Tag: Children and Families

Scottish Government confirms Public Inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse

Professor Alexis Jay to chair statutory Inquiry

Professor Alexis Jay has agreed to chair a statutory Public Inquiry to examine Scotland’s response to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE).

In a statement to Parliament, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth confirmed the Scottish Government’s intention to establish a targeted independent Inquiry and establish a Scottish Truth Project.

The Inquiry will focus on the prevalence of group-based CSAE now and in the recent past, whether brought forward by survivors or relating to findings from the independent National Review being led by four Inspectorates.

The new Inquiry will be distinct from the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), chaired by Lady Smith. The Scottish Government will ensure the new Inquiry does not duplicate the valuable work of the SCAI.

The scope of the Inquiry and its detailed terms of reference will be finalised and confirmed in due course, following input from Prof Jay.

The Education Secretary also announced that the Government intends to establish a Truth Project in Scotland, to enable victims and survivors of CSAE to share their experiences to help inform change and access support.  

Ms Gilruth said: “Survivors of abuse want to see accountability and improvement delivered as quickly as possible, and that sense of urgency is shared by the Scottish Government.

“We are determined to act decisively to protect children from the horrendous harm of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

“I consider the establishment of a Public Inquiry to be essential, and from discussions I know Professor Jay wants to ensure that the Inquiry is carried out at pace. Announcing an Independent Public Inquiry today will not cure all which has come before, but it is a statement of intent from this Government that we will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice for survivors of child sexual abuse.

“The work of the National Review and Police Scotland’s ongoing review of cases of group-based abuse will ensure that any improvements that must be made to practice or action to bring perpetrators to justice is taken as quickly as possible.

“The Truth Project, to be led by John O’Brien, will ensure that the voice of survivors is central to our collective efforts so that every action is informed by their experience and brings about the changes they have told me must be made.”

Professor Alexis Jay said: “The sexual and criminal exploitation of children entails abuse of the most horrific kind, usually at the hands of many perpetrators. The Public Inquiry will get to the truth of exploitation in Scotland in the past and the present, in order to prevent it in the future.

“It will examine the extent to which public authorities and other organisations effectively identify the risk of child exploitation and take action to protect children. I will engage with victims and survivors early, as the terms of reference are formed.”

Education Secretary’s statement to Parliament on protecting children from harm.

Commenting on the Scottish Government announcement today of a public inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “Children First have long supported victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to fight for better systems of prevention, detection and protection. Scotland has a duty to confront the harm children have suffered and to put a stop to more children being abused.  

“We now need to see full details of this inquiry so we can understand its scope and how it will ensure children’s voices and rights are placed at its centre.

“What cannot wait is urgent investment in specialist support like that provided by Bairns Hoose. This must be made available to every child who needs it so they can safely disclose harm and receive all the help they need to heal and reclaim their childhood.” 

Scotland and Ukraine connect through schools reading partnership

As the conflict in Ukraine enters its fifth year, pupils across Scotland are forming friendships with Ukrainian classmates through the UK-Ukraine School Partnerships programme.

Pupils at Elgin Academy in Moray and Papa Westray primary school in Orkney are among 130 schools from across the UK and Ukraine taking part in the British Council initiative, funded by the UK Government, which connects schools through shared reading, creative projects and regular online exchanges designed to build empathy, resilience and global awareness.

At Elgin Academy, the S2 class of 29 pupils, aged 13–14, is now collaborating with a school in the Poltava region. The partnership has special significance at Elgin, located near RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland’s largest RAF base where many pupils come from military families.

The classes have exchanged letters, researched Remembrance Day traditions in both countries, created giant sunflowers with messages, and in January, introduced their Ukrainian friends to Robert Burns.

The class voted to share the novel “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds, only later realising the main character loves sunflower seeds, Ukraine’s national symbol. The partnership has been particularly meaningful for two Ukrainian pupils in the class, who have enjoyed speaking their own language with the Ukrainian students during video calls.

School librarian Shelagh Toonen applied for the programme following a conversation at the Edinburgh Book Festival, when a Ukrainian pupil spoke about family losses during the war.

She said: “From that experience, I thought we could probably do an awful lot more. When I saw the opportunity through the British Council, I thought it would be a great way to develop a working relationship with Ukraine and share our love of reading.”

Shelagh travelled to Poland last September to meet partner teacher Katia.

She explained: “When I met Katia, I realised they don’t have a library the way that we do.She was nearly in tears when she saw that I was gifting her some books, they have to rely on sponsors to buy books for them at the moment.”

Image: (Pupils from Elgin Academy S2 class working with their chosen book ‘Ghost’ for their Ukraine school partnership)

The video sessions have been tempered with difficulties including air raid sirens and power cuts, moments that have brought the reality of war into the Elgin classroom. Shelagh explained that their partner school is on the front line, operating under a “three bells warning” system – when sirens sound, pupils must move to shelter for online learning.

“Our pupils have definitely developed a lot of empathy throughout the project,” Shelagh said. “They’ve had a kind of gradual awakening and have come to realise what a privilege coming into school every day is.”

Neil Johnson, Head Teacher at Elgin Academy added: “In Scotland, young people’s exposure to current affairs now is very limited, and the conflict has been going on for so long that for many of them, it’s just background noise.

“This partnership makes it real and gives it a focus for our pupils.”

On Papa Westray, one of Orkney’s most remote islands and Scotland’s smallest school in the programme, Head Teacher Tim Ross leads weekly Friday morning video calls between his six pupils, aged 6–8, and eight children at Voinivskyi Lyceum in Ukraine.

The programme comes at a meaningful time for the Papay school, which after welcoming another family late last year, currently has two Ukrainian families within the school community. For them, learning about the partnership was a welcome surprise.

Tim said: “It’s been lovely to tell them about the close link we now have with the Ukrainian school. You could see their faces light up when I mentioned the project, and it demonstrates our support and interest in their experience and background.

“The children in the school have already developed a strong, supportive kindness toward Ukraine because of their friends at the school.” He said, “Even at this young age, they recognise that we’ve got friends here who’ve had to leave their home because of the war.”

Tim Ross (R), Head teacher at Papa Westray Primary School, meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Svitlana from their Ukrainian partner school during their meeting in Poland, in 2025

As part of the partnership, Tim has invited one of the Ukrainian parents to teach the whole class some basic Ukrainian phrases, using an approach that links to their daily phonics learning. He said: “It’s a great exercise for the children in experiencing another culture, listening, and sharing language, it’s also been a great way to connect the programme to our wider community.”

“The calls work best when we’re sharing fun visual learning and finding out about our shared experiences and interests,” Tim said.

“We’re proud of our friendship with Ukraine. This whole programme is about being supportive, none of these children are at fault for what’s happening, and we want to give them something positive to look forward to each week.”

Power cuts on Papa Westray can knock out electricity for six hours at a time, giving the island community an unexpected understanding of the disruptions faced by their Ukrainian partners.

Tim said: “We’ve had to miss some planned activities because of the difficulties they’re facing in Ukraine with power cuts, and the air raids. It really brings home the challenges they’re dealing with.

“But what’s been amazing is how energised both classes are about the Friday sessions. I think this regular connection has become as important for the class in Ukraine as it has for ours.”

The school has matching sets of picture books from Scotland’s Read Write Count with the First Minister scheme, which Tim gifted to the Ukrainian school during his training trip to Poland. Each week, both classes pick a book, read it in their own classrooms, and share creative activities on their video call.

Since January 2025, the UK-Ukraine School Partnerships programme has involved 130 schools across the UK and Ukraine, supporting approximately 23,400 young people. It is now expanding to reach a further 300 schools, with an estimated 54,000 pupils expected to benefit.

Speaking about the programme, Claire de Braekeleer, Director, British Council Scotland said: “With the conflict in Ukraine now entering its fifth year, this programme has helped build something very important, lasting connections between young people in Scotland and Ukraine, grounded in shared stories and friendship.

“These partnerships are a wonderful example of what the programme is all about, and the children are discovering that despite the distance and the challenges, they have far more in common than they might have imagined.

“Applications for the next round of the programme are now open, and I’d encourage schools across Scotland to get involved; it’s a meaningful opportunity to build international connections that will stay with young people for the rest of their lives.”

Schools and teachers interested in joining the programme can apply before the deadline on 2 March. To find out more, please visit: 

https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources/uk-ukraine-partnerships

british_council_ukraine_pack_solas_1200x675-01_reducedDownload

Puberty blockers trial paused over concerns from medicines watchdog

PATHWAYS clinical trial paused following new MHRA advice

The MHRA have raised new concerns around the PATHWAYS trial looking into the prescription of puberty blockers among young people with gender incongruence.

The preliminary work in establishing the PATHWAYS clinical trial into the prescription of puberty blockers for children and young people with gender incongruence has been paused, following new concerns raised by the medicines regulator, the MHRA.

Discussions between the MHRA and the trial sponsor, King’s College London, will begin next week to address the new concerns. In the meantime, the trial will not start to recruit until issues raised by MHRA have been resolved between the regulator and the trial clinicians.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have always been clear about the red lines regarding this trial – ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people involved and always being led by the clinical evidence.

“The MHRA has now raised new concerns – directly related to the wellbeing of children and young people – and scientific dialogue will now follow with the trial sponsor.

“As the evidence is now being interrogated by clinicians, preparations for the trial have been paused while the MHRA and clinical leaders work through these concerns.

“This trial will only be allowed to go ahead if the expert scientific and clinical evidence and advice conclude it is both safe and necessary.

“The safety and wellbeing of children and young people have always been the driving consideration in every decision we have made regarding this trial and always will be.”

An MHRA spokesperson commented: “With all complex clinical trials, MHRA’s top priority is the safety and wellbeing of the trial participants.

“It is part of the usual process that clinical trials are kept continuously under review and for us to have active scientific dialogue with the trial sponsors.

“The safety and wellbeing of the participants to be recruited into the PATHWAYS clinical trial is paramount, particularly in view of the age of the children and young people who may be involved.

“For this reason, the MHRA is applying the highest scrutiny and taking a cautious and measured approach. We have raised some concerns related to the wellbeing of participants and scientific dialogue will now follow with the trial sponsor.

“We rely on the best scientific evidence to ensure all trials are as safe as possible for those participating.”

The MHRA has written to King’s College London. A copy of the letter is available here Sponsor letter (PDF, 1.23 MB, 4 pages)

Investment to help children and families

Local anti-poverty and cost of living initiatives set for cash boost

A total of 21 projects that pilot approaches to help to eradicate child poverty and boost incomes will be backed by almost £1.9 million across Scotland.  

Through the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund, 19 regions will benefit from new projects designed to support communities with the cost of living.  

This includes:   

  • placing a debt and welfare adviser in 11 primary schools in Perth and Kinross  
  • providing energy bill vouchers and further energy cost advice to eligible parents in Argyll and Bute  
  • opening a new hub to upskill workers and increase incomes through work in Stornoway  
  • a mobile ‘Dad’s Barber’ which will offer free haircare in South Ayrshire, also opening the door to wellbeing support   

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:  “Eradicating child poverty, supporting families and giving children the best start in life are the guiding principles of this government. That’s why we are investing in local anti-poverty measures across the country, helping to improve services that are in the heart of communities.   

“Our efforts are already having a good impact on household finances, be that through free prescriptions, free bus travel for under-22s or the removal of peak rail fares. The Scottish Child Payment is also playing a key role in ensuring Scotland is the only part of the UK to see relative child poverty rates fall last year.  

“Our draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 goes a step further, making landmark interventions in our attempts to tackle the root causes of child poverty, while supporting the newest Mums and Dads with a premium payment for those eligible with children under one during 2027-2028, and guaranteeing the strongest package of financial support in the UK, putting more money in people’s pockets.”  

The draft Scottish Budget 2026-2027 includes plans to invest £8 billion through the social justice portfolio to tackle the root causes of child poverty, support vulnerable people and ease the cost of living.  

This is the third year the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund has supported local projects. It is used to invest in local authorities and health boards to innovate and improve community-based anti-poverty initiatives, and to test their efficacy.    

Through Round Three, running between 2025 and 2028, £1, 885,879 will support 21 projects across 19 local authorities:   

  • Aberdeen City Council  
  • Angus Council  
  • Argyll & Bute Council  
  • City of Edinburgh Council  
  • Comhairle nan Eilean Siar  
  • Falkirk Council  
  • Fife Council  
  • Highland Council (2 projects)  
  • Midlothian Council  
  • Moray Council  
  • NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde  
  • North Lanarkshire Council  
  • Perth & Kinross (2 projects)  
  • Renfrewshire Council  
  • Shetland Islands Council  
  • South Ayrshire Council & Health and Social Care Partnership & NHS Ayrshire & Arran  
  • South Lanarkshire Council  
  • West Dunbartonshire Council  
  • West Lothian Council  

Thursday: Kids Crafting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

GET CREATIVE THIS HALF-TERM! 🎨🌍

Kids are invited to a fun afternoon of eco-friendly crafting, making cute animals and colourful vases from recycled materials.

🗓 Thursday 19th February

⏰ 1:30–3:30pm

🎟 Booking required – limited spaces available!

Call 0131 315 4989 or email rebecca@drylawnc.org.uk

AND DON’T FORGET:

TODAY UNTIL 1pm – share your views!

Half-term Savings at Dobbies

Great-value family fun

Families looking for great-value half-term days out will find plenty to enjoy at Dobbies Garden Centres this February. Younger children can experience a fun-filled session at Dobbies’ Soft Play where they can let off some steam, and parents can make the most of Dobbies’ Kids Eat for £1 restaurant offer. 

Soft Play

Families are welcome to join the fun at Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Soft Play, where toddlers and young children can burn off energy and play in a safe environment. 

The soft play is located in the restaurant, where families can enjoy a hot drinks, snacks, meals, and a famous Dobbies’ scone while the kids play. There’s also the chance to take in the wider garden centre experience as part of the visit, including plants and gardening, toys, pet products, homeware, clothing and gifting. 

Pre-booking is recommended to avoid disappointment, but there may be walk-in spaces available on the day. Prices and age ranges vary for each store, starting from £2.50.

For more information and to book, visit Soft Play | Dobbies Garden Centres

Kids Eat for £1 restaurant offer

Dobbies offers Kids Eat for £1, allowing children under the age of 16 to enjoy their food for £1 with every traditional adult breakfast and main course meal at lunch. Children can pick from the kids’ breakfasts, lunch menu or pick ‘n’ mix meal, and this deal also includes a drink. 

Kids Eat for £1 is available every day, all year round, with no membership required. Restaurants are open Monday to Sunday from 9am, location times may vary and customers are advised to visit the website to check the restaurant opening hours. * 

A £1 supplement applies to kids’ Sunday roasts, and customers are advised to visit dobbies.com to check local opening times and menus.  

* 9am for Scottish stores, 10:30am for stores in England and 1pm for the two Northern Ireland stores.

“No platform gets a free pass”: UK Government takes action to keep children safe online

Westminster Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children

  • PM announces new powers to act within months to keep children safe amid rapid technology changes
  • New action will ensure no platform gets a free pass – as government today will close loopholes that put children at risk, and lays the groundwork for further, faster action
  • PM leads new crackdown on AI chatbots to protect people from illegal content

The UK Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children.

Speaking to parents and young people later today [Monday 16 February], the Prime Minister will make clear this government will act at pace to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms, addictive design and fast-moving technologies.

The new measures announced today include crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI. The government will move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law. This will ensure the Act keeps up with rapidly evolving harms.

This follows government action to call out abhorrent non-consensual intimate images being shared on Grok, which subsequently led to the function being removed.

The Prime Minister will also make clear today that his government is taking new legal powers to lay the groundwork for immediate action following its consultation on children’s wellbeing online. The Government is committed to following the evidence, and these powers will mean we can act fast on its findings within months, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves.

That means being able to act quickly on measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful, in line with the consultation. The law is crystal clear: the distribution of nude images of children is already illegal. But the government will also consult on how best to ensure tech companies can safeguard children from sending or receiving such images in the first place.

The consultation will also confront the full range of risks children face online. This includes examining restrictions on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections and changing the age of digital consent.

The government will also strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances, by ensuring that vital data following a child’s death is preserved before it can be deleted, except in cases where online activity is clearly not relevant to the death.

This marks a clear shift in how the UK approaches child online safety, meaning the UK can continue to be a world leader in keeping children safe online.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online.

“Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety.

“The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass. 

“Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action.

“We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “I know that parents across the country want us to act urgently to keep their children safe online. That’s why I stood up to Grok and Elon Musk when they flouted British laws and British values. 

“We will not wait to take the action families need, so we will tighten the rules on AI chatbots and we are laying the ground so we can act at pace on the results of the consultation on young people and social media.

“We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future at time of rapid technological change.”

The children’s digital wellbeing consultation will launch next month and will be guided by what parents and children say they need now, not in several years’ time.

Ministers are already engaging with parents, young people and civil society groups, and the message has been consistent and clear that parents want support and fast.

To help parents immediately, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the ‘You Won’t Know until You Ask’ campaign. It offers practical guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts parents can use with their children, and age‑appropriate advice on dealing with harmful content, including misogynistic material and ragebait.

Chris Sherwood, NSPCC CEO, said: “We welcome the Prime Minister’s promise to act quickly and decisively to hold tech companies to account and make the online world safer for children. The status quo can’t continue, and without real change the pressure for an under‑16 social media ban will only increase.

“Much of what is being proposed mirrors what we have been pressing for: proper age‑limit enforcement, an end to addictive design, and stronger action from platforms, devices, and AI tools to stop harmful content at the source. Delivered swiftly, these measures would offer far better protection than a blanket ban.

“We also strongly support putting children’s voices at the centre of this debate. They understand both the benefits and risks of being online and – after their insights have been overlooked in discussions so far – their experiences must now help guide the decisions made in the months ahead.

“We need urgent action and an ambitious agenda if the Government is going to take on tech bosses and make a difference for children and young people.”

Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “Parents are right to demand urgent action on online safety, and we strongly welcome the Government’s ambition to move quickly and decisively to tackle appalling and preventable harm. 

“This announcement should reassure parents that change is on the way. It means that children and families could see much needed safety improvements within months, including action against high-risk AI Chatbots and new measures to prevent girls from being coerced into sending nude photos.  

“This a welcome downpayment but the Prime Minister must now go further. Sir Keir Starmer should commit to a new Online Safety Act that strengthens regulation and that makes clear that product safety and children’s wellbeing is the cost of doing business in the UK.”

Letters: SCSC calls for urgent introduction of LDAN Bill

Dear Editor

A recent report from the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament on ADHD and autism support highlighted that children and adults are frequently waiting multiple years for assessments of these conditions.

It called on the Scottish Government to take urgent action to develop and implement a national plan that ensures adults and children with autism and ADHD across all health boards in Scotland have clear, consistent pathways to support.

The report further reinforces the need for the Scottish Government to introduce the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill to Parliament at the earliest opportunity.

The LDAN Bill would help tackle long waiting times through new national and local strategies and introduce mandatory training for health and social care staff, as well as teachers and school staff, to ensure people’s needs are identified and met. 

The importance of the LDAN Bill in tackling the inequalities faced by individuals and their families cannot be overstated, and it has the potential to make a real difference for them in Scotland across education, healthcare, and employment. 

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Care

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

NSPCC calls for early years support  for children to be election priority

Over 25 Years of Early Years

NSPCC Scotland is urging politicians in all parties to help prevent harm to children and prioritise early support for families in future plans and investment decisions, as the charity publishes an overview of early years policies since devolution.

The report calls for a strategic, long‑term commitment to the early years to ensure every child in Scotland has the best possible start in life.

Published on the NSPCC Learning website it provides a descriptive summary of early years policymaking in Scotland over the past 25 years.

The NSPCC believes there are clear opportunities for improvement in current early years policy and is calling on the next Scottish Government to prioritise it. This is one of the charity’s five priority areas for child protection that it will be setting out next month in the run up to the Scottish Parliament elections.

Early years – the period from pregnancy until a child turns five – is widely recognised as a critical stage in child development during which the foundations of learning, behaviour and lifelong mental and physical health are established.

In 2024, nearly half (45%) of the children on the child protection register in Scotland were under the age of four. This consisted of 93 unborn children and 913 aged newborn to four years old.1

Despite the youngest children in Scotland being the most vulnerable to harm, the 0-3 age group in particular can often be overlooked. It’s been called the ‘baby blindspot’.

Babies and very young children rely on sensitive and responsive care to grow and thrive. Evidence shows that investing in children’s earliest years not only reduces the need for costly interventions later in life but also helps tackle inequalities and ensures every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

In this report, the NSPCC sets out how the Scottish Government’s strongest focus on the early years can be traced back to 2011–12, with multi-agency initiatives that were designed to improve outcomes for children, reduce inequalities for those who were particularly vulnerable, and shift services toward prevention and early intervention.

However, the charity’s analysis reveals that strategic focus on the early years has not been maintained as attention shifted toward tackling the poverty-related attainment gap and addressing the long-term effects of childhood adversity in adulthood.

This has meant that targeted support for families and children, from pre-birth to age five, to prevent problems from developing or getting worse, has inadvertently declined.

The NSPCC’s view is that these days early years policy is too often viewed by the Government as meaning early learning and childcare provision, rather than as a broader agenda, which focuses on supporting families to build nurturing, responsive caregiving relationships.

Rachel Love, NSPCC Scotland Senior Policy Officer and report author, said: “Investing in early childhood provides significant long-term benefits for children, their families, and communities, including improved educational attainment, reduced health inequlaities and economic returns. 

“Our analysis shows that prioritisation of early years has been inconsistent, leading to gaps in service planning and delivery; and when it has been a priority, funding and resourcing has not matched ambitions.

“As we approach the Scottish Parliament elections, all political parties have an important opportunity – and responsibility – to place the early years at the heart of future policy and public investment in Scotland.   

“The NSPCC wants the new Government to give families the support they need, so every child gets the best possible start – ensuring Scotland keeps The Promise to its youngest children.”

The charity wants the new Government to:

  • Reestablish early years as a cross-party priority, with a clear focus on parent–infant relationships and holistic family support that prioritises prevention and early help.
  • Create a dedicated Early Years Strategy, led by a Minister for Early Years, to ensure focused and sustained national leadership.
  • Strengthen statutory guidance on Children’s Services Planning to reinforce its emphasis on early years prevention and intervention, and introducing long-term, ringfenced funding so local areas can deliver high-quality family and parenting support.
  • Advance implementation of The Promise and Children’s Rights, making sure the needs and rights of babies and under-fives are central to decisions about policy, legislation and practice. 

For the full report visit: 

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2026/over-25-years-of-early-years