The Scottish government risks missing its child poverty targets by some distance as poverty levels are set to rise rather than fall over the next five years, according to new analysis published by the Resolution Foundation. Continue reading Child poverty levels ‘on course to rise substantially’
Ready Steady Baby, a popular resource for pregnant women, has been updated to include information on perinatal mental health support.
This follows the Scottish Government’s announcement that over £50m will be spent on improving access to maternal mental health services. However, for many mums, it can be on their return to work that mental health can suffer.
Glasgow-based community development charity, Outside The Box is calling on mums to help tackle maternity discrimination in the workplace by sharing their experiences of supports that have helped them.
Using an online survey to collect stories of things that have improved mental health and wellbeing of mums returning to work, they hope to provide examples of best practice and raise awareness of the problems that employers may be contributing to.
Outside The Box have already been working with groups of mums over the past year who shared their stories of discrimination. They found that mums are being discriminated against because they are pregnant in the workplace, because they are having to go on maternity and because they are a mum returning to work.
Their findings are backed up by statistics provided by the Department of Business, which show that every year in the UK, as many as 54,000 mums feel that they have to leave their jobs.
While 77 per cent of mums say they have had a negative or discriminatory experience during pregnancy, maternity leave, and/or on return from maternity leave.
One in five mums (20% – or up to 100,000 women) said that they experienced negative comments or harassment in relation to flexible working or pregnancy.
Many women are unaware of their rights, and this lack of awareness is part of the problem. In fact, all mums:
These facts and more are listed in a Guide for Working Mums that was published by Outside The Box last year.
Jill Keegan, Community Development Advisor at Outside The Box, said: “I was discriminated against in previous employment from the point I told my boss I was pregnant to returning to work six months later.
“I constantly had my professional capabilities called into question and began to believe I wasn’t capable or good enough. It resulted in me leaving a post I had been in for five years – I could no longer cope with feeling so low, isolated and useless.”
“What makes things good for me at work as a Mum is being in an environment that supports people’s mental health and wellbeing. Flexible working is a key component of this, but relationships built on trust and support allow for open lines of communication with my boss and colleagues.
“Social support in the workplace has helped me feel valued as an important part of a bigger team. Being respected as a person with a life and responsibilities is liberating – I don’t feel useless anymore.”
Additional quotes from the mums who Outside The Box spoke to, include:
“What really upset me was when I came back I’d had important responsibilities taken from me and given to others. This was never discussed nor was I given them back. I felt like I was being punished and no longer valued.” Amanda from Fife*
“I’d had a difficult birth and my baby had to have an operation after she was born. A few days later, after getting home from the hospital, I received a letter telling me that whilst on maternity I had been put on the re-deployment list and would have to re-interview for my job. My baby was still unwell, I was breast feeding and we were all trying to recover as a family. I still don’t know how I got myself to that interview.” Amy from Edinburgh*
“My employer sent me 3 separate contracts after I told her I was pregnant -each one contracting me out of my maternity rights and I was pressured to sign, or I’d lose my job.” Kerry from Glasgow*
“I was forced to come back on a full -time basis or I was told I could lose my job.” Charlotte from Motherwell*
*All names/locations changed.
To take part in the survey, visit: http://bit.ly/mumssurvey
A new campaign to challenge online child sex predators was launched yesterday. Police Scotland’s #StopItNow campaign will directly address paedophiles who target children online. Continue reading #StopItNow: Targeting kids? You WILL be caught, say Police
Scottish Green MSPs have praised the thousands who took part in youth climate strikes in Scotland yesterday and called on other parties to back radical climate action. Continue reading Greens hail climate strike youth protesters
Continue reading Paediatric inpatient services to resume at St John’s
Vulnerable families are set to benefit from new funding to support households in financial hardship – and North Edinburgh’s L.I.F.T is one of seven projects aimed at tackling child poverty to receive a share of the new £450,000 fund.
LIFT (Low Income Families Together), based in Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre, will receive over £70,000.
The money is a part of the Every Child, Every Chance Innovation Fund, which is jointly supported by the Scottish Government and The Hunter Foundation.
The fund aims to support innovative approaches which could have an impact on reducing child poverty by 2030. The projects range from job training and a befriending service, to school-based mentoring and support for lone parents.
One of the successful projects is Stepwell, a social business based in Inverclyde, which provides support to people in the local community with health and finance issues as well as training and employment opportunities.
At a visit to meet staff and service users, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “We are committed to tackling child poverty and are always looking for new ways to support households and families in financial hardship. No child or adult should have their chances limited by poverty.
“It has been great to hear about the approach being taken by Stepwell to tackle child poverty in Inverclyde. Their method aims to get to the root cause of any hardship and through encouragement, support and training, families can begin to change their lives.”
Steven Watson Chief Executive Officer at Stepwell, said: “Stepwell is absolutely committed to tackling child poverty in Inverclyde. Through our Whole Life approach, we focus on providing person-centred support, offering vocational and accredited training and ‘real’ business work placements within our social businesses.
“We are so grateful to The Hunter Foundation and Scottish Government for partnering with us.”
The Innovation Fund is a joint fund between the Scottish Government and The Hunter Foundation, each contributing £5 million and £2.5 million respectively over the life of Every Child, Every Chance.
The below table details the organisations awarded funding for 2018/19
| New organisations via application | Award – 2018/19 |
| Clyde Gateway | £9,900 |
| Covey Befriending | £11,994 |
| L.I.F.T | £70,177 |
| MCR Pathways – Scottish Mentoring Programme | £97,000 |
| Midlothian Sure Start | £121,914 |
| North Lanarkshire Council | £41,000 |
| Stepwell | £99,900
|
| Total £451,885 |
An update on all actions committed to within the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan will be published by the end of June 2019.
Glasgow-based community development charity, Outside The Box is calling on mums to help tackle maternity discrimination in the workplace by sharing their experiences of supports that have helped them.
Using an online survey to collect stories of things that have improved mental health and wellbeing of mums returning to work, they hope to provide examples of best practice and raise awareness of the problems that employers may be contributing to. Continue reading Scottish Charity takes on maternity discrimination at work
UK Employment Minister Alok Sharma has welcomed the fall of over a million workless households since 2010. Continue reading Workless households fall by over a MILLION since 2010
More than £50 million is to be spent on improving access to mental health services for expectant and new mothers, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The new money will provide access to treatment for an additional 11,000 women who experience mental health problems during and after their pregnancy. Perinatal mental illness affects up to 20% of women, and covers a wide range of conditions. If left untreated, it can have long lasting effects on women and their families.
New models of service delivery will be introduced, including specialist care for acute perinatal mental health problems and improved infant mental health services.
A new needs assessment report, funded by the Scottish Government, has been published by the national Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for perinatal mental health. The report outlines recommendations to improve the provision of mental health care for expectant and new mothers and their families.
Speaking on a visit to the mother and baby unit at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, the First Minister said: “Our priority is to drive up standards of perinatal metal health care for new mothers and their children right across Scotland.
“Mental illness during pregnancy and during the first year after birth is really common, affecting up to one in five women, which is 11,000 a year.
“This new funding will identify mental health problems quickly so they can be treated promptly. Women and their families should also expect services to treat them with dignity and respect.
“The impact is not just felt by women. The mental and physical health of fathers and other partners can also be affected following the birth of a new baby. We also know that between 5% and 10% of fathers may develop mental health problems in the perinatal period.”
Dr Roch Cantwell, Lead clinician for the Perinatal Mental Health National Managed Clinical Network, said: “This report results from the enthusiasm, dedication and drive of women and their families who experience perinatal mental ill health, and the professionals who care for them across Scotland. Perinatal mental illness can be devastating, but we know that there are effective treatments which can manage and, in some circumstances, prevent its onset.
“The needs assessment and service recommendations report gives us a template to establish services which will ensure that women, their infants and families, receive expert care wherever they live in Scotland and that children can have the best start in life.”
The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board – chaired by Hugh Masters – will oversee and manage the £50 million investment.
The Perinatal Mental Health Managed Clinical Network is a Scotland-wide network of specialist clinicians focused on improving perinatal mental health.
The needs assessment report can be found here
A total of 233 children and young people have had to wait over a year for mental health services in Lothian in 2018. NHS Lothian Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times are the longest in Scotland. Continue reading 233 young people waiting over a year for CAMHS in 2018
