BUT ALMOST ONE IN THREE PUPILS NOW HAS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS
Primary school teacher numbers are at their highest level since 1980 and total teacher numbers have risen by 288, new statistics have shown. The overall number of teachers rose to 52,247, an increase of 1,530 since 2015 and the highest level since 2009.
However a campaign group has expressed concern over support for record numbers of pupils with Additional Support Needs. Continue reading Teacher numbers rise …
Latest waiting time figures have reinforced the call by a coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers for dramatically increased investment in mental health services to address the current mental health crisis.
The Scottish Childrens Services Coalition (SCSC) has also called for an urgent need to focus on prevention and early intervention in order to tackle what is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.
The coalition, which campaigns to improve services for vulnerable children and young people, call comes as the latest waiting time figures from the Information Services Division, part of NHS National Services Scotland, highlight that thousands of children and young people are failing to treated within a Scottish Government waiting time target. 1 With an increasing number of children and young people being identified with mental health problems they also highlight a postcode lottery for mental health treatment across the country.
Covering the quarter July to September 2019, the figures highlight that 3,901 children and young people started treatment at specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in this period. The NHS in Scotland, including 9 of the 14 regional health boards, failed to meet the Scottish Government 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from CAMHS. This target should be delivered for at least 90 per cent of patients.
While 64.5 per cent in the NHS in Scotland are being seen within this 18-week waiting time, still in itself far too long, more than a third (35.5 per cent) are failing to be seen within this period.
Individual health boards failing to meet this target are: NHS Fife (75.2 per cent), NHS Ayrshire & Arran (78.1 per cent), NHS Grampian (50.8 per cent), NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (71.2 per cent), NHS Highland (64.1 per cent), NHS Lanarkshire (51.9 per cent), NHS Lothian (55.9 per cent), NHS Tayside (54.2 per cent) and NHS Forth Valley (63.8 per cent).
The figures also indicate that 204 children and young people in the July to September quarter had been waiting for more than a year prior to being seen for treatment, an increase from 151 in the previous quarter (April to June) and more than double that from the same quarter of last year (93). 2
In addition, more than one in five (21.9 per cent) are having their referrals for treatment rejected, with no real understanding of what is happening to them after this.3
It should be noted that a mere 0.56 per cent of the NHS budget is spent on specialist CAMHS, amounting to £67.248 million.4 In addition to this, only 6.61 per cent of the overall mental health budget is spent on CAMHS.
These very low figures are despite the fact that mental health services are creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand, as evidenced by these waiting time figures. Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom), with 50 per cent of mental health problems established by the age of 14 and 75 per cent by the age of 24.5
While acknowledging the great efforts the Scottish Government is making, such as an additional £250 million of funding announced in the Programme for Government of 2018, the SCSC has called for the Scottish Government to greatly increased investment in CAMHS and for a more consistent approach to delivering these services across Scotland. 6
It has also called for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention for those with mental health problem, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS.
This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age in order to strengthen knowledge and awareness of mental health, as well as reducing the stigma associated with mental health. Emotion and resilience classes should be provided to all students from primary one to teach students how to work through their emotions in a healthy way and there should be a whole-school approach, with training for all staff involved in education and providing counselling support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “These latest waiting time figures highlight that fact in this mental health crisis we are continuing to fail thousands of children and young people with mental health problems, with more clearly needing to be done to address this epidemic.
“These newly released figures highlight that the NHS in Scotland, including nine of our health boards, are failing to meet what is already a lengthy waiting time. Yet we know that three children in every classroom has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.
“There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early, especially when we know that half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 14. This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age as well as providing training for all staff involved in education.
“With mental health and the issues associated with it representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, we must ensure that children and young people are able to get the care and support they need, when they need it. This includes investing in greater community support and support at school, reducing the need for referral to specialist CAMHS.”
Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, didn’t miss the opportunity to comment. The Lothian MSP said: “In Scotland we are facing a child mental health crisis and over 10,000 children and young people are being failed by this SNP government.
“There is a postcode lottery across health boards for whether you child will get mental health support when they need it, with my own region of Lothian being particularly bad.
“I am regularly contacted by parents who are worried about their children and it is heart-breaking for them when they are told their child can’t be seen for over a year.
“A greater focus must be given to prevention and early intervention by having mental health on the curriculum for all schools in Scotland.”
1 NHS Information Services Division, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Waiting Times in Scotland (PDF link), 3rd December 2019, Table 2, p. 7. Available at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Mental-Health/Publications/2019-12-03/2019-12-03-CAMHS-WaitingTimes-Report.pdf? (accessed 3rrd December 2019).
2 Ibid., Table 1a in background tables, p.6.
3 Ibid., Table 4 in background tables, p.6.
5 Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Statistics: Children and Young People. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-children-and-young-people (accessed 25th January 2016).
6 BBC online, Sturgeon announces boost for mental health services, 4th September. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-45395739 (accessed 5th December).
Local children in north Edinburgh can now enjoy playing together outdoors thanks to a new play park recently installed at Urban Union and the City of Edinburgh Council’s Pennywell Living development in Edinburgh. Continue reading Pirniehall pupils road test new playpark at Pennywell Living
Professional counselling services will be available to all secondary school pupils who require it by September next year.
Agreement has been reached between the Scottish Government and COSLA on the detailed allocation of £60 million over four years. This funding will build or expand high quality counselling services for children and young people.
Counselling services currently delivered by qualified and registered counsellors through Pupil Equity or Scottish Attainment funding will continue, enabling local authorities to reallocate those funds to other priorities to help close the attainment gap.
School counsellors help support young people’s emotional, behavioural and mental health. Importantly, pupils will also have access to counsellors during school holidays, providing vital continuity of care.
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “Children and young people can face many issues growing up and must have the right support available at the right time.
“Providing every secondary school with access to at least one counsellor by next year is a significant step forward in our package of measures to improve the mental health support available for children and young people.”
Commenting on the announcement, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition said: “This is very welcome news and is a vital step in improving the mental health of our children and young people through early intervention.
“School counsellors help support young people’s emotional, behavioural and mental health. Importantly, pupils will also have access to counsellors during school holidays, providing vital continuity of care.
“It has been estimated that the cost of five sessions of counselling is equivalent to just one contact with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
“Therefore, investing a fraction of the mental health budget on school-based counselling services helps to keep the individual in school and avoid an unneccesary and often stigmatising mental health diagnoses, as well as reducing the burden on stretched and costly CAMHS provision.”
Recorded child cruelty and neglect offences in Scotland rose by more than a quarter in the last year, the NSPCC reports. There were 818 child cruelty and neglect offences recorded in Scotland in 2018/19 and 640 recorded in 2017/18 – a 28 per cent increase. Continue reading Sharp rise in child cruelty and neglect crimes in last year
Dear Editor,
As Christmas draws ever nearer, why not get the little ones excited for the big day with a Letter from Santa? It’s a great way to bring joy to your own family, whilst knowing you’re making a positive difference to the lives of children who may need it most this Christmas.
The letters can be tailored to your child with name, age, hobbies and a personal message to get Christmas in your household off to a magical start. There are eight new designs to choose from including Reindeer Flying Practice’, ‘Christmas Disco’ and ‘Elves are Ready to Go!’
We know that on average at least two children in every primary school classroom has suffered some form of abuse. You can help us be there for them and provide the necessary support at Christmas and all year round. For every Letter from Santa, we suggest a donation of £5, which goes a long way to helping children.
With £8 we can cover the cost for our volunteer counsellors to answer two calls to the NSPCC’s Childline service. On average, a child contacts Childline every 25 seconds. It provides a safe, confidential place for children with no one else to turn to, whatever their worry, whenever they need help. They can get in contact 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk.
A £10 donation could help us answer two calls to the free NSPCC Helpline from adults worried about a child. It is open every day of the year for any adult worried about a child on 0808 800 5000 or nspcc.org.uk. Our practitioners provide advice and support, listen to concerns about a child, and offer general information about child protection.
To get creating your family’s personalised Letter from Santa, and start spreading the festive cheer, visit the NSPCC website.
Paul Cockram,
Head of fundraising for NSPCC Scotland
With only five weekends left until Christmas, one Scottish children’s charity is asking members of the public to remember those children where Christmas can be a difficult time of year.
Aberlour – Scotland’s Children’s Charity – has launched its Christmas Appeal which this year focuses on its work with vulnerable children and families across Scotland affected by parental mental ill health. Continue reading A bad start to life shouldn’t mean a bad Christmas for Scotland’s children
A children’s ward at a key central Scotland hospital could be FIVE YEARS away from reopening – despite SNP pledges that it would return to full service back in October. Continue reading Kids ward at St John’s could take FIVE YEARS to fully reopen, say Tories
The number of children growing up in poverty in working households has risen by 800,000 since 2010, according to new TUC analysis published today.
The analysis reveals that child poverty in working families rose to 2.9 million in 2018 – an increase of 38% since the start of the decade.
In 2010, 1 in 5 (19%) children in working households were growing up in poverty. In 2018 this had increased to 1 in 4 (24%).
The analysis shows that Westminster government policies account for the majority of the increase in-work poverty. More than 485,000 children (in working households) have been pushed below the breadline as a direct result of the government’s in-work benefit cuts.
The TUC says that other key factors behind the rise in child poverty are:
London has suffered the biggest increase in child poverty (+68%) among working families followed by the West Midlands (+56%) and East England (+56%).
In 2016 the Conservatives abolished the Child Poverty Act and scrapped targets to reduce poverty.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “No child in Britain should be growing up in poverty. But millions of parents are struggling to feed and clothe their kids. That is not right.
“The Conservatives’ cuts to in-work benefits have come at a terrible human cost. As too has their failure to tackle insecure work and get wages rising across the economy.
“We need a government that puts working families first, not wealthy donors and hedge funds.”
The TUC is calling on all political parties to:
Increase in number of children living in poverty in working households since 2010 (nation/region)
| Region | Number of children in poverty in 2010 | Number of children in poverty in 2018 | Extra children in poverty (000s) | Extra children in poverty (%) |
| North East | 71,362 | 108,775 | 37,413 | 52 |
| North West | 241,300 | 335,190 | 93,890 | 39 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 206,827 | 217,571 | 10,744 | 5 |
| East Midlands | 124,690 | 184,085 | 59,395 | 48 |
| West Midlands | 191,504 | 299,510 | 108,006 | 56 |
| Eastern England | 171,637 | 268,516 | 96,879 | 56 |
| London | 362,448 | 609,002 | 246,554 | 68 |
| South East | 248,435 | 340,996 | 92,561 | 37 |
| South West | 179,550 | 215,403 | 35,853 | 20 |
| Wales | 124,102 | 119,693 | -4,409 | -4 |
| Scotland | 112,075 | 121,925 | 9,850 | 9 |
| Northern Ireland | 53,404 | 59,690 | 6,286 | 12 |
| UK total | 2,087,334 | 2,880,356 | 793,022 | 38 |
Source: Landman Economics Analysis and modelling for the TUC
Proportion of children in poverty in working households
| Region | 2010 (%) | 2018 (%) |
| North East | 17.3 | 25.5 |
| North West | 20.2 | 25.3 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 22.7 | 22.0 |
| East Midlands | 15.5 | 21.1 |
| West Midlands | 19.9 | 27.9 |
| Eastern England | 15.8 | 22.7 |
| London | 25.9 | 33.9 |
| South East | 15.5 | 20.0 |
| South West | 19.7 | 21.4 |
| Wales | 24.6 | 22.0 |
| Scotland | 13.3 | 15.1 |
| Northern Ireland | 15.2 | 15.7 |
| UK total | 19.0 | 23.8 |
Source: TUC analysis of HBAI data
Come along to our North Pole Breakfast
Thursday 5th December 9am – 11am!
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre Under 5’s
Children £3 Adults £2
Gifts, goodies and treats!!!
LIMITED TICKETS – ON SALE FROM MONDAY 18th NOVEMBER
FROM DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
Not to be missed!!!
** Disclaimer: Breakfast will not be nutritional as made by the elves! **
