Tag: Children and Families

“Horrendous”: Deaf children seriously failed by NHS Lothian

An extensive expert review has found failings in the standard of hearing tests carried out for children in NHS Lothian’s Paediatric Audiology service.

The review, conducted independently by the British Academy of Audiology (BAA), identifies significant concerns about hearing tests that were not carried out to the required professional standard, with consequences for children and their families.  In some cases, diagnosis of hearing loss or impairment may have been missed or delayed.

Early identification of hearing loss or impairment from birth is important because the earlier it is picked up, the more successfully it can be treated with hearing aids or cochlear implants and the better the outcomes for the child.

Tracey Gillies, Medical Director NHS Lothian said; “We are very sorry and saddened to learn that there are some children whose conditions were not diagnosed correctly, or as early as possible, as a result of testing that was not up to standard.

“Due to these failings, the diagnosis of hearing loss or impairment in six children was missed.  Diagnosis of a further six children was significantly delayed with long term consequences for these children. Their long-term development of speech and language will be affected and these children will require specialist support.”

Ms Gillies continued “Delayed diagnosis of hearing loss in a further 48 children is also likely to have resulted in some harm, though the longer-term impact of this will depend on the individual circumstances of each child. Some children may require to be retested.

“We have already written to the most severely-affected families individually to offer support and a face-to-face meeting to discuss their child’s condition. We have also arranged appointments for those children whom the review recommends should be tested again.

“In addition, measures have been put in place to identify young children currently in the system whose cases may require clinical review. If any concerns are found, the families will be contacted immediately.

“We apologise sincerely to all affected children and their families for these failings and for the worry and distress caused. We would encourage families who may have concerns to contact our helpline for information on 0131 465 5457. Lines will be open on Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.

“We have been engaging closely with the National Deaf Children’s Society and would like to thank them for the support they are able to provide families via their own helpline, which can be contacted on 0808 800 8880.”

NHS Lothian commissioned the full, external review of the service following criticism in May about the diagnosis and care of a child with hearing difficulties. The review is part of the Health Board’s response to the recommendations made by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman who investigated that case.

Other actions already taken include the appointment of an additional senior expert to provide support in Paediatric Audiology, a comprehensive training programme for service staff and support from NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with testing in the interim.

The review consisted of an audit of cases from 2009 -2018, an appraisal of the clinical governance structures in place as well as a week’s residential visit by external experts to observe working practices in the service.

NHS Lothian Chief Executive, Calum Campbell said: “The thoroughness of the review reflects our determination to improve the service and outcomes for the children in our care.

“We note that the report was positive about some aspects of the care of the audiology team who are committed to working hard to improve the quality of testing provided by the service.  

“A number of improvements have already been made and a detailed action plan has been developed to implement all the recommendations of the BAA in full.

“We continue to work closely with the BAA and would like to thank them for their diligence and support in conducting the review.

“I apologise to the affected families and give them my assurance that lessons have been learned and that the recommendations from the review are being implemented in full.”

The National Deaf Children’s Society has called for a sweeping review of children’s audiology services in Scotland after almost a decade of failures by NHS Lothian.

At least 887 children are known to have been affected during the nine-year period, 155 significantly, but the actual number could potentially include thousands more and the problems have continued.

The charity has spoken out after a new report, published yesterday, uncovered repeated mistakes by NHS Lothian’s audiology service, with at least 100 deaf children among those affected.

The report reveals cases of deaf children being wrongly deprived of crucial technology, incorrectly discharged or identified years later than they should have been. Some have been left with life-changing consequences as a result.

In response, the charity has today written to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf MSP. The letter calls for an assurance that such catastrophic errors will never happen again and asks for urgent Government action to improve audiology services across the country.

The failures were revealed in a new audit report, carried out by the British Academy of Audiology to examine NHS Lothian’s children’s audiology caseload of 22,900 from 2009-2018.

It sampled 1,007 cases and found there were concerns about assessment and care in 887 of them (88%). Of those, 155 had “significant concerns”.

The specific findings of the report include:

  • The average age of children identified as deaf under NHS Lothian was 1,653 days (4.53 years old), compared to 109 days in England. The report says this appeared to have gone “unreported and un-noticed.”
  • 12 children were eligible for cochlear implantation, but this was significantly delayed, to the extent where some missed out on getting them altogether.
  • There was no evidence that nine of the children were offered a hearing aid, even though it would likely have helped them.
  • 49 children had a delayed identification of hearing loss or the fitting of their hearing aid was delayed.
  • 30 were not offered the right hearing aids.
  • The remainder of the 155 were wrongly discharged or mismanaged.

As a result, the National Deaf Children’s Society is calling for a review of children’s audiology services across Scotland. It wants to see the Scottish Government introduce national leadership for services, robust data collection and a mandatory program setting out clear standards for care.

Without urgent action, the charity says there’s a real danger that many more deaf children risk not getting the quality of care they need.

Locally, it wants NHS Lothian to commit to following the recommendations made by the report, review its past caseload to avoid repeating the same mistakes and announce a clear plan on how it will catch up and deliver for deaf children and their families.

The charity is also strongly advising all affected families to seek independent specialist legal advice. It is already offering support to families affected and says that anyone who is worried about the report should contact its helpline.

Susan Daniels, Chief Executive at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “The horrendous findings in this report represent a real-life nightmare for the families involved.

“They placed their trust in a service that was supposed to help, only to be completely let down. Some will be left with life-changing consequences, while many others across Scotland will now be facing the very real fear that the same thing could happen to them.

“Early identification and the right care are vital in helping deaf children develop language and communication at a crucial age, so this must never be allowed to happen again.

“This means we need urgent action from the Scottish Government, starting with a thorough review of children’s audiology services across the country. Until we have national leadership, better data collection and mandatory standards that services must comply with, thousands more deaf children could be at risk and families won’t be able to rest.

“We’re already in touch with several families affected and we’ve provided them with support and guidance. Anyone else who’s been affected, or feels worried about this issue, can contact our helpline or visit our website at www.ndcs.org.uk.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs said: ““These findings by the British Academy of Audiology are extremely concerning and families in NHS Lothian have been totally failed.

“It is crucial that all 36 recommendations for the paediatric audiology service are implemented as soon as possible.  

“The average age for diagnosing hearing loss in NHS Lothian is far too late and measures must be put into place to ensure that children with hearing loss are diagnosed much sooner.

“I have written to the Health Secretary to request a meeting about why it takes four and half years in NHS Lothian for a child to be diagnosed with hearing loss, compared to 109 days in England.”

Copies of the report are available:

BAA Summary Report

BAA Audit Report

BAA Governance Report

NHS Lothian Helpline:  0131 465 5457 Mondays to Fridays 9.00am to 4.00pm. 

National Deaf Children’s Society Helpline:  0800 800 8880 Mondays to Fridays   9.00am – 5.00pm

For information and services provided by the National Deaf Children Society, please visit their website https://www.ndcs.org.uk/our-services/

megabus to double it’s service over the Christmas season

  • As Christmas makes a comeback after last year’s disappointment, megabus is set to double its service in an effort to ensure families can still connect over the festive period
  • The coach provider will be operating over 9,000 miles on Christmas day alone – double the mileage of last year. Over 48,000 miles will be covered on Christmas Day and Boxing Day combined
  • The increase comes after another tumultuous year of restrictions meaning families have missed out on quality time together, with older generations affected the most
  • Three quarters (73%) of grandparents say not seeing their grandchildren has been the worst thing about the pandemic – having missed out on 49 hugs, 47 kisses, 40 conversations and 25 family meals with their grandkids since it began

With the UK still planning to enjoy the festive celebrations this year, megabus is set to double its service in an effort to ensure that families aren’t separated for a second Christmas running.

The coach provider is due to operate over 9,000 miles on Christmas Day alone – more than double last years’ service – connecting loved ones from locations including London, Bristol, Manchester, Cardiff, Reading, Leeds, Birmingham Nottingham and many more

Across the festive period (17 Dec – 3 Jan) over half a million miles will be travelled – averaging almost 40,000 per day. 48,000 will take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

With over 2,700 trips being operated by megabus this festive period, the company is clearly ensuring it is there to help families to spend Christmas together. 

The increase comes after another tumultuous year of restrictions meaning many families have missed out on quality time together, with older generations affected the most.

Three quarters (73%) of grandparents say not seeing their grandchildren has been the worst thing about the pandemic – having missed out on 49 hugs, 47 kisses, 40 conversations and 25 family meals with their grandkids in the last 12 months.

Seven in 10 (74%) parents claim to be making a concerted effort to reunite children with grandparents, with 80% saying that their kids missing grandparents has been one of the hardest things to deal with over the past year.

In a normal year, grandparents will spend an average of 90 hours travelling to see their grandkids, spending £240 each to enjoy precious quality time together.

The top moments grandparents have missed due to the pandemic:

  1. 49 hugs
  2. 47 kisses
  3. 40 conversations
  4. 27 playtimes with toys
  5. 25 meals together
  6. 24 walks
  7. 19 bedtimes
  8. 19 daytrips
  9. 18 school runs
  10. 18 hand drawn pictures

Mark Venables, Managing Director from megabus, said: “After so many families were forced to spend last Christmas apart, and we’ve all dealt with more restrictions this year, we’re determined to help bring as many people together as possible this festive season.

“Complying with all current government guidelines, we have over 13,000 seats available for Christmas Day and Boxing Day alone – so we’re really excited to help Brits get around and travel with confidence to see their loved ones this Christmas.

“Seats are already selling fast, so I’d really like to thank all of our fantastic people who are working over the festive period and especially those who have volunteered to work on Christmas day to provide these services to our customers.”

megabus will serve a number of key destinations across the country, including Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham, and Bournemouth and many others.

Crucially, megabus will be operating up to every 30 minutes between Heathrow Airport and London Victoria on Christmas day and Boxing Day when there are no other public transport options available.

megabus will be running services across many key destinations over the festive period, including:

Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Norwich, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Southampton, Plymouth, Newquay, Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport, London.

Call for Scottish budget for mental health as figures show over 1,900 children have been waiting over a year for treatment

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of children’s services, has called for a Scottish Budget for mental health. It urged greatly increased investment in mental health services against a backdrop of concerns over a mental health pandemic as the impacts of Covid-19 on the young become clearer.

The call comes as new figures published today (7th December 2021) from Public Health Scotland indicate that at the end of September 2021, 1,978 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provided by the NHS.

This figure represents a doubling from September 2020 (959).They also represent 16.7 per cent of those waiting for specialist treatment. 

With already under-resourced and overstretched services facing overwhelming pressure due to increased demand, the SCSC has raised concerns over a potential “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people whose mental health is being impacted by Covid-19. 

Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and in crisis, and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support.

While 3,792 children and young people were treated over the period July to September 2021 by CAMHS, only 78.6 per cent were seen within the Scottish Government’s waiting time target for the NHS of 18 weeks from referral to treatment (met for at least 90 per cent of patients). Nine out of 14 health boards failed to meet this target.

Waiting times (with adjustments) for people who started their treatment from July to September 2021, by NHS Board of treatment.

Health boardTotal number seen% seen within 18 weeks
NHS Scotland3,79278.6
NHS Ayrshire & Arran38199.5
NHS Borders7755.8
NHS Dumfries & Galloway8133.3
NHS Fife34083.8
NHS Forth Valley8764.4
NHS Grampian39294.9
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley1,02175.5
NHS Highland17076.5
NHS Lanarkshire18368.3
NHS Lothian66167.9
NHS Tayside35284.1
NHS Island Boards47100.0

In addition to increased investment in mental health services through a Scottish Budget for mental health, the SCSC has called for a renewed focus on expanded prevention and early intervention services, reducing the need for referral to costly specialist CAMHS.

It has also called for greater partnership working between the public, private and third sectors as well as greater awareness of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “We are urging the Scottish Government to make the forthcoming budget a Budget for mental health for our children and young people.

“For some time we have raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is more important than ever that children can access the support they need, when they need it, irrespective of where they live.

“To achieve this there must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, investing in specialist services and with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early.

“This is a crisis we can overcome, but it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for Covid-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”

NSPCC urges Scottish Government to support early childhood

Hundreds of baby booties knitted by public

People from across Scotland have knitted hundreds of baby booties to help the NSPCC campaign for better support for young children and their parents.

The child protection charity is urging the Scottish Government to prioritise resources for early years services, as it sets out its spending plans for 2022/23 at Holyrood tomorrow (Thursday, December 9).

NSPCC Scotland received 435 pairs of baby booties, after it put out a call for people to knit in support of its Fight for a Fair Start campaign. The charity has sent over 120 pairs to MSPs with message cards to raise awareness of the importance of investing in early childhood. The remaining booties are being donated to families supported by the NSPCC and other organisations.

The charity says providing support for very young children and their families is vital because people’s experiences in early childhood affect their future mental and physical health. It wants to see substantial investment in specialist services that support the parent-infant relationship, which is so important for a child’s healthy development.

Joanne Smith, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “A baby’s experiences can greatly impact the rest of their life. Yet, this is a stage of life that is too often overlooked and under-supported.

“Too many children in Scotland do not have a fair start in life. Last year, around half of those on the child protection register and over a third coming into the care system were younger than five years old.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from the Scottish public for this campaign. And we hope our MSPs also show their support for the needs and rights of vulnerable infants by pushing for greater investment in the early years.

“The Scottish Government needs to act with a matter of urgency because we know that providing early support to families can prevent harm and, in turn, change life trajectories.”

In studies carried out before the pandemic hit, NSPCC Scotland found that very few services across the country specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of children under the age of two.

And the charity is concerned the pandemic has put babies at greater risk, with Public Health Scotland data revealing a higher than expected proportion of children having one or more developmental concerns recorded at their 13-15-month review, since February this year.

Daisy*, a mother-of-two, had her eldest child taken into foster care during the first lockdown because of a breakdown in family relationships and was referred to the NSPCC’s Together for Childhood2 project in Glasgow.  She was struggling with her mental health and managing her children’s needs. An NSPCC practitioner supported her and worked through the Circle of Security parenting programme3 with her.

Daisy* said: “The Circle of Security parenting work made me realise the way I was parented has affected the way I was parenting my kids. Even though I thought my upbringing was good, there were obviously tactics my parents used that have affected the way that I was parenting my kids and it’s obviously not been healthy. 

“My parents didn’t listen when I went to them with my problems and I was guilty of that with my kids before doing the Circle of Security work.  It’s been very helpful to realise that’s not the way things should be, so I’ve put an end to that and have found new strategies to better my relationship with my kids and how they feel about themselves as well. 

“I used to use distraction, even with the baby when he was crying, like jangling a set of keys in his face to distract him and make him laugh. But now I pick him up and give him a cuddle and be with him and how he’s feeling. 

“He calms down much quicker and his smiles come naturally again, rather than me trying to force them, because he’s feeling better, because I’ve tended to that need that he had, because he just wanted a cuddle and love.”

People can show their support for our Fight for a Fair Start campaign by signing our petition here.

UK Government reacts swifty to tragic death of little Arthur

The Government has launched a national review and local inspection following the murder of Arthur Laninjo-Hughes

A major review into the circumstances leading up to murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes has been launched by the UK Government to determine what improvements are needed by the agencies that came into contact with him in the months before he died.

The Government has separately commissioned four inspectorates, covering social care, health, police and probation to undertake an urgent inspection of the safeguarding agencies in Solihull to whom Arthur was known.

As part of this inspection, all the agencies tasked with protecting children at risk of abuse and neglect in Solihull will be subject to a Joint Targeted Area Inspection to consider their effectiveness and advise on where improvements must be made.

In addition to this, the independent, national review will identify the lessons that must be learnt from Arthur’s case for the benefit of other children elsewhere in England, to be led by the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

Together, these two actions will mean a deep, independent look at Arthur’s case, and the national lessons to be learnt; and a joined-up inspection of how all the local agencies involved are working, including how they are working together, to keep children safe nationally and locally.

The steps announced today include:

  • Commissioning a Joint Targeted Area Inspection, led jointly by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, and HM Inspectorate of Probation. It will consider where improvements are needed by all the agencies tasked with protecting vulnerable children in Solihull, including in how they work together.
  • A national review, led by the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, to provide additional support to Solihull Children’s Safeguarding Partnership. This will effectively ‘upgrade’ the existing local review, launched shortly after Arthur’s death in June 2020 and paused while the court case continued.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (above) said: “Arthur’s murder has shocked and appalled the nation. I am deeply distressed by this awful case and the senseless pain inflicted on this poor boy, who has been robbed of the chance to live his life.

“I have taken immediate action and asked for a joint inspection to consider where improvements are needed by all the agencies tasked with protecting children in Solihull, so that we can be assured that we are doing everything in our power to protect other children and prevent such evil crimes.

“Given the enormity of this case, the range of agencies involved and the potential for its implications to be felt nationally, I have also asked Annie Hudson, chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, to work with leaders in Solihull to deliver a single, national review of Arthur’s death to identify where we must learn from this terrible case.

“We are determined to protect children from harm and where concerns are raised we will not hesitate to take urgent and robust action. We will not rest until we have the answers we need.”

The national review takes into account the significance and scale of the circumstances of Arthur’s murder, allowing findings to be disseminated around the country to improve practice and identify the lessons that must be learnt.

It replaces and builds on the original Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review – previously known as Serious Case Reviews – which is overseen by safeguarding leaders in a local area.

Over the next few days the Department for Education will work with both the National Panel and the Solihull Partnership to agree a timeline for publication of the national review, as well as confirming the full scope of the Joint Targeted Area Inspection with the agencies involved.

Since 2010, the Government has established stronger multi-agency working, putting a shared and equal duty on police, council and health services in local areas to work more effectively together in protecting and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children. An independent review of children’s social care is ongoing and is due to report next year.

Anyone who sees or suspects child abuse, or is worried about a child known to them, can report concerns to their local children’s services or by contacting the government-supported NSPCC helpline, which is for adults or practitioners concerned about a child or young person.

£759,000 for projects to address childhood obesity

Eight projects working with young families to encourage good nutrition are being allocated funding by the Scottish Government as early intervention to reduce childhood obesity.

Among the initiatives is the Greater Glasgow and Clyde project ‘Thrive Under 5’ which will receive £269,344 towards a community food nurturing programme to help families of pre-school children in Glasgow’s most deprived areas with food insecurity, healthy eating and physical activity.

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet-related health inequalities.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “Addressing obesity remains a public health priority and we want children and families to have access to appropriate support to give everyone the best start in life no matter where they live.

“We know that diet impacts on children’s health and development and will therefore continue to support local partners to develop these ambitious and effective plans to help prevent and reduce childhood obesity. Our 2021-22 Programme for Government sets out our focus on improving the health of young people by taking forward the actions in our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan.

“These projects, alongside our Best Start Foods payment and Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme Milk are central to our commitment to ensure everyone in Scotland has access to healthy, nutritious food. We have also introduced the Good Food Nation Bill to help ensure good quality, locally sourced and produced food is a practical everyday reality for everyone.”

Health Improvement Lead at Glasgow City Health & Social Care Partnership Siobhan Boyle said: “We are delighted to receive year two Scottish Government funding for the Thrive Under 5 Project.  This project is an exciting pre-5 early intervention project that aims to enable a healthy weight in the early years through a child poverty lens. 

“This programme will directly benefit families in the Thrive Under 5 neighbourhoods by combining a suite of healthy lifestyle supports in relation to financial inclusion, food insecurity, healthy eating and physical activity.

“A local Thrive Under 5 network in each area will drive the project forward in partnership with local people.  We are looking forward to seeing the positive difference that this project will make.”

As well as Thrive Under Five in Glasgow, other projects to receive funding are: Jump Start Tots in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, the HENRY Train the Trainer model in NHS Fife, NHS Lothian and NHS Grampian, an extension to the HENRY programme in NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles, and Little n Lively in NHS Lanarkshire.

Flu: get your child vaccinated

The flu vaccine is given to children as a nasal (nose) spray. It’s quick and painless and will just feel like a tickle in their nose.

Visit http://nhsinform.scot/childflu

Why should I have my child vaccinated?

Flu is very infectious and can be serious. Flu can lead to complications that may result in hospitalisation or even death.

The flu vaccine will reduce the risk of your child getting or spreading flu to friends and family who are at greater risk from flu and coronavirus, such as grandparents or people with health conditions.

The flu vaccine provides both individual protection for the child and reduces transmission across all age groups.

Getting the flu vaccine will help prevent the flu virus putting extra strain on our NHS services this winter.

Every year in Scotland, children are hospitalised for the treatment of flu or its complications.

In some cases flu can lead to complications. These can include:

  • bronchitis
  • pneumonia
  • painful middle-ear infection
  • vomiting
  • diarrhoea

For children with health conditions getting flu can be even more serious. Health conditions that make children more vulnerable include:

  • asthma
  • bronchitis
  • heart disease
  • kidney disease
  • liver disease
  • neurological disease
  • diabetes
  • immunosuppression
  • asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen

Childhood vaccinations are very important. Please bring your child to their vaccination appointment to protect them and others against flu.

If you think you or your child are showing symptoms of coronavirus call the number on your invitation to rearrange your appointment.

Who’s being offered the vaccine?

The flu vaccine’s offered to all:

From September 2021 all primary and secondary school pupils in Scotland will be offered the flu vaccine.

How will my child get the vaccine?

The child flu vaccine is normally given at school between September and December.

If your child misses their vaccination in school, please contact your local NHS Board to find out about local arrangements for getting their vaccine at another time.

Home-schooled children are also eligible for the flu vaccine. Your local health board will contact you directly to offer vaccination.

Children aged 6 months to less than 2 years of age with an eligible health condition will also be offered the flu vaccine. Your local health board or GP practice will invite you by letter to get your child’s flu vaccine.

Primary and secondary school-aged children (including those with eligible health conditions) will be offered the vaccine at school.

If a young person has left secondary school, they are not eligible to get a flu vaccine at school. 16 and 17 year olds with an eligible health condition who have left school can phone 0800 030 8013 to receive an appointment for the flu vaccine.

If you don’t know the phone number for your local health board, you can phone 0800 030 8013.

What vaccine is used?

Children aged 2 years and older are given the flu vaccine as a nasal (nose) spray into each nostril. It is quick and painless and is the best available protection against flu.

Your child does not have to sniff or inhale the vaccine and will just feel a tickle in their nose.

The Fluenz Tetra nasal spray suspension Influenza vaccine (live attenuated, nasal) is routinely used in Scotland.

Children aged 6 months to less than 2 years with an eligible health condition will be offered the injectable vaccine.

young girl next to flu jag

Vaccine side effects

As with all medicines, side effects of the nasal spray flu vaccine are possible, but usually mild.

More about child flu vaccine side effects

Vaccine safety

The flu vaccine is the safest, most effective protection against flu.

All medicines, including vaccines, are tested for safety and efficacy before they’re allowed to be used.

Once they’re in use, the safety of vaccines continues to be monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The nasal spray flu vaccine has been used safely since 2014 and millions of doses of the vaccine have been given to children in the UK

The virus in the vaccine has been weakened so it doesn’t cause flu. It helps your child build up immunity to flu.

Children who don’t get the vaccine are not at risk of catching flu from children who have had the vaccine. The only exception to this would be children who are extremely immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system).

How effective is the vaccine?

The annual vaccine offers protection against the most common types of flu virus that are around each winter. The flu vaccine should start to protect most children about 10 to 14 days after they receive their vaccination.

Over the last few years the flu vaccine has worked very well, providing protection against flu. It has also reduced the chance of spreading flu into the wider community.

There is still a chance that your child could get flu after having the vaccine. If they do get flu after vaccination, it is likely to be milder and not last as long.

Children who can’t have the nasal spray vaccine

An alternative injectable form of the vaccine is available for children who cannot have the nasal spray vaccine.

This includes children who:

  • have their immune system suppressed because they’re getting treatment for serious conditions, such as cancer, or if they’ve had a transplant
  • have a serious condition which affects the immune system, such as severe primary immunodeficiency
  • live with or are in close regular contact with very severely immunocompromised people who require isolation
  • are taking regular high doses of oral steroids
  • have had a severe reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine
  • are undergoing salicylate treatment (for example, taking aspirin)

Children with egg allergies

Children with an egg allergy can safely have the nasal spray vaccine, unless they’ve had a life-threatening reaction to eggs that required intensive care.

An egg-free injectable vaccine which can be used in those from 2 years of age is available. If you’re affected, please speak to your immunisation nurse for advice.

Children with severe asthma

The nasal spray vaccine may not be suitable for some children with severe asthma who regularly need oral steroids for asthma control. If you’re affected, please speak to your health professional for advice.

Children on medications

If your child is at school, please make sure you list all of your child’s medications on the consent form. All consent forms will be checked by a health or immunisation team member before the immunisation session to make sure your child can have the nasal spray.

Pork gelatine

The nasal spray vaccine contains a highly processed form of gelatine (pork gelatine) which is used in many essential medicines.

The gelatine helps keep the vaccine viruses stable so the vaccine provides the best protection against flu.

Many faith groups, including Muslim and Jewish communities, have approved the use of vaccines containing gelatine.

However, it’s your choice whether or not you want your child to get the nasal spray vaccine.

The nasal spray vaccine is a much more effective vaccine than the injected flu vaccine and is the preferred option.

If you do not want your child to get the nasal spray vaccine for religious reasons, you may request the injectable alternative by ticking the box on the consent form (your child won’t automatically be offered the injectable alternative, you’ll need to tick the box every year).

Child abuse image crimes in Scotland pass 3,000 in five years

Calls for stronger Online Safety Bill

  • Child abuse image offences recorded by Police Scotland up 13% last year and reach over 3,100 in just five years
  • ‘Social media being used as a conveyor belt to produce child abuse images on an industrial scale’
  • NSPCC sets out five-point plan to strengthen Online Safety Bill so it decisively disrupts the production and spread of child abuse material on social media

More than 3,000 child abuse image crimes were recorded by Police Scotland over the last five years, the NSPCC has revealed today.

Data obtained from Police Scotland shows the number of offences relating to possessing, taking, making, and distributing child abuse material peaked at 660 last year (2020/21) – up 13% from 2019/20.

The NSPCC previously warned the pandemic had created a ‘perfect storm’ for grooming and abuse online.

The charity said social media is being used by groomers as a conveyor belt to produce and share child abuse images on an industrial scale. It added that the issue of young people being groomed into sharing images of their own abuse has become pervasive.

The NSPCC is urging the UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries to seize the opportunity to strengthen the Online Safety Bill, so it results in decisive action that disrupts the production and spread of child abuse material on social media.  

The child protection charity said that behind every offence could be multiple victims and images, and children will continue to be at risk of an unprecedented scale of abuse unless the draft legislation is significantly strengthened.

Ahead of a report by Parliamentarians who scrutinised the draft Online Safety Bill expected next week, the NSPCC, which has been at the forefront of campaigning for social media regulation, set out a five-point plan to strengthen the legislation so it effectively prevents online abuse.

The charity’s online safety experts said the Bill currently fails to address how offenders organise across social media, doesn’t effectively tackle abuse in private messaging and fails to hold top managers liable for harm or give children a voice to balance the power of industry.

The NSPCC is critical of the industry response to child abuse material. A Facebook whistle-blower recently revealed Meta apply a return-on-investment principle to combatting child abuse material and don’t know the true scale of the problem as the company “doesn’t track it”.

And research by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has raised concerns about whether some platforms have consistent and effective processes to takedown child abuse images, with some companies pushing back on removing abuse images of children as young as ten.

NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “The staggering amount of child sexual abuse image offences is being fuelled by the ease with which offenders are able to groom children across social media to produce and share images on an industrial scale.

“The UK Government recognises the problem and has created a landmark opportunity with the Online Safety Bill. We admire Nadine Dorries’ declared intent that child protection is her number one objective.

“But our assessment is that the legislation needs strengthening in clear and specific ways if it is to fundamentally address the complex nature of online abuse and prevent children from coming to avoidable harm.” 

The NSPCC’s five-point plan lays out where the Online Safety Bill must be strengthened to:

  1. Disrupt well-established grooming pathways: The Bill fails to tackle convincingly the ways groomers commit abuse across platforms to produce new child abuse images. Offenders exploit the design features of social media sites to contact multiple children before moving them to risky livestreaming or encrypted sites. The Bill needs to be strengthened to require platforms to explicitly risk assess for cross platform harms.
  2. Tackle how offenders use social media to organise abuse: The Bill fails to address how abusers use social media as a shop window to advertise their sexual interest in children, make contact with other offenders and post digital breadcrumbs as a guide for them to find child abuse content. Recent whistle-blower testimony found Facebook groups were being used to facilitate child abuse and signpost to illegal material hosted on other sites.
  3. Put a duty on every social media platform to have a named manager responsible for children’s safety: To focus minds on child abuse every platform should be required to appoint a named person liable for preventing child abuse, with the ultimate threat of criminal sanctions for product decisions that put children in harm’s way.
  4. Give the regulator more effective powers to combat abuse in private messaging: Private messaging is the frontline of child abuse but the regulator needs clearer powers to take action against companies that don’t have a plan to tackle it. Companies should have to risk assess end-to-end encryption plans before they go ahead so the regulator is not left in the dark about abuse taking place in private messaging.
  5. Give children a funded voice to fight for their interests: Under current proposals for regulation children who have been abused will get less statutory protections than bus passengers or Post Office users. There needs to be provision for a statutory body to represent the interests of children, funded by an industry levy, in the Bill.

The NSPCC is mobilising supporters to sign an open letter to Nadine Dorries asking the UK Culture Secretary to make sure children are at the heart of the Online Safety Bill.

The NSPCC’s full analysis of the draft Online Safety Bill is set out in their ‘Duty to Protect’ report.

River City and Edinburgh panto star Jordan Young helps inspire a love of reading in children

Jordan Young reads bedtime story for young children and families

River City and Edinburgh Christmas panto star, Jordan Young, has recorded The Last Wolf by Mini Grey – a powerful and funny story that reimagines the classic Little Red Riding Hood in an entirely new way. 

The reading is in support of the partnership between charities Children 1st and the Dollywood Foundation UK, which are working to spark the love of reading in every child in Scotland. 

Children and families can enjoy Jordon’s reading of the Penguin book on the Children 1st website.

Jordan is the latest in a series of well-known book lovers to record children’s stories for the campaign, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, actor and musician Tom Urie, radio presenter Katy Johnston, actor Sanjeev Kohli and singers Michelle McManus and Eddi Reader. 

Jordan commented: “I’m absolutely delighted to read this month’s bedtime story to support Children 1st and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. I really enjoy reading to my two young children every night and sharing the joy of stories together.

“My children love them – it lets them use their imagination, helps them get to sleep and provides a time we all look forward to every evening. I hope my reading of The Last Wolf inspires other children to develop a love of reading too.”

As well as encouraging families to enjoy the celebrity videos together, the charities are also encouraging avid readers to donate to the campaign, to help share their love of reading with children in Scotland who may not have access to books at home.

With public support, the charities will deliver a free book to children who might otherwise go without, every month from birth to their fifth birthday. Alongside the books, children and their families are also offered practical and emotional support to keep their children safe and to support their wellbeing and development.  

A parent, whose young child has been receiving books, said: “I think all children should get to have a story at bedtime. Getting books in the post addressed to my son is really exciting for him.

“Having a new book keeps it fresh and stops him getting bored listening to the same story all the time. It’s been great for my son and even for his older siblings too, as they’re enjoying reading the new stories to their little brother.” 

Gary Kernahan, Children 1st Director of Fundraising, said: “We’re delighted that Jordon is supporting this campaign and helping to pass on his love of reading and stories to other children across Scotland.

“Stories are an important part of childhood and Children 1st wants to ensure that all children get to experience the joy of books.

“If you would like to help support this important campaign and help more children who don’t have access to books at home to develop a love of reading, please donate today at www.children1st.org.uk/imaginationlibrary.”

You can watch Jordan read The Last Wolf at: 

www.children1st.org.uk/imaginationlibrary