Tag: Children and Families

Charity raises concern over U-turn on vaccination for unpaid carers

A leading charity has raised concerns over an apparent Scottish Government u-turn which sees unpaid carers now no longer included in the “first-wave” of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The concern has been raised by Kindred, an advocacy organisation supporting parents of children with complex needs, which has warned of the impact on these children if their parents contract the virus and are unable to provide care.

The charity had made the vaccine call in a letter to Health Cabinet Secretary, Jeane Freeman MSP, on 11th November on the back of a report it published highlighting the “devastating” impact of the pandemic lockdown on families of children with exceptional health needs.

On 19th November Ms Freeman noted that unpaid carers would be in the “first wave” of vaccinations, between December 2020 and February 2021. 

However, on 3rd December, in her statement to the Scottish Parliament she noted that, alongside those most vulnerable on an age and health basis, the “only sectoral exception [for vaccine priority] is for the health and social care workforce.”

On 4th December, it all became clear in a “Vaccine stakeholder note” from the Scottish Government Directorate for Mental Health and Social Care that “carers and their families are not included in the prioritisation list.”

Director of the charity, Sophie Pilgrim, has written to the Cabinet Secretary on the back of this apparent u-turn on her earlier commitment (letter available on request), noting:

“At this time of national crisis, it seems we are prepared to ignore the plight of our most vulnerable children. These children, with shorter lives, have lost out on therapy, education and social opportunities. Their parents, on whom they are totally dependent, are exhausted to the point of burnout.

“In Scotland, we pride ourselves in aspiring to be the ‘best country in the world for children to grow up’. We should dare to be different and stand up for our children who are most in need. I urge you to include unpaid carers amongst the first to receive the vaccine.”

The repeated call comes on the back of a survey undertaken of the parents of children with complex health needs.1

The results show that:

  • 93 percent of these families experienced an impact on their ability to meet their children’s medical and care needs due to the pandemic; 63 percent said that the impact of the pandemic on their ability to provide care was ‘big’ or ‘severe’.
  • Two out of every three parents who took part in the survey said sleep deprivation was one of the main factors that impacted their ability to care for their children.  It was the norm for these parents to get an average of five hours of broken sleep per night.  Kindred has called for an urgent need to investigate the provision of overnight respite care across Scotland.
  • Over a third of parents received no respite care before the pandemic and this dropped to 60 per cent after the start of the pandemic.  This highlights the importance of schools in supporting parents and giving them a break from caring.  Almost all the children attended special school with access to therapy, and the expertise of Additional Support for Learning staff.  There is no doubt that schools are preventing crisis and family breakdown where a child has high care needs.  

Sophie Pilgrim, Director of Kindred, commented: “This apparent u-turn by the Scottish Government is deeply devastating news for the families of children with complex needs and life limiting conditions. 

“At this time of national crisis, it seems we are prepared to ignore the plight of our most vulnerable children. These children, with shorter lives, have lost out on therapy, education and social opportunities. Their parents, on whom they are totally dependent, are exhausted to the point of burnout and simply cannot afford to get sick.

“In Scotland, we pride ourselves in aspiring to be the ‘best country in the world for children to grow up’. We should dare to be different and stand up for our children who are most in need.”

Alex Davey, from East Lothian, is fulltime carer to her six-year-old son, Benjamin, who has complex medical needs including tube-feeding, epilepsy and overnight ventilation.

She has written a blog to highlight her disappointment and said:

“My key concern as Benjamin’s mother is that my husband and myself contract Covid-19, rendering us incapable of meeting his complex care needs, potentially for a long period of time.

“Early access to the vaccine is therefore imperative to ensure that families like ours can be sure that they can continue to care for their child.

“One can therefore only imagine our joy when we heard that unpaid carers would be among the first wave to receive the vaccine. We cheered, we celebrated, we called each other up and cried tears of pure relief. We were no longer overlooked.

“In fact, we are not just overlooked, we were cruelly misled and our hopes were built up, only to be dashed.

“We cannot understand why the Scottish Government has reneged on its commitment and we would urge it to do the honourable thing and honour the original commitment made.”

EU funding threat for Scottish youth work

Scotland’s youth work sector could miss out on more than £1 million of annual European funding due to Brexit.

That’s the amount of support currently received every year by the sector from the Erasmus+ international exchange programme, Scotland’s participation in which is now in jeopardy with less than a month to go until the end of the transition period.

The Scottish Government has sought repeated assurance that the UK Government will prioritise continued association to the programme, and, if the UK Government fails in its negotiations to secure access, that any replacement scheme will provide funding on a par with the amounts historically secured under Erasmus+ and that all those who currently benefit from the programme will be supported.

Further and Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead has highlighted the urgency of a decision between Devolved Administration counterparts and Michelle Donelan, UK Minister of State for Universities.

Mr Lochhead said: “Scotland’s vibrant youth work sector supports children and young people’s well-being and helps close the attainment gap. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen the sector rise to the challenge of providing services remotely, supporting some of our most vulnerable young people.

“If, as we expect, EU funding for youth work projects and youth exchanges are no longer available to the Scottish sector, the contribution of youth work to enhancing young people’s capacity for social and cultural connectedness and for understanding and accepting difference could be clearly impacted.

“I was fortunate enough to see the benefits of Erasmus+ first hand earlier this year, when I visited the Royston Youth Action project in the north of Glasgow. 

“The impact of participating in international exchanges with young people from Estonia, Finland and Austria had been life-changing for them.  Some of the young people had never had a passport, let alone the opportunity to travel abroad before. The Erasmus exchange experience has resulted in a lasting partnership between the participants which endures to this day.

“Research shows those in Scotland with fewer opportunities participating in Erasmus+ report a significantly higher effect when compared with young people who face fewer barriers. And those who study or train abroad are twice as likely to find employment quickly. Losing out to Erasmus+ would be a significant blow to many, and not just financially.”

One of Scotland’s major recipients of Erasmus+ support has been YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work.

YouthLink CEO Tim Frew said: “It is disappointing to see no money for youth work has been allocated to the UK Spending Review, in terms of any potential domestic alternative to the Erasmus+ programme. We hope this is not a signal from the UK Government that these opportunities for some of our most disadvantaged young people are to end.

“Erasmus+ has provided significant transformative and life-changing opportunities for young people, many of whom are furthest away from mainstream opportunities. Whether it’s employability programmes, work on gender-based violence or environmental sustainability, the opportunity to visit, work with and learn from our European counterparts cannot be underestimated.

“We would like to see the Prime Minister make a commitment to the continuation of Erasmus+, a programme that already involves non-EU members, including Iceland and Norway. If youth work participation in either Erasmus+ or any domestic alternative, is no longer open to us, these opportunities will be lost for young people for generations to come.”

The Erasmus+ programme facilitates the mobility of individuals across Europe, be that for learning, teaching, or working, by financing individual exchanges from higher education, adult education, vocational education and training, youth work, schools and sport.

Scotland attracts proportionally more Erasmus+ participants from across Europe – and sends more in the other direction – than any other country in the UK.

Between 2014 and 2018 Scottish institutions and organisations secured more than 90 million euros in Erasmus+ funding with more than 80 youth work projects benefitting from around £4.4 million. With the sector estimated to deliver at least £7 in value for every £1 it costs in public cash, its value to the economy has been estimated to be worth nearly £34 million since 2014.

Recently the European Commission confirmed a 60% increase to the programme’s budget, which is now sitting at over 23 billion euros.

Scottish Government funding for youth work is being increased more than 30% this year to recognise the vital role the sector will play in making up any ground lost in learning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A newly created £3 million Youth Work Education Recovery Fund – administered by YouthLink Scotland – is being targeted at those communities and young people who need the most support, bringing Government spending in the youth work sector this year to at least £12.5 million.

Recent findings show three-quarters of Scottish students who take part in Erasmus+ receive a first- or upper second-class degree, compared with 60% of those who did not study or train abroad.

Students who did an Erasmus placement are 50% less likely to experience long-term unemployment, and participants in vocational education and training have a higher employment rate (81% vs 68%) three years after the end of their stay abroad.

Commissioned by YouthLink Scotland, Hall Aitken (2016) estimated the social return on investment in youth work contributes between £656 million and £2 billion to the Scottish economy every year and shows a return of £7 for every £1 of public cash.

Give Them Time campaigners welcome start of Holyrood process

The Give Them Time Campaign has welcomed yesterday’s start of a parliamentary process which will automatically provide an additional year of nursery funding for all children legally deferring their Primary One start. 

At present only January and February born children are entitled to this whereas mid-August* (*those who turn five after the school commencement date in any year) to 31st Dec born children – who share the same legal right to defer – do not have this automatic entitlement and it’s at the discretion of their local authority to grant it or not.

Since 2018 the Campaign has been lobbying the Scottish Government to provide an automatic entitlement to a further year of nursery funding for ALL children legally deferring their school start. 

Our supporters are mainly parents, early years’ and primary teachers and its research has demonstrated wide variations across council areas as to whether parents were likely to secure this funding for their child or not and the process for being considered for it. While more councils than ever have funded 100% of requests this year, the infographics below highlight the ongoing postcode lottery.

However, this is now set to change as today the Minister for Children and Young People, Maree Todd, started the parliamentary process at Holyrood to change the law to enable all children whose parents choose to take up their legal right to defer them to have automatic access to a further year of funded nursery from 2023.

Campaigners have warmly welcomed this move but they are disappointed a full national rollout will not be effective immediately. Details of a pilot scheme have not been finalised yet but campaigners are keen to see this run in as many council areas as possible and particularly in areas which have had poorer approval rates in recent years as can be seen on the Evidence page of the campaign website.

Campaign spokesperson Diane Delaney said: “Our research has evidenced that the postcode lottery of allocation of discretionary deferral funding is causing confusion, stress, distress and ultimately forcing some parents to send their child to school despite feeling concerned about their wellbeing and ability to cope.

“We are elated that the legislation will be brought in to fund all deferrals, however, we need immediate and full implementation in every local authority at the same time.

“There will be dire consequences for children and families having to wait until 2023 to guarantee full access to funding. Parents’ worries are exacerbated as a result of the multiple impacts of Covid-19 and the huge loss of nursery time for these children earlier this year.

“We welcome the offer of the Scottish Government to continue to work with parents as they move forward in progressing the implementation of this legislation. The Scottish Government has committed to embed children’s rights into Scottish Law, therefore in advance of this we require the new legislation to be implemented fairly and as soon as possible to help all parents, but especially those parents who cannot afford to defer their child if their council refuses funding.

“We want to live in a country where we can be proud that the needs of our children come first and to do this, any legislation impacting on children must not be determined by where they live or their parents income.”

Parents described some of their experiences in a survey conducted by the campaign in Oct 2020. Here are some of their comments:

QUESTION 4: What is your experience of the nursery staff’s understanding of the legal right to defer any child who has not reached the age of five by the school commencement date in Scotland?

  • “Nursery staff knew about it but said as he had no multi agency specialist support input I would not get funding.”
  • “They knew but seem to try to put you off the idea, make comments like “they’ll be fine” etc” 
  • “I was told it was unusual for a November born to differ and had to contact the council myself.”
  • “The nursery staff were as much in the dark as parents.”

QUESTION 5: What is your experience of the information provided by your local authority on deferral rights? Please give as much detail as possible.

  • “Awful. Varying degrees of knowledge. People telling us we “weren’t allowed” etc.”
  • “My experience all the way through the deferral process was that I was having to ‘fight’ the system to enable my son to be deferred. It seems to be quite a hostile system where the parent’s view is secondary to that of the nursery even though my son was only at nursery for two days per week.”
  • “I think it is incredibly upsetting as a parent that you have to justify why you feel your child would benefit from an extra year in nursery. For many parent it is an agonising decision that they second guess all the time. You also feel a bit like you are betraying your child as in order to do what you feel will be best for them you have to list all the ‘negative’ aspects of their development and personality. It’s a very upsetting experience.”
  • “I felt that I was much more ‘in the know’ than nursery staff, and was ‘keeping them In the loop’ with regards to The Give Them Time Campaign and other movements aiming to uphold these rights. The 1 member of teaching staff in the nursery probably knew the child’s fundamental right to defer their school start, but they were not at all forthcoming with information, and I would never have been told this right, had I not already known it myself. There are many parents/ guardians who simply don’t know this right, and I feel that nurseries should make it their job to inform.”

QUESTION 6: What is your experience of the process of applying to your local authority for a further year of nursery funding for your child’s deferral year? Please give as much detail as possible.

  • “I found it very stressful. I had to attend meetings, research and write letters, get my local MSP involved. Just trying to do the right thing.”
  • “The process itself was one horrendously stressful and awfully frustrating bureaucratic experience!!!”
  • “Stressful as told from everyone that funding would not be approved. It wasn’t initially but on appeal all deferrals were funded due to covid. Very poor support for parental input-my opinion was completely disregarded and I didn’t feel listened to at all.”
  • “Very little support and guidance. Very much appears as if it’s bingo and based on how assessor are feeling in the day rather than robust criteria. Forcing people to appeal, which adds additional stress and pressure to an already convoluted process to then overturn the majority of appeals is inexcusable. Do the job right the first time and you will save everyone a huge amount of time, energy and resources.”

Make Christmas TV educational

Do your children want to spend the festive holiday sprawled on the sofa watching Christmas films? Don’t despair: those old familiar favourites can be educational. Yes, really! 

Former primary school teacher Laura Steele of education resources experts PlanBee shows how to turn passive screen time into an active learning experience: 

Father Christmas

Based on the book by Raymond Briggs, this short animated film takes a look at what Father Christmas does on the other 364 days of the year.

  • Ask your child to choose one of the destinations Father Christmas visits on his holidays and put themselves into his shoes (or boots!) and write a postcard home, explaining everything he saw and got up to there.
  • Father Christmas doesn’t enjoy all the visits he makes. Encourage your child to write him a letter, suggesting where he should go next year, and why he might like it better than his holiday this year. 
  • Father Christmas spends time organising presents for us, but what present would like to receive? Ask your youngster to draw a picture of the gift they would get for him, and write a short explanation of their choice.
  • Download FREE Father Christmas activity sheets here

The Snowman

Also based on a Raymond Briggs book, in this film a young boy’s snowman magically comes to life, and takes him on an adventure to meet Father Christmas.

  • The boy and the Snowman never speak to each other, but if they did what would they say? Children could write an imagined conversation between them, or even act it out.
  • We see the boy building the Snowman step-by-step. Encourage your child to draw pictures and write instructions for each of the different stages of construction.
  • Ask them to design their own snowman! Ask them to label what they would use for his eyes, nose, mouth, buttons and so on.
  • If you watch the film carefully, you will see many different animals. Can your child spot them? As an extra challenge, they could choose an animal to research and perhaps make a poster or write a report about it.
    Download FREE Snowman activity sheets here

 Elf

Elf focuses on the character of Buddy, a human who has been raised by elves at the North Pole. On discovering that he is not actually an elf, Buddy travels to New York in search of his father

  • Buddy is given a snow globe of New York City. Children could design and draw their own snow globe, showing where they live.
  • Challenge them to describe and draw the film’s funniest, happiest and saddest moments.
    Download FREE Elf activity sheets here

The Grinch

Based on the 1957 book by Dr Seuss, a creature named the Grinch hates Christmas and everything to do with it. He devises a wicked plan to ruin the festive season for the town of Whoville.

  • Children could write a character description of the Grinch, detailing his appearance, his personality, what he does, and how he changes by the end of the film.
  • Ask children to draw a picture of, or describe, Whoville at Christmas. Would they like to live there? Can they explain why?
  • Ask your child to step into Grinch’s shoes, and describe or act out their thoughts about Christmas both at the beginning of the film, and then at the end, and discuss how they differ. 
    Download FREE Grinch activity sheets here

The Polar Express

A young boy who is beginning to lose his belief in Father Christmas boards a to the North Pole and has amazing adventures, makes some special new friends, and regains his belief in the magic of Christmas.

  • Ask your child to design a ticket for the Polar Express. Who would they give it to, and why? Which two letters do they think The Conductor would cut out on it, and why? Which full word would be created on reboarding the train?
  • In the film, the symbol of Christmas spirit for the Boy is the bell he receives from ‘Mr C’. Ask children to draw and explain what represents the Christmas spirit for them.
  • At one point, the train passes the Northern Lights. Encourage children to research exactly what this phenomenon is. They could also create their own artwork depicting the scene. 
     Download FREE Polar Express activity sheets here

Klaus

A young postman who is not very good at his job is sent to serve an unwelcoming, frozen town in the far North. When he meets an old toy maker, Klaus, and together they begin delivering presents to the children of the town, things begin to change…

  • Ask children to imagine that they are one of the children living in Smeerensburg. Challenge them to write their own letter to Klaus, telling him how they have been good, what gift they would like and why.
  • In the film, Klaus has carved alcoves into a tree trunk for a family of figurines. Ask children to draw or make their own version of this, complete with everyone that is special to them.
  • Klaus says: ‘A true selfless act always sparks another’. Ask children to name the selfless acts in the film. Have they made any selfless acts themselves in the past? Are there any that they could make in the future?
     Download FREE Klaus activity sheets here

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Santa’s rather accident-prone son, Arthur, sets out on a mission to deliver a present that was left at the North Pole on Christmas Eve

  • Encourage children to draw, and write a short description of, each member of Santa’s family: Santa himself, Mrs Santa, GrandSanta, Steve and of course, Arthur. What characteristics do they each have? How are they similar? How are they different?

Arthur is particularly fond of his slippers. Unfortunately, he loses them during his adventure. Can your child design a new pair for him?

  • Challenge your children to design and make their own version of ‘Christmas: the Board Game’. What will the board look like, what’s the aim of the game and how is it played? Will they need any extra items such as counters or question cards?
    Download FREE Arthur Christmas activity sheets here

Fun activities for ANY Film

Set one of these fun challenges to give a new dimension to your youngster’s watching habits, whatever their chosen film:

  • Turn the sound off and challenge your child to describe what is happening in the film. Ask children to imagine that they are helping a blind person experience the film so they need to use as much detail as possible for each scene. You could play a few short scenes using Audio Description to get them started: as a cartoon strip, a digital book, as a written account, as a series of drawings, or as a storyboard.
  • Challenge your child to write a review of the film. How many stars out of five would they give it? What was the best bit? Who was their favourite character? Or what about recording a vlog review giving their opinion to share online with friends and family?

Edinburgh children urged to sign up for free online STEM resources

Amazon’s development centre in Edinburgh is encouraging children in Edinburgh to get involved in free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) resources the company has launched to help students improve their maths skills, learn how to code, and develop their career aspirations over the winter school holidays.  

In many circumstances, children’s education has been impacted by COVID-19, with schools and families trying to catch up following lockdown and related closures and absences. One report from Ofsted highlighted the worst-case scenarios, reporting that some school children had lost basic skills and learning as a result of school closures caused by the pandemic. 

Speaking on the donation, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “At Amazon, we are passionate about education and learning, so we have brought charities and educational institutions together with our Maths4All and Amazon Future Engineer programmes to provide a fun way for children to learn and get a head start with maths, computer science and coding.

“On behalf of the team at Edinburgh, we want to encourage the young learners and families in Edinburgh to make the most of these free and easily-accessible resources to keep learning while having fun over the school holidays” 

What is Amazon offering?

·       Amazon has expanded Amazon Maths4All beyond the free resources for primary school children and now also offers secondary school students free educational materials. Amazon Maths4All offers hundreds of worksheets on Kindle and Fire Tablets, new maths challenges on Alexa, apps and games for school pupils, and given the restrictions in place and uncertainty around the holidays, these resources aim to supplement student’s learning and development. The initiative is run in partnership with several organisations including Open University, Conquer Maths, White Rose Maths, Dr Frost and Cazoom Maths.

·      Amazon has also launched the Cyber Robotics Challenge to provide students with a free, three-hour virtual challenge to learn the basics of programming as part of Amazon Future Engineer. Recommended for anyone aged eight and above, young learners are asked to code an Amazon Hercules robot to deliver a friend’s birthday present on time. This challenge is the first of its kind and teaches students coding and computer science in a real-world setting.

·       With Alexa, you can also open the skill ‘Maths Coach’, which helps your mathematical brain stay active with five levels of difficulty. To get started, use a phrase like “Alexa, ask the Maths Coach to start a test” or “Alexa, ask the Maths Coach for a hard addition test”. For some light-hearted learning you can also ask “Alexa, tell me a fact about maths?”, “Alexa, tell me a joke about maths” or “Alexa, rap about pi”.

·       Amazon has also just launched The Amazon Longitude Explorer Prize, delivered by Nesta Challenges, which calls on young bright minds to put their passion for STEM subjects to the test by creating and developing technological innovations to help solve some of the world’s biggest issues from climate change to aging populations.

The programme aims to reach students aged 11-16 across the UK and hopes to provide young people from all backgrounds with an introduction to the possibilities of entrepreneurship in STEM and children can form team and enter the virtual competition until 12 February. 

Special Drop-in Children’s Flu Clinic for Missed Appointments

Parents of children aged 2-5 living in Edinburgh, who missed a child flu vaccine appointment, are being invited to attend a new drop-in vaccination clinic this weekend (Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December).

NHS Lothian is organising the session at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People to offer parents another opportunity to make sure their child is protected against flu this winter.

The clinic is specifically for children who are registered with an Edinburgh GP but were unable to attend a previously scheduled appointment time.

Pat Wynne, Nurse Director, Primary and Community Care, said: “Flu is very infectious and can be serious. Even healthy children can become ill, which can be very unpleasant for them, and they can spread it to family.

“This winter it’s more important than ever to prevent people getting the flu, particularly because of coronavirus.  The best way to protect your child and others who are vulnerable is to get vaccinated.”

“We understand that parents are really busy and might not have been able to make an appointment. To help make sure they don’t miss out we’re putting on this extra flu vaccination clinic.”

The children’s flu vaccine is safe and effective. It is offered free every year as a simple, painless, nasal spray to children to help protect them from getting and spreading the flu.

In Edinburgh, parents of children aged between and 2 and 5 years old, who are not yet in school, will have received a letter to attend a scheduled appointment at a children’s flu clinic in the city.

Anyone who has received a letter to attend a child flu vaccine appointment at a clinic after 6th December should continue to attend that as normal.  Children who require a flu vaccine by injection for medical or religious reasons, should approach their GP practice.

Pat Wynne, Nurse Director, Primary and Community Care, added: “As this is a drop-in clinic there might be short wait for parents, but we strongly encourage anyone who has missed their appointment to take up this opportunity and to attend over the weekend.”

The drop-in children’s flu vaccination clinic is being held between 9am and 4pm at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, 51 Little France Crescent, Old Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA.  

The drop-in is only for children aged 2-5yrs (and not yet at school) registered with an Edinburgh GP Practice who have missed a flu vaccination appointment.

Hundreds of child cruelty and neglect offences recorded by Police Scotland every year

672 concerns of adults neglecting, mistreating or assaulting children in Scotland in 2019/20

The NSPCC has launched its Here for Children Christmas Appeal and a new TV ad to raise awareness of abuse and neglect this Christmas

More than 600 concerns of child cruelty and neglect offences were recorded by Police Scotland last year, the NSPCC reports as it warns that some children may be at risk of abuse this Christmas.

The charity is today releasing a new analysis of police data for the whole of the UK, which reveals that there were 23,529 offences recorded by forces in 2019/20.

Although there are significant variations in numbers between different regions and nations, the analysis finds that overall in the UK there has been 53% rise since 2016/17. However, in Scotland the annual number of offences has varied considerably over these four years, between 640 and 818, with last year’s figure totalling 672.

While not every police-recorded offence leads to a prosecution or child protection outcome, each represents a significant concern raised to the police about a child.

The NSPCC has issued the findings as part of a warning that children may be at risk of abuse this Christmas and that everyone needs to play their part in keeping young people safe.

To raise awareness of child neglect and abuse this Christmas, the NSPCC has launched its Here for Children Christmas Appeal. The charity has also produced a new TV appeal which depicts some of the heart-breaking abuse contacts the NSPCC-run service Childline expects to take in the Christmas holidays.  

Over the last six months the NSPCC has been looking closely at the impact of lockdown – and its frontline teams are concerned that increased vulnerability, the challenges of safeguarding remotely and wider pressures on families may have increased the risks of abuse and neglect.

During the spring lockdown, an average of 50 children a day, across the UK, turned to Childline after suffering abuse, with counselling sessions about this issue increasing by 22% compared with pre-lockdown levels.

*A 14-year-old girl from Scotland told a Childline counsellor: “I’m feeling so stressed and upset at home right now. My dad abuses me a lot by making me starve. I literally have to beg for things to eat, and if I do get food it’s the tiniest bits. I feel hungry a lot but then it just turns into me feeling sick. I just wanted someone to talk to so I came here.”

*A 15-year-old girl from Scotland who contacted Childline said: “My parents don’t look after me and my siblings properly. The house is very dirty and my bedroom is damp and mouldy. The house is constantly cold as there is no heating and no hot water. Since lockdown, I’ve been finding it really hard to cope at home, I miss being at school.”

As part of its new appeal, the charity is calling on the public to donate £20 to the NSPCC so that services like Childline can be here for children this Christmas.

Everyone has a role to play in keeping children safe. The charity is reminding adults that if they have concerns about a child’s welfare they can call the NSPCC helpline.

NSPCC Scotland is also urging the Scottish Government to ensure that a comprehensive recovery plan is put in place and to deliver the long-term investment needed to provide high quality preventative and therapeutic services for children and support for families in every part of the country.

Matt Forde, head of service at NSPCC Scotland, said: “Every year there are children in Scotland experiencing pain and suffering at the hands of those who are supposed to care for them.

“For those children whose homes are not always a safe place, this year will have been extremely difficult. Their usual support networks and services will have been greatly reduced and many will have felt trapped and isolated.

“So, this year it is even more essential that children have a place where they can seek help and support. Our Childline service will be running every day over the Christmas holidays, but we need the public’s support so we can ensure vulnerable children are heard.”

Spotting the signs of abuse

The NSPCC is encouraging the public to look out for signs of abuse and speak up if they are concerned about a child. Signs of abuse and neglect to look out for can include:

  • Untreated injuries, medical and dental issues
  • Repeated accidental injuries caused by lack of supervision
  • Recurring illnesses or infections
  • Faltering weight or growth, and not reaching developmental milestones
  • Poor language, communication or social skills
  • Have unwashed clothes
  • Have inadequate clothing, like not having a winter coat
  • Living in an unsuitable home environment – for example without adequate heating, or dog mess being left
  • Left alone for a long time
  • Taking on the role of carer for other family members

Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline seven days a week on 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk

Mental health emergency warning

More than 1,000 children have been waiting more than a year for treatment

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a “mental health emergency” as new figures indicate that more than 1,000 children and young people have been waiting more than a year for mental health treatment.

The figures from Public Health Scotland also indicate that only one Scottish health board is meeting the Scottish Government’s waiting time target of 18 weeks from referral to treatment over the quarter to September 2020 and two out of five are not being seen within this 18 week target.1

The SCSC has called on the Scottish Government to redouble its efforts and for a “national crusade” to tackle this emergency as the number of referrals return to pre-lockdown levels.

It has also backed calls by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland that £145 million from additional £1.1 billion COVID-19 funding granted in the autumn be applied to mental health services.

While 4,032 children and young people were treated over the period July to September 2020 by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), only 60.6 per cent were seen within the 18-week waiting target and only one health board, NHS Ayrshire and Arran met this target. 

The report also highlights that in September 2020, 1,060 children and young people had been waiting more than a year for treatment, up from 632 on the same point last year.3 In addition, 365 had been waiting over a year prior to treatment compared with 220 in the same quarter the previous year.

The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.

It has called reiterated its call for a “national crusade”, with the Scottish Government working closely with authorities, including the third and independent sectors, and investing significantly in mental health services. The coalition has also urged that greater awareness is made of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.

The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a highly challenging environment for both our young people and our mental health services.

“While referrals are beginning to return to pre-lockdown levels, it is vital that children and families are provided with the support they so desperately need, especially given the impact of the pandemic on mental health. The fact that more than 1,000 of our most vulnerable children have been waiting more than a year for treatment in this respect is deeply troubling.

“We would urge the Scottish Government to look to not just the NHS, but the third sector and other independent organisations to play a key role in this. Our mental health services must receive the funding they vitally need or we face a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.” 

Waiting times (with adjustments) for people who started their treatment from July to September 2020, by NHS Board of treatment:

Health boardTotal number seen% seen within 18 weeks
NHS Island boards6283.9%
NHS Dumfries & Galloway9588.4%
NHS Ayrshire & Arran23391.9%
NHS Lanarkshire24862.1%
NHS Lothian51859.5%
NHS Grampian34385.7%
NHS Fife27463.9%
NHS Forth Valley18240.1%
NHS Borders3271.9%
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley1,45147.6%
NHS Highland19874.2%
NHS Tayside39657.8%
NHS Scotland4,03260.6%

The number of young people waiting for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Lothian has dramatically increased since March this year.

The number of young people waiting 0-18 weeks for mental health support has dropped from 1,223 in March to 963 in September this year.  The number of young people waiting over a year to be seen for mental health support has risen from 381 in March earlier this year, to 581 in September, an increase from 14.8% to 21% of young people having to wait over a year.

Waits for young peoples mental health support have been growing over the last two years, but have significantly increased over the last 6 months since Covid-19.  

At the start of this year NHS Lothian invested £3 million to hire 40 extra staff including, clinical psychologists, registered nurses and occupational therapists

In September this year Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council, in partnership with MYPAS,  announced pilot schemes for counsellors to be place in schools for this academic year.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “In Edinburgh and the Lothians we were already facing a mental health crisis for young people, which has only got worse since Covid-19.

“Young people having to wait over a year to be seen for mental health support is very distressing for the person who is note getting the support they need and their family.

“CAMHS staff work tirelessly to provide invaluable mental health support, but they must be further supported by SNP Ministers and NHS Lothian to meet the high demand for their services.

“Remote mental health support is not the right solution for everybody, but where appropriate this must be fully utilised to reach and support as many young people as possible.

“SNP Ministers have been in charge of our health service for over 13 years, during which time mental health service waiting times for young people have got significantly longer.”

1 Public Health Scotland, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Waiting Times in Scotland, Quarter Ending 30th September 2020 – Full Report (PDF link), 1st December 2020, p.5. Available at: https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/conditions-and-diseases/mental-health/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times/

(accessed 1st December 2020).

Help extended to parents of children self-isolating

The £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant is being extended to include parents on low incomes whose children are asked to self-isolate, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville announced yesterday.

The grant will also become available to those who may be eligible for Universal Credit, but have not yet applied.

Both changes will be introduced from 7 December.

Ms Somerville said: “We introduced this grant at unprecedented speed, and I am grateful for the work of COSLA and councils to ensure it is up and running.

“While self-isolation can be difficult for everyone, we know there are particular financial barriers to complying faced by some people. 

“We always said we would review this grant to make sure it worked for people who face hardship as a result of self-isolation. That is why we are making changes for some people who are not currently eligible. 

“We are extending it to parents of children aged under 16 who need to take time off work because their child is told to self-isolate, and also to people who are eligible for Universal Credit, but have not claimed it – providing they fulfil all of the other criteria for the grant.

“Supporting people to self-isolate is critical to controlling the spread of the virus.  These are important changes, and I am grateful to councils for their continued work to support those who can claim this grant.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Kelly Parry said: “COSLA welcomes the Self-Isolation Support Grant being extended to parents and carers of children who have been asked to stay home from school because of the virus and that it will also include those with an underlying eligibility for benefits. 

“Council staff across the country have been working really hard to ensure the grant is accessible to people who have experienced a loss in income after being asked to self-isolate.

“By extending the eligibility for the grants, more people will be helped to stop the spread of the virus over the winter period.”

The Self-Isolation Support Grant provides £500 for low income workers who are in receipt of Universal Credit or other benefits and will lose earnings as a result of having to self-isolate.

Parents or carers of children under 16 who are asked to self-isolate, but who are not required to self-isolate themselves, are not currently eligible for the grant.

This is why the grant will be extended to those parents and carers, where they fulfil the other eligibility criteria:

  • employed or self-employed and unable to work from home
  • in receipt of Universal Credit or one of those which will be replaced by UC (legacy benefits)
  • facing a loss of income from looking after the child during the period of self-isolation

Only one claim per household can be made, where a parent or primary carer is required to look after a child who must isolate.

Eligibility will also be extended to people with a low level of income which means they would be entitled to Universal Credit.

Connecting Scotland: More funding to help families get online

Thousands of disadvantaged young people are being helped to develop valuable digital skills through the Scottish Government’s Connecting Scotland programme.

More than 23,000 iPads and Chromebooks are being distributed among digitally excluded low-income families and care leavers, as part of the latest phase of the £43 million programme.

As well as a new device, recipients also receive mobile data and help to use the internet confidently and safely for up to two years.

Connecting Scotland works with local authorities, public bodies and third sector organisations to reach people across the country.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “Access to the internet brings huge benefits, especially during these challenging times. It provides a way to keep in touch and keep us informed, and is also an important way for people of all ages to further their education, find work and training opportunities.

“That’s why in this year’s Programme for Government we further committed to our world-leading Connecting Scotland programme by pledging to reach a total of 50,000 digitally excluded or marginalized people by the end of 2021. The combination of a device plus ongoing support means that everyone can get the most out of their laptop or tablet, and develop their skills.

“So far more than 8,700 people have  received this package, and the stories fed back to us from local organisations show the real difference it’s making to households across the country.”

The full-time carer of a child who received a laptop through the programme said: “Thank you so much, the laptop is amazing. We downloaded Google Classroom and Ruby* did all her schoolwork.

“It was so fantastic to see her enjoy looking at a decent sized screen – it’s been a struggle to have Ruby do homework on an old mobile phone which is past its best. To be able to help her home school on a proper laptop is wonderful.”

Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government programme set up in response to COVID-19. It provides iPads, Chromebooks and support to develop skills for people who are digitally excluded and on low incomes and is delivered in partnership with SCVO, all 32 local authorities and hundreds of third sector organisations across Scotland.

Phase 1 (April – July 2020) focused on those who were at high risk of contracting coronavirus because they were in the extremely high vulnerability group (‘shielding’) or the higher risk of severe illness group.

Phase 2, round 1 launched on 18 August and is focused on households with children, or where a child is normally resident (this includes pregnant women with no child in the household) and care leavers up to the age of 26 (in line with eligibility for aftercare support).

The next round of phase 2 opens tday (24 November)and will close on 18 January at 11am.

Applications can be made by organisations who support eligible groups via the Connecting Scotland website.