Panel’s report served as a “stark reminder” that current child safeguarding practices “are not working” for the most complex and vulnerable children in society and that there was a lot of work needed to correct this.

He also warned that many of the Panel’s recommendations needed “a significant multi-agency resource requirement to implement effectively and take time to achieve,” and that services “face longstanding challenges around placement quality, sufficiency and cost.”

Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner, also commented:

“I am particularly pleased that this report recognises that children with disabilities have specific needs and risks which should be set out in statutory guidance.

“However, ultimately, children will only be kept safe if they are consistently seen and heard, through positive contact with their families, face-to-face visits from social workers, independent reviewing officers and health commissioners, and a greater level of professional curiosity from all those responsible for their care.”

Training and development for those working with children

They work with a large number of early years, schools and childcare providers, as well as colleges, youth groups and children’s services.

Their courses include Safeguarding Children, Autism Awareness, Learning Disability Awareness, Understanding Challenging Behaviour, and many more.

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com

Charity wants to get children’s mental health #OutInTheOpen

National charity YoungMinds is encouraging people to bring children’s mental health out into the open with a new step challenge for Spring.

YoungMinds #OutInTheOpen challenge aims to get people talking about mental health for children and young people The charity’s #OutInTheOpen campaign challenges people to walk 310,000 steps in 31 days during May to raise money for children and young people’s mental health, and encourage open and honest conversations about mental health.

On their website, YoungMinds explains that it “takes courage to ask for help. But for many young people who do, the support they need just isn’t there.”

They are promoting the #OutInTheOpen challenge to raise vital funds to ensure that all children and young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it.

Mental health steps challenge accessible for all

Children and young people may be helped by the #OutInTheOpen steps challenge Participants can sign up through Facebook or JustGiving and will receive a free YoungMinds t-shirt to wear as they complete the steps challenge. The charity is inviting people to join their Facebook community and meet other fundraisers as they complete their 310,000 steps and bring conversations about children’s mental health out into the open.

There is no registration deadline to take part in the #OutInTheOpen challenge, but it officially starts on 1^st May 2023.

It is free to anyone who wants to sign up, but participants are encouraged to try and fundraise or to personally donate to YoungMinds.

YoungMinds advises that the 310,000 steps should be completed however is best for each individual’s physical ability, and that the step count can be spread across all 31 days in May, or completed over just two weeks, depending on your preferences and fitness levels. The charity encourages everyone to adapt the challenge to suit their own needs and goals, and welcomes people completing similar distances in wheelchairs or using mobility scooters, for example.

Participants in the #OutInTheOpen challenge can download a free step tracker and sponsor form from the YoungMinds website.

Supporting children and young people’s mental health

Five children in every classroom have mental health problems YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity supporting children and young people’s mental health. Their aim is to prevent children’s mental health reaching crisis point, and to ensure that they have services available to them when they speak out for help.

It is estimated that five children in every classroom in the UK has a mental health problem. YoungMinds says that a quarter of 17-year-old girls has self-harmed in the last year and that suicide remains the single biggest killer of boys and men.

Their mission is to ensure that no young person feels alone with their mental health, and they provide tools and advice to help children and young people support their mental health and wellbeing.

Stress awareness for children and young people

To mark Stress Awareness Month this April, they have provided tips, information and advice to help children and young people manage stress.

This includes the emotional and physical signs and symptoms of stress, such as:

Feeling irritable or impatient, overwhelmed, anxious, worried or depressed
Having trouble sleeping or feeling tired
Experiencing muscles aches, headaches or tension
Having difficulty breathing
Changes in weight
Changes to your menstrual cycle

YoungMinds also provides tips about helping to feel calm, a guide to self-care and advice about how to manage a stressful workload, whether its exam stress, university worries or coping with paid work.

The charity also provides more tips and advice on its social medial channels and you can also subscribe to their website for news and updates, including real-life stories.

Training to support children’s mental health

The charity challenge will help children and young people with mental health problems First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services.

Their courses include Understanding Mental Health, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Anxiety Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.

A trainer from FRT says:

“Many children across the UK are really struggling with their mental health, and they need advice, support and treatment as soon as possible. YoungMinds does great work and it’s really great to see a campaign like this, that everyone get involved in and which puts the spotlight on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

“It’s vitally important that we keep talking openly about mental health and that we take the time to have conversations with children to support their wellbeing and check in with them.

“It’s also really important for anyone who works closely with children and young people to have a good understanding of mental health and be able to spot the signs that someone may be struggling. They should also feel confident to offer appropriate early help and support. Focused training can help with this.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

NSPCC calls for equal protection for children

The NSPCC is calling on the government to give children in England equal protection from assault by removing the defense of ‘reasonable chastisement.’

The NSPCC is calling for equal protection from assault for children in England The national children’s charity said that Wales, Scotland and more than 60 other countries across the world have brought in equal protection from assault for children and that a “solid and significant majority” of the public want similar measures to be introduced in England.

Scrapping the defense of ‘reasonable chastisement’, as Wales did last year, would mean that any type of physical punishment for children, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, would become illegal.

It comes as the NSPCC’s confidential helpline delivered almost 900 counselling sessions in the last year to children who were concerned about physical punishments.

Physical punishment is ‘ineffective and harmful’

Many people believe that physically punishing children is unacceptable It also reflects a growing body of evidence that physical punishment can have a detrimental effect on children.

Researchers from the University College of London (UCL) and an international team of experts reviewed 20 years of research into corporal punishment for children and concluded, in 2021, that it was ineffective and could in fact increase behavioural problems.

The study’s lead author, Dr Anja Heilmann (UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health), said:

“Physical punishment is ineffective and harmful and has no benefits for children and their families. This could not be clearer from the evidence we present.”

The NSPCC have recently conducted a YouGov survey of almost 3,500 adults in England and found:

Two thirds of people (67%) believe that physically disciplining a child is unacceptable
Of those who gave their opinion, 63% agreed that a change of law to remove the defense of ‘reasonable chastisement’ should be passed in England.
Around 60% thought it was already illegal to physically punish a child
The majority of respondents (61%) said they thought the use of physical punishment weakens the relationship between parent and child
Almost 7 in 10 respondents (67%) believe that physical punishment has a negative impact on a child’s mental health
Of those who expressed an opinion, almost half (46%) said they believed physical punishment worsens a child’s behaviour, compared to 39% who said it improves it

Most people agree that physically punishing children has a detrimental effect The analysis conducted by UCL suggests that physical punishment did not improve a child’s behaviour and that, instead, it could intensify behavioural issues.

Dr Heilmann explained: “We see a definitive link between physical punishment and behavioural problems such as aggression and antisocial behaviour. Physical punishment consistently predicts increases in these types of behavioural difficulties.

“Even more worrying are findings that children who are the recipients of physical punishment are at increased risk of being subjected to more severe levels of violence.”

Zero tolerance for violence against children

The NSPCC says they believe in positive alternatives to physical punishment and want to ensure that England is a country which does not tolerate physical violence against children, in the same way it doesn’t for adults.

Their CEO, Sir Peter Wanless, said:

“[…] There is now a solid and significant majority of the public who believe we need a change of law in England to ensure children have the same protection from assault as adults.

“It cannot be right that, in this country, it is illegal to hit an adult, but equal protection is not given to a child. We need to put the wellbeing of children first and bring an end to this legal anomaly.”

The NSPCC’s call to change the law so that parents and carers can no longer use the defence of ‘reasonable chastisement’ after striking a child is supported by other charities and organisations, such as Barnardo’s.

Their CEO, Lynn Perry MBE, explained:

“Physical punishment of children is totally unacceptable. At Barnardo’s we know that eliminating physical punishment brings significant benefits to families, and our frontline workers tell us it helps to create a safe and nurturing environment for children. The NSPCC’s new polling confirms that a majority of the public recognise this too.

“For all these reasons we support the call to make physical punishment of children illegal across the UK to ensure children in England and Northern Ireland have the same protection as those in Scotland and Wales.”

Safeguarding children

The NSPCC says violence against children should not be tolerated First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food hygiene, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.

They work with a large number of early years, schools and childcare providers, as well as colleges, youth groups and children’s services. Their courses include Safeguarding Children.

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

NSPCC campaign tackles ‘heart-breaking’ loneliness

The NSPCC has launched a new campaign to tackle the “heart-breaking” loneliness experienced by children and young people across the country.

New NSPCC campaign aims to tackle loneliness among children and young people The ‘Day in the Lonely’ campaign uses day-in-the-life style videos to illustrate how three young people experience loneliness.

The videos, based on real-life calls received by Childline, are designed to encourage children to share their feelings of loneliness, and to reassure them that these feelings don’t need to last.

Childline conducts 15 loneliness counselling sessions each day

Loneliness among children peaked during the pandemic but remains high The campaign comes in the wake of new Childline data which reveals that the free, confidential helpline is contacted an average of 15 times each day by children struggling with loneliness.

Childline delivered a total of 5,564 counselling sessions on loneliness between April 2021 and March 2022.

Counselling sessions on the issue of loneliness predictably peaked at more than 6000 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. Numbers have since fallen slightly but remain high.

Children who contact Childline are often experiencing loneliness because they’ve been left out of friendship groups and social media chats. Others struggle with the issue because they feel negatively about themselves or believe that their family or friends don’t understand them.

Loneliness can lead to mental health issues

The campaign videos include information on how Childline can support children and young people, including through email and message boards.

It is hoped they will prompt young people to open up about their mental health issues early on, to prevent them escalating to crisis point. Poor mental health has remained a top concern for children contacting the helpline for the past 6 years.

The Director of Childline, Shaun Friel, explains:

“Loneliness is sadly an issue that a high number of children and young people are experiencing.

“At Childline, we know the impact this can have on a child’s wellbeing and mental health.

“We’ve had cases of children left feeling depressed. That’s why we are reminding all children that talking to a trusted adult like a parent, teacher or Childline counsellor about being lonely is a brave thing to do. It will enable them to get the help they need.

“Through this campaign, we want to raise awareness among children and adults, that there are many reasons why young people might feel lonely, but these feelings don’t have to last.

“Getting support early on can prevent things from escalating in the future.”

The Day in the Lonely campaign is supported by supermarket retailer Lidl GB, which has been raising funds for Childline since 2020.

Lidl GB’s Senior CSR Manager, Mark Newbold, says: “It’s heart-breaking to see young people struggle with loneliness, and that is why at Lidl we are proud to have funded the NSPCC’s Day in the Lonely campaign.

“We are committed to raising funds that mean more youngsters in need of emotional support can get the help they require as fast as possible.”

Coping with loneliness

Childline provides tips for coping with loneliness The Day in the Lonely campaign page also provides tips for young people who need support but are struggling to talk about their experiences. It also provides top tips for making friends and everyday steps that children and young people can take to cope with loneliness. These include:

Doing something everyday that makes you feel positive, whether that’s listening to music, getting active, speaking to someone you care about or tidying something up. Even doing something simple and small each day can help to lift your mood and improve your ability to cope.
Taking care of yourself by getting enough sleep, following a daily routine, eating healthily, being physically active and making time to relax. Maintaining a healthy daily routine can help make things easier to cope with.
Get help to make friends and take the time and effort to build relationships. Many people may find it difficult to make friends, so follow help and advice and try making the first step, engaging in conversation, being yourself, joining clubs and societies and remember to be patient and take your time.
Seek support from someone you trust with things in your life you’re struggling with. This could be a relative, teacher, friend, your doctor or any adult you feel safe with.

For more help and advice, visit the Day in the Lonely webpage or contact Childline for free on 0800 1111.

Supporting children and young people

Young people are urged to talk to someone about loneliness and mental health struggles early on First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services.

Their courses include Understanding Mental Health, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Anxiety Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.

A trainer from FRT says:

“We know that many children faced isolation and loneliness during the pandemic, and this has continued for many, with lots of children and young people also experiencing social and general anxiety, as well as depression in many cases.

“It’s vitally important that we keep talking openly about mental health and that we take the time to make meaningful connections, and have conversations, with children to support their wellbeing and check in with them about how they’re feeling.

“It’s also really important for anyone who works closely with children and young people to have a good understanding of mental health and be able to spot the signs that someone may be struggling. They should also feel confident to offer appropriate early help and support. Focused training can help with this.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Let’s Connect for Children’s Mental Health Week

This week (6^th-12^th February 2023) is Children’s Mental Health Week and the theme for this year is Let’s Connect, as data suggests more than two-thirds of children experiencing mental health problems feel socially anxious.

Children's Mental Health Week encourages connections and communication

The annual awareness week is run by children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, and was first launched in 2015 to help highlight the importance of children’s mental health and wellbeing.

The charity provides a range of free resources for schools, youth groups and families, such as activity ideas, assembly guides, videos and top tips, to help primary and secondary-aged children and adults explore the topics of mental health and wellbeing.

In line with this year’s theme, suggested activities will help children, young people and adults to consider how we can make meaningful connections that support and protect our mental health.

A lack of connections impacts children’s mental health

Meaningful connections are important for children's mental health

An absence of rewarding and meaningful social connections can lead to people feeling isolated and lonely, which can in turn have a negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing.

With 1 in 6 children living with a diagnosable mental health condition in England, Place2Be wants to encourage people to connect with family, friends and others in healthy, rewarding and meaningful ways during Children’s Mental Health and Week – and beyond.

They say: “People thrive in communities, and this connection is vital for our wellbeing.”

Princess of Wales supports Children’s Mental Health Week

Her Royal Highness Catherine, Princess of Wales, is the Royal Patron of Place2Be and has supported Children’s Mental Health Week since its inception 9 years ago.

To mark Children’s Mental Health Week 2023, she met with primary school children in East London to discuss the importance of making connections and supporting children’s mental health. The Princess encouraged the pupils of St John’s CE Primary School in Bethnal Green to keep talking openly about their feelings, and to continue to check in with one another regarding their emotional wellbeing.

Children’s Mental Health Week comes just as Her Royal Highness has launched her awareness campaign, Shaping Us, which aims to increase public understanding of the crucial importance of the first five years of a child’s life.

Many children feel ‘socially anxious’

New data released by Place2Be shows that almost 78% of the young people supported by the charity last year felt socially anxious and that nearly two-thirds (65%) had difficulties interacting with their classmates.

However, the data also reveals that, with support, two-thirds (76%) of those experiencing severe difficulties saw an improvement in their mental health and wellbeing.

These latest findings follow the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns, which led many children and young people to miss out on classroom connections and become isolated from their friends. Teachers have since asked for support in helping young people across the country to improve their social interactions and confidence.

Place2Be notes that a lack of meaningful connections is a key driver in loneliness and anxiety, which makes it vitally important that children and young people can form supportive friendships.

Catherine Roche, CEO of Place2Be, explains:

“In one-to-one sessions with our counsellors, children are telling us how difficult they find it to form and maintain friendships. Forming positive relationships is fundamental to our mental wellbeing and this has been significantly disrupted in recent years.

“While the statistics around children’s mental health are stark, I am optimistic. Through targeted interventions across the school, we can help children and young people become confident, resilient and able to cope with life’s challenges.

“Disconnection and loneliness should not be a part of school life.”

Reach out to tackle mental health crisis

The charity hopes that Children’s Mental Health Week will help to highlight the importance of early intervention in preventing the most serious mental health problems.

Roche adds:

“We hope this week that everyone, whether a child or adult, in school, at home or on the bus, has at least one meaningful conversation with someone. Reach out! We need to embed a culture of destigmatizing our mental health to create a brighter future for our young people.”

Place2Be want people to connect and keep talking about children's mental health

Place2Be have also launched a short film series created by BAFTA for Children’s Mental Health Week 2023, where BAFTA’s Young Presenters, aged between 12 and 17, met with film, TV and radio stars to reflect on the different ways in which they connect with others.

In addition, Place2Be Ambassador, podcaster and journalist, Josh Smith, spoke with secondary school pupils about the different ways in which they connect, and how connections can impact their mental health and wellbeing. The video can be viewed on Place2Be’s website.

Place2Be also offers a social media guide and resources, toolkits for schools, posters, flyers and fundraising packs to help people spread the word, increase awareness and raise funds for children’s mental health.

Mental health training and support for those working with children

Early intervention is important for children's mental health

First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services.

Their courses include Understanding Mental Health, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Anxiety Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.

A trainer from FRT says:

“Many children faced isolation, loneliness and academic upheaval during and since the pandemic, and this has led many to experience social and general anxiety, as well as depression in many cases.

“It’s vitally important that we keep talking openly about mental health and that we take the time to make meaningful connections, and have conversations, with children to support their wellbeing and check in with them.

“It’s also really important for anyone who works closely with children and young people to have a good understanding of mental health and be able to spot the signs that someone may be struggling. They should also feel confident to offer appropriate early help and support. Focused training can help with this.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Parents urged to keep sick children at home

Parents have been urged to keep children away from school or nursery if they feel unwell and have a fever, as flu, Covid-19 and Strep A infections continue to rise.

The advice was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as families across the UK prepare for children to return to school and childcare providers following the Christmas holidays.

The UKHSA warned that cases of flu and Covid-19 are “currently circulating at high levels and are likely to continue to increase in the coming weeks,” and added that cases of scarlet fever, caused by Group A Streptococcus, “also continue to be reported.”

They explained that following simple steps can help to protect infants and children, minimise the spread of winter illnesses in education and childcare settings and also protect wider communities.

Parents are advised that children should only return to education and childcare settings once they feel better and their fever has resolved.

Stay-home and mask-wearing advice issued

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UKHSA, said:

“Helping children to learn about the importance of good hand hygiene is also key, so practice regular handwashing at home with soap and warm water. Catching coughs and sneezes in tissues then binning them is another simple way to help stop illness from spreading.”

She also advised that adults should also try to remain at home if they are unwell, and should wear a face covering if they are required to go out in public.

Anyone who is unwell is also advised to avoid healthcare settings and contact with vulnerable people, unless urgent.

Children can still access flu jab

Professor Hopkins revealed that uptake of the flu vaccine had been low among young children this season but stated that it was still available for:

All children who were aged two or three on 31^st August 2022
All primary school children
Some secondary school children

She explained:

“Flu can be very unpleasant and, in some cases, can lead to more serious illness. Getting your child vaccinated protects them and others they come into contact with, and it’s still not too late.”

Official data shows that around 1 in 45 people were infected with Covid-19 during the week ending 9^th December. Hospital admissions from flu in England were at their highest level since the winter of 2017-18.

Absence rates across English schools already rose sharply back at the beginning of December, with 7.5% of children off sick at that point, compared to 2.6% at the start of the term.

In fact, school absences by that point had surpassed absences for the whole autumn period of 2021, when cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant were soaring.

Government advice welcomed by schools

James Bowen, who is the Director of Policy for school leaders’ union NAHT said there “does appear to be an unusually high level of illness around at the moment, even for this time of year.

“Advice from government is welcome to give schools and parents clarity on when children should stay at home.

“It is quite common for school policies to already state that children with a fever should remain at home, so this shouldn’t represent a major departure from existing policies.”

Be aware of Strep A

Parents are advised to ensure they are aware of the symptoms of a Strep A infection, as it is highly contagious and, while most cases are mild and can be managed at home, it can cause serious illness and complications.

Symptoms of a Strep A Infection may include:

High temperature
Swollen glands
Aching body
Sore throat
Rash, which feels rough like sandpiper (scarlet fever)
Muscle aches
Nausea and vomiting
Scabs and sores (impetigo)
Pain and swelling (cellulitis)

Parents have become alarmed after a number of children have recently died from serious Strep A infections.

Known as invasive group A streptococcal infection or iGAS, these serious cases occur when the bacteria breaks through the body’s immune defences. They are very rare but require urgent, early medical treatment.

Warning signs of iGAS include

Fever (temperature above 38 degrees)
Severe muscle aches

The NHS website advises that parents should seek help from a GP or NHS 111 if their child is unwell and deteriorating. Other warning signs include if they are feeding or eating much less than normal, if they have fewer wet nappies than usual or are going to the loo less than usual, or are showing other signs of dehydration. Parents should also seek advice if poorly children seem very tired or irritable.

Parents should call 999 or go to their nearest A&E if their child is having difficulty breathing, there are pauses when they breathe or their skin, tongue or lips are blue or grey. Children who are floppy and cant be woken, or are unable to stay awake, also require urgent attention.

Strep A can be caught through close contact with infected people and coughs and sneezes. It can spread easily and outbreaks can occur in settings such as schools and care homes, hence the latest advice.

Safety training for those working with children

They work with a large number of early years, schools and childcare providers, as well as with the top colleges and children’s services.

Their courses include Paediatric First Aid, Emergency Paediatric First Aid, Health and Safety for Child Carers and the Safeguarding Children.

They also provide Infection Control training and a Covid-19 Infection Prevention, Identification and Control e-learning course.

A trainer from FRT says:

“Colds, flu and other illnesses are always rife this time of year and the lifting of Covid restrictions after a couple of years of limited mixing has also led to a rise in infections.

“It’s important to be vigilant and aware of symptoms and how to manage them, without panicking unduly. Try to avoid mixing where possible to reduce chances of transmission and impacting vulnerable people.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Childline supports young people with sexuality and gender identity

During Pride Month, Childline has voiced its support for children and young people struggling with their gender identity or sexuality.

The national charity helpline says that, over the past year, it has seen a 29% increase in the number of young people contacting them to talk about concerns relating to coming out.

The helpline says that the challenging year faced by all of us has seen many young people cut off from their usual support networks and has also resulted in others feeling worried about returning to school.

Concerns from young people

Between April 2020 and March of this year, the helpline conducted a total of 5,046 counselling sessions with young people about gender identity and sexuality.

Young people contact childline over concerns about their sexuality In over half of these (2,638), the young person cited coming out as a concern, with some also revealing that they worried about the reaction they would receive from other people.

Many young people (1,467) speaking about their gender identity and sexuality also cited their mental and emotional health as an additional concern, and other related concerns included family relationships, school, friendship issues and self-harm.

For some, lockdown had exacerbated these concerns while, for others, it had provided time for reflection or an opportunity to come out to friends and family.

All children should be listened to

The Service Head of Childline, Alex Gray, explained:

“At Childline, we know that coming out or speaking about sexuality and gender identity can sometimes be really challenging

“Some children with sexuality and gender concerns revealed that lockdown had been particularly hard for them, as they’d been cut off from their usual support networks. Whereas others told Childline that lockdown had given them the confidence and freedom to come out to their friends and family. However, some worried they may have lost this confidence when returning to school.

“No matter what a young person’s experience is with coming out or speaking about their gender identity, at Childline we believe every young person has a right to be listened to and to be able to speak about any worries or questions they may have about their gender identity and sexuality without feeling judged.

“If a young person feels unable to speak to a trusted adult in their life, then we would encourage them to speak to Childline.”

Offering support

sexuality and gender identity They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services. Their courses include Understanding Mental Health, Youth Mental Health First Aid and Self-Harm Awareness.

A trainer from FRT says: “If a young person is struggling with their sexuality or gender identity, or is worried about coming out, including how they may be treated and the impact it may have on their closest relationships, this can significantly impact their mental health and wellbeing.

“It’s important that anyone who works closely with children and young people has an understanding of mental health, is able to spot the signs that someone may be struggling and can offer appropriate support. Focused training can help with this.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Department for Education had ‘no plan’ to deal with pandemic

A group of MPs has claimed that the Department for Education (DfE) had “no plan” to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

A report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says the DfE struggled to react to the unfolding pandemic in a timely and effective way and that their failure to set standards for both in-school and remote learning meant children in England “had very unequal experiences” over the past year.

The Chair of the PAC, Meg Hillier MP, said they were “concerned that the DfE appears uninterested in learning lessons from earlier in the pandemic, preferring to wait until the public inquiry, which won’t report for years.”

She added: “It shows little energy and determination to ensure that it’s catch-up offer is sufficient to undo the damage of the past 14 months.”

It comes as the government is due to publish its recovery plan to ensure that pupils in England catch up on the learning they may have missed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The PAC is concerned that the DfE “has worthy aspirations but little specific detail about how it will build the school system back better,” and that plans aimed at supporting poorer pupils are failing to reach them.

Ms Hillier said that the pandemic has exposed “a very ugly truth” about children living in poverty and disadvantage.

The government did provide 1.3 million laptops and tablets to poorer children to aid home learning during the pandemic, but Ms Hillier says that online learning still remained “inaccessible to many children, even in later lockdowns, and there is no commitment to ongoing additional funding for IT.”

Commenting on the report, the general secretary of head teachers’ union NAHT, Paul Whiteman, said it was “extremely disappointing but not surprising.”

He added: “Throughout the pandemic, the DfE has been playing catch-up. The individual efforts of schools have almost always been quicker and better than anything centrally managed from Whitehall.”

The union has launched its own blueprint for school recovery in which it is calling on the government to make a significant investment to ensure the futures of children and young people are not harmed as a result of the pandemic.

A spokesperson from the DfE responded to the report, saying that they had “acted swiftly at every turn to help minimise the impact on pupils’ education and provide extensive support for schools, colleges and early years settings.

“The department has updated and strengthened its remote education expectations as best practice has developed and schools’ capabilities have increased.”

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services. Their courses include Safeguarding Children.

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Childline counsels 90,000 children during pandemic

The NSPCC’s confidential helpline, Childline, delivered nearly 90,000 counselling sessions for young people worried about mental health or abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The national children’s charity said they had grown increasingly concerned about the “huge toll” the pandemic has had on young people.

Data from Childline for the period 1^st April 2020 until 31^st March 2021 reveals:

The service has conducted over 73,000 counselling sessions about mental or emotional health
5,646 of those counselling sessions were held with children aged 11 or under, which represents an increase of almost a third (29%) from the previous year
The service also delivered 16,610 counselling sessions about abuse
Counselling sessions about emotional abuse increased by almost a fifth (18%) compared to the previous year

The charity also revealed that more children and young people have been accessing their Childline resources, information and tools online, showing they have been taking proactive steps to support their own emotional and mental wellbeing during this challenging time.

The NSPCC is now calling for the government to invest in a plan for children which is not limited to ensuring that they catch up on school work, and instead extends to providing mental health support in the classroom and the community.

They are also hosting ‘Childhood Day’ on 11^th June where they’re encouraging people to celebrate childhood by organising a play event to raise money and help keep children safe.

Dame Esther Rantzen, the founder of Childline, said: “Throughout this pandemic, children and young people have had to deal with so many difficult new challenges, many knowing that their families were struggling with health worries and financial issues, some locked down in unsafe homes, deprived of their schools which may have been their only refuge. Many have told Childline that they have struggled to cope and their mental health has suffered as a result.

“Childline’s counsellors have been tremendously impressed by the resilience of so many young people during the pandemic, supporting themselves and each other. Nevertheless, we are all only too aware that not only education has suffered, but so has the opportunity to play. My grandchildren have told me how much they have missed their friends during lockdown. Play is such an important part of childhood, building confidence and creating relationships. After the year we’ve had, I am really looking forward to joining my own family on Childhood Day. I do hope as many families as possible will be able to do the same, to enjoy each other’s company and have fun and play together.

“I want to remind children everywhere that Childline is always there for them, no matter how big or small their problem, offering comfort and support which is free, confidential, on the phone or online.”

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services. Their courses include Safeguarding Children.

A trainer from FRT says: “Children and young people have missed out on so much during the past year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, while many vulnerable children have been in unsafe situations with little support or anyone able to notice and help.

“The pandemic has clearly taken a serious toll on youth mental health and it’s important that support for them is prioritised in our communities.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

More parents facing mental health issues due to pandemic

The NSPCC has reported that the number of people contacting them about parental mental health concerns has risen by 44% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

New parents and their babies are being failed by health services The national children’s charity says that, between April 2020 and January 2021, its confidential helpline received 3,608 contacts from adults worried about parental mental health, representing a 44% increase on the monthly average compared to the previous year.

They warn that babies born during the pandemic could experience long-lasting effects on their health, wellbeing and life chances as their parents have faced heightened stress, isolation and mental health problems.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK, cuts to funding for early years and health visiting services meant that many families were missing out on vital support.

The NSPCC says that, without the right support at the right time, mental health problems experienced during pregnancy and the first year of parenthood can have a serious impact on children and families.

The charity is calling on the government to prioritise parents and babies as they oversee the nation’s recovery from the pandemic.

They say that social distancing measures have resulted in many fathers and partners being excluded from pregnancy scans and left many women to give birth without their partner or other supporter present.

New parents may have struggled enough without the support of their closest family and friends over the past year, but figures also show that 50% of health visitors were redeployed away from supporting families in some regions during the first national lockdown.

These factors have had an unprecedented impact on pregnancy, childbirth and the early days of a child’s life.

The Parent-Infant Foundation, Best Beginnings and Home Start joined forces to carry out a survey and found:

60% of new parents shared significant concerns about their mental health because of the additional stress caused by Covid
A third of parents said their interaction with their child had changed
Just over 10% of parents of children under 2 said they had seen a health visitor face-to-face

Recognizing the immense stress and challenges faced by new parents, it is crucial to explore supportive measures that can aid in promoting their mental well-being. The cbd edibles have emerged as a potential option to consider. These edibles, infused with CBD extract, offer a discreet and convenient method of incorporating cannabidiol into one’s self-care routine. CBD has been associated with potential anxiety and stress-reducing properties, which can be particularly beneficial for parents navigating the additional pressures caused by the pandemic. By providing a sense of relaxation and calm, CBD edibles may complement other support services and help parents better cope with the emotional and psychological toll of these uncertain times. It is important to note that CBD edibles should be used responsibly and in consultation with healthcare professionals to ensure the best outcomes for parental mental health and overall well-being.

Restricted access to these crucial services during pregnancy and early parenthood could lead to mental health problems being missed by professionals, and this in turn can make it harder for parents to provide the care their child needs in order to develop.

The NSPCC is calling on the government to commit to a new and ambitious plan to give every child the best start in life, including:

Investing in local services that support parents during pregnancy and in the first year of a child’s life
Rebuilding the health visiting workforce to have the capacity to deliver five consistent face-to-face visits

The Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the NSPCC, Vicky Nevin, said:

“Access to support for families and babies has long been inconsistent, but the pandemic has now thrown up even bigger challenges for parents. Now is the time for urgent action to ensure that health visitors are able to build up those vital relationships with parents and to refer families to quality services in the local area.”

Last year, the NSPCC and a coalition of early years charities launched the Fight for a Fair Start campaign. They urged the government to rebuild health visiting services for children and families.

First Response Training (FRT) is a leading, national training provider delivering a wide and diverse range of training courses.

They can provide training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, food hygiene, safeguarding, mental health, health and social care and other specialist subjects.

FRT work with hundreds of early years services, schools and other childcare and support groups across the UK, providing them with high quality training to meet EYFS and Ofsted guidelines.

Their training courses for early years include Paediatric First Aid, Risk Assessment for Child Carers and Safeguarding Children.

They also deliver a number of courses specialising in mental health, such as Understanding Mental Health, Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace, Managing Stress, Anxiety Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.

They can also provide externally accredited trainers to deliver Mental Health First Aid England training courses, including Adult, Youth, Champion and Lite versions.

A trainer from FRT says: “It’s important that parents, babies and children have appropriate support to protect their mental health and wellbeing during these challenging times to ensure that every child gets the best start possible.”

For more information about the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Public support strict laws to protect children online

A survey commissioned by the NSPCC has found that 90% of adults support the introduction of tougher laws to protect children from online abuse.

The YouGov poll questioned more than 2,000 adults and found that the vast majority backed new laws aimed at keeping children safe on social media, with 9 in 10 agreeing that tech firms should have a legal responsibility to detect child abuse taking place on their platforms.

The survey results showed:

90% of respondents wanted firms to have a legal responsibility to detect child abuse activities such as grooming on their sites
80% agreed that tech bosses should be fined if they fail to ensure the safety of their sites
70% believed it should be a legal requirement for platforms to assess the risks of child abuse on their services and take steps to address these
Less than 1 in 10 (8%) believed that sites were regularly designed with child safety in mind

The NSPCC has long campaigned for tighter regulation of social media platforms.

The national children’s charity has recently released a report entitled ‘Delivering a Duty of Care’ which assessed the government’s plans for legislation against the six tests they previously laid out to measure the successful achievement of online safety.

The NSPCC report asserts that the government is failing in a third of areas.

They say that tougher measures are needed to tackle sexual abuse and that online safety can be achieved through:

Clamping down on so-called ‘digital breadcrumbs’ that abusers use to guide others towards illegal material
Giving Ofcom the ability to tackle cross-platform risks, such as when groomers target children across the different sites and games they use – something firms have strongly resisted.
A commitment to senior management liability – tech directors need to be held personally responsible for decisions, drive cultural change and provide a strong deterrent
Making censure, fines and, in some cases, criminal sanctions, all potential penalties for bosses who fail to make their online platforms safe spaces for children.

The Chief Executive of the NSPCC, Sir Peter Wanless, is urging the Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden to listen to these proposals and ensure that the landmark Online Safety Bill can convincingly tackle online child abuse. if you’re detecting a threat actor online, you can check here for security procedures. In today’s digital age, where computer-related crimes are becoming more prevalent, it’s never been more crucial to have a knowledgeable legal ally. Given their expertise in this field, the team at https://www.newjerseycriminallawattorney.com/white-collar-crime/computer-crimes-attorney/ can offer robust defense strategies, ensuring that your rights are protected every step of the way.

He said there was a “clear public consensus for stronger legislation that hardwires child protection into how tech firms design their platforms.”

He added:

“Mr Dowden will be judged on whether he takes decisions in the public interest and acts firmly on the side of children with legislation ambitious enough to protect them from avoidable harm.

“For too long children have been an afterthought for Big Tech but the Online Safety Bill can deliver a culture change by resetting industry standards and giving Ofcom the power to hold firms accountable for abuse failings.”

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services. Their courses include Safeguarding Children.

A trainer from FRT says: “Safeguarding children means protecting them off and online. It’s so important that we are mindful of the harms they could be exposed to online and that there are mechanisms in place to protect them, and to offer them help and support when they need it most.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.

Survey reveals impact of coronavirus on UK children

A new survey capturing the experiences of children and young people during the pandemic has revealed many have faced mental health challenges over the past year.

Conducted by Survation for Newsround, the survey asked over 2,000 6–16-year-olds from all across the UK about their experiences during 2020-21, questioning them about a range of issues, from remote learning to what is most important to them and who their role models are.

Newsround found that almost half of children surveyed felt “worse than usual” during lockdown.

When asked how they have felt over the last 12 months, 24% of children said they felt better, while 25% said they felt the same as usual. But for 49% the experience was less positive.

This rose to more than half when focusing on girls (51%) or older children (53%) specifically.

Almost 6 in 10 (57%) of the young people surveyed also said they felt they had done less exercise than normal during the pandemic and resulting local and national lockdowns in the UK.

Newsround says these findings reflect the concerns of many parents, charities and politicians who have said that missing school and not being able to see their friends has taken a significant toll on the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

Family comes first

The vast majority (98%) of young people said that seeing family and friends was important to them, with 7 in 10 girls classing it as “very important”.

More than 9 in 10 (93%) also said that health was important to them, while two thirds said that money was important with three-quarters of 13–16-year-olds confirming this.

When asked to rank the top three issues that were of most importance to them, the answers most likely to feature in childrens’ top three were:

Family health (64%)
Coronavirus (59%)
Exams / school work (57%)
Having enough money (45%)

Family also topped the list of figures that young people most looked up to.

Newsround revealed that nearly 3 in 5 respondents (57%) named their own family members as their number one role model. And, when presented with a list of potential role models to choose from, children were most likely to select the following in their top 3:

Family members (85%)
Doctors (50%)
Celebrities (37%)
Nurses (31%)

Missed time with loved ones

When it came to identifying what they had found hardest during the pandemic, more than 9 in 10 young people said they had struggled with missing out on time with friends and extended family members.

Around 1 in 4 children did say they had seen their friends more or the same amount as usual, but 82% said they’d seen their friends less than usual as a result of lockdowns, travel restrictions and a lack of school and activity clubs.

While children were unable to get out and see others, they often also found that home was a more strained place to be. Just under half (46%) said their family had been more stressed than usual during the past year.

Remote learning struggles

Around 13% of children said they had spent some time in school but the vast majority (87%) had been learning remotely during lockdown.

Almost 1 in 4 children (23%) were happy about this, and almost a third (30%) didn’t mind either way, but 45% admitted that they were not happy about being away from school.

The survey also showed that children had very different experiences of remote learning. A third said it had been better than usual, while 16% judged it to be about the same. But half said that home schooling was worse than being in school, with girls (52%) and younger children (53%) most likely to be disappointed by their learning experience this year.

There were variances across the country, too, with 38% of London school pupils saying that remote learning was better than being in school in person, compared to 27% of pupils in Scotland.

Some children struggled due to a lack of technical equipment. More than a quarter of children responding to the survey (28%) said they did not have a device to themselves. Some children did not have a device at all (1%) while others had to share it with one or more people (27%).

Despite government schemes in all four nations of the UK to bridge the ‘digital divide’ and provide laptops and tablets to families who needed them, the survey results show that some people still struggled.

In fact, the Learning Foundation education charity has estimated that one million children and young people did not have sufficient access to devices or internet at home.

Catching up on lost time

This may have left some children trailing behind. While more than half (51%) said they felt they were where they should be in their studies, around a quarter (28%) of children said they felt they were behind.

The government are exploring options to help pupils catch up on their school work.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wants to provide children with the “opportunities they deserve to learn and fulfil their potential,” though exact plans are still unclear.

He has also pledged £79 million to improve mental health support for children and young people, both in schools and within the community.

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised money for additional teachers and school staff and says she wants to ensure that “the impact of lockdown on our young peopled doesn’t turn into a long-term impact they are saddled with for the rest of their lives.”

Her devolved government has announced an extra £139 million to support mental health in both children and adults following the pandemic.

Extra funding has been announced for schools in Northern Ireland, including for activities this summer, while in Wales the government has pledged that its recovery plans will aim to “meet the needs of learners who have been most affected by this period.”

Children need our support

Many school leaders have warned that there is a long way to go to ensure that the most disadvantaged children receive the support they need, while experts also caution that it is important not to overwhelm students.

The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, commented:

“It’s really important that we now listen to what children have to say about their experiences over the last year.”

She pledged to make sure the government is “doing everything it can to help children feel happier and positive about the future.”

They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services. Their courses include Safeguarding Children, Understanding Mental Health and Anxiety Awareness.

They can also provide accredited trainers to deliver Youth Mental Health First Aid training, certificated by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England.

A trainer from FRT says: “There are many hidden victims of the pandemic, and it is saddening that measures introduced to keep the nation safe and healthy may have contributed to children experiencing a more difficult time.

“It’s so important that children receive the help and support they need.

“Anyone who works with children and young people should complete appropriate mental health training so that they can spot the early warning signs of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems as we begin to find our way out of this pandemic and out of lockdowns.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.