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! **
Adopted young people are to share their own powerful and personal stories, some of which will never have been told before, during this year’s Adoption Week Scotland (18 – 23 November).
Around a dozen youngsters will showcase their collection of poetry and short stories to an audience including Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney, at Edinburgh’s Scottish Poetry Library on 21 November. Continue reading Young people tell their stories during Adoption Week Scotland 2019
Moon Dragon the interactive preschool theatre production is a must for families with young children this December. Sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe, this fully interactive show tells the story of Bertie the Moon Dragon searching for the lost Moon.
With the help of his forest friends and the audience, will he succeed in his task? With new material there are plenty of shows based at the LifeCare Centre in Stockbridge every weekend up to the 22nd December.
Tickets are £8 for children/£8 for adults and your child will receive a gift.
There is a mixed age show for Under 5’s and a Baby show for babies under 1.
To book your ticket just click on the link or go to our website www.dragonsongproductions.
Limited children’s places per performance so book now to avoid disappointment! You don’t want to miss it!
Childline’s annual report has revealed the service carried out on average 12 counselling sessions every day in 2018/19 with children who have been sexually exploited.
The NSPCC’s round-the-clock service delivered 4,500 counselling sessions – up 16 per cent from the previous year – to children and young people, the youngest aged nine, who were coerced or forced into sexual activity. More than 200 of these contacts were from children living in Scotland, which was a 28% increase from the previous year.
In more than a third of counselling sessions young people disclosed they were targeted online – usually through social media or video games – often by their peers or people known to them.
Most commonly children received help from Childline because they were forced to perform or watch sexual acts or had been persuaded into sending naked images or videos of themselves – some were threatened with the images being told they would be shared with friends and family.
In the total number of counselling sessions about sexual abuse (8,841) exploitation featured in more than half.
Young people told Childline their experience with sexual exploitation also included receiving affection or gifts in exchange for sexual activities.
To help address the problem the NSPCC is calling on the Scottish Government to provide proper training to teachers so they can deliver effective and relevant lessons about healthy relationships, consent and sex; and support young people to get help from a trusted adult.
One 15-year-old girl told a counsellor she was feeling suicidal after being sexually exploited by a gang of boys:
“I never thought I would ever be the sort of person who could be sexually exploited. One day I met up with some boys and they made me feel worth something. It started off small, complimenting me, stroking my hair. One day one of them started kissing me so I pushed him away and said no, but he wouldn’t stop.
“I ended up having sex with him because I was scared about what would happen if I said no. This pattern continued between the gang. I didn’t see a problem with it until school found out and told me what was happening was a crime.”
The Childline Annual Review also shows the biggest jump – up a quarter – in the amount of 16-18 year olds receiving counselling for sexual exploitation.
An 18-year-old girl revealed to Childline:
“When I was younger I kept going online to talk to people mainly because I felt so alone. Some older guys started chatting to me and I sent nude pictures and videos of myself to them. I got compliments and didn’t know how to say no.
“Most of them knew I was just 13 and some of them threatened to post the pictures online if I didn’t send more. I feel sick just thinking about it and feel so insecure about this all coming back to haunt me.”
Matt Forde, National Head of Service for NSPCC Scotland, said: “Sadly, we are hearing from young people every day who are being manipulated or blackmailed into carrying out sexual acts. For many this impacts on their mental health and leaves them feeling isolated from the people closest to them. Some turn to self-harm, alcohol or substance misuse as ways of coping with their experiences.
“Everyone must be prepared to confront this problem, from government right through to schools, parents, professionals, and us at Childline. Earlier this year, the Scottish Government made 16 recommendations after reviewing personal and social education in its schools.
“It needs to now ensure that when these recommendations are implemented, teachers are confident to deliver the improved messages. Childline needs to recruit more volunteers to make sure they can be there for every child who needs our help, at all times of day and night.”
Parents of children and young people with underlying health conditions are being urged to protect their child from flu, by making sure they receive their flu vaccine. Continue reading NHS Lothian urges parents to ensure their kids get flu vaccine
