Tag: Children and Families

Amazon Announces New Term-Time Contracts

  • Amazon offers new term-time contracts, providing its operations employees in Dunfermline and across the UK guaranteed time off during Summer, Easter and Christmas holidays, enabling more time with their children
  • The innovative contract is part of a wider flexibility boost which also includes a part-time pick-your-shift option

Amazon has launched an innovative new contract that offers parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children the choice to work term-time only.

The new contracts, available at the Dunfermline fulfilment centre, guarantee time off for the six-week Summer break, as well as the two-week Easter and Christmas holiday periods, without affecting the comprehensive range of benefits they receive, including private medical insurance and life assurance.

The contracts, aimed at better supporting family needs, were successfully trialed at three sites following employee feedback, and are now being phased in for employees in Dunfermline and across all Amazon’s fulfilment centres – the places where Amazon store, pick and pack items for sale. They will be rolled out to sort centres and delivery stations across the UK later this year.

Amazon also announced a new flexible part-time contract for a minimum of 80 hours a month which lets employees pick and mix the shifts which suit their needs; part-day or full-day, day or night, weekday or weekend. The contract will support people who are unable to find work due to family or other commitments that require flexibility, return to the workplace.

As with all roles at Amazon, a current employee could refer a friend or family member to this option, which could also provide similar, required flexibility to a partner at home. The part-time contract, piloted at five fulfilment centres and now being expanded to a further seven sites, was also introduced as a result of employee feedback.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We’ve listened to our employees’ views on flexible working and I’m really proud that we’ve introduced new and innovative options based on their feedback.

“Both of these contracts put a really important emphasis on work-life balance and I’m certain they’re going to make a positive difference for many of our people.”

John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK Country Manager, said: “At Amazon, we’re always innovating for our employees and our customers. I’m delighted to announce these new flexible working initiatives that provide even more choice for current and future employees, enabling them to better manage their home and work commitments.

“Amazon already provides a four-day working week for our fulfilment centre employees in the UK, and term-time contracts are another great example of how we are using feedback from our people to support them with their childcare needs, giving families more time together.”

He added: “Providing a flexible part-time contract where people can pick the shifts that best suit their needs will support our employees’ partners and other job-seekers with family caring commitments a route back to the workplace, helping to boost household income.”

Amazon already offers multiple types of contract. A standard working week is 40 hours, with shift-swaps and part-time options.

Term-time contracts are now available to thousands of Amazon’s fulfilment centre employees. The part-time pick-your-shift option has been rolled out to seven fulfilment centres following a successful trial, with more sites soon to follow.

GRoW (Get Ready for Work) supports women back into the workplace. Director Liz Sewell is particularly interested in term-time contracts: “Term-time working has the potential to give a lot of people the support they need, so it’s an interesting and progressive change at Amazon.

“We know that many women want to work flexible hours and for those with younger children term-time working makes so much sense. We believe it’s a great way to support a widening of the workforce as well as providing valuable flexibility for parents.”

Call for greater resourcing as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed by over a third

  • Cut of £1,870 per pupil since 2012/13 on spending for those identified with ASN
  • Postcode lottery of spending between local authorities on ASN
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with ASN from 2012
  • Cut in the number of ASN teachers by more than 500

An alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP. This reveals that spending supporting those pupils with ASN has slumped by over a third. It comes against a backdrop of the number of pupils with ASN increasing dramatically and the number of specialist teachers supporting them dropping to a new low.

While the SCSC supports a presumption of mainstreamingfor pupils with ASN, meaning that they are educated in a mainstream school unless exceptional circumstances, without adequate resourcing there is an obvious impact on those with ASN, fellow pupils and teachers.

The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on additional support for learning by councils in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,381 in the 2012/13 financial year to £3,511 in 2021/22 (in real terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,870 per pupil, representing a 34.8 per cent drop.

There is a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support, ranging from £2,278 per pupil in the Scottish Borders to £6,887 in the Shetland Islands, highlighting a postcode lottery in spending across local authorities.

This fall is against the backdrop of a 97.2 per cent increase between 2012 and 2021 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 232,753, amounting to 114,742 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent around a third of all pupils (33.0 per cent).

Between 2012 and 2021 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to an all-time low of 2,886, a decrease of 503 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 14.8 per cent.

Against the background of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, with its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and councils to ensure that those with ASN receive the care and support they need, provided in an equitable manner across Scotland.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“We are in a mental health emergency and have also witnessed dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown.

“Given this, it is disappointing to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN and we would urge the Scottish Government to adequately resource the provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

“Councils and the Scottish Government must work together to provide an adequately resourced and equitable system of support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, representing some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

ASL spending per pupil (£, cash terms)

 2021-22
Aberdeen City3,149
Aberdeenshire2,366
Angus3,117
Argyll and Bute3,722
City of Edinburgh3,278
Clackmannanshire5,252
Dumfries and Galloway3,340
Dundee City2,391
East Ayrshire4,368
East Dunbartonshire4,351
East Lothian3,708
East Renfrewshire2,964
Falkirk3,932
Fife2,848
Glasgow City4,635
Highland3,044
Inverclyde3,905
Midlothian4,358
Moray3,342
Na h-Eileanan Siar5,676
North Ayrshire2,147
North Lanarkshire5,571
Orkney Islands4,543
Perth and Kinross3,105
Renfrewshire3,629
Scottish Borders2,278
Shetland Islands6,887
South Ayrshire4,881
South Lanarkshire3,722
Stirling2,500
West Dunbartonshire3,479
West Lothian2,887
All Local Authorities3,511

£9.5 million to support young musicians in Scotland

Youth music programme funding confirmed

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has confirmed £9.5 million funding for Scotland’s flagship Youth Music Initiative (YMI) this year. This includes £500,000 which has been ringfenced to deliver on the commitment to expand the YMI model into other art forms.

YMI funding enables schools and other organisations to provide quality music-making activities for children and young people, which range from after-school drum bands to courses in sound production.

More than 362,000 children and young people took part in YMI-funded projects under the 2021-22 programme, the majority of those in high-deprivation areas. The funding also supported 1,182 music education posts across all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

Mr Robertson marked the funding award with a visit to Murrayburn Primary School in Sighthill, Edinburgh, where he met pupils who have benefitted from the programme, which is administered by Creative Scotland.

The Culture Secretary said: “Music plays a vitally important role in young people’s lives, and beyond developing their wider skills and learning we know these kinds of activities also have a huge positive impact on their confidence and wellbeing.

“We are committed to ensuring every school pupil in Scotland can access a year of free music tuition by the time they leave primary school through the YMI, no matter their background. YMI is focused on creating opportunities for groups of children and young people who may not otherwise have the chance to participate in cultural activity.

“This year’s funding takes our investment in this programme to more than £150 million since 2007, to enable free music tuition for hundreds of thousands of young people, and support thousands of music sector jobs across the country.”

Morag Macdonald, YMI Manager said: “With ongoing support from the Scottish Government, the YMI allows local authorities to deliver programmes like this across Scotland ensuring that children and young people with additional support needs have opportunities to experience the joy and excitement that comes with making music.”

Youth Music Initiative | Creative Scotland

Almost 38,500 families in Scotland cut their childcare costs thanks to Tax-Free Childcare

Tax-Free Childcare has saved 38,495 families in Scotland on their childcare costs during the 2022 to 2023 tax year, an increase of more than 9,300 from the previous year according to the latest statistics released by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) today (24 May 2023). 

With thousands more families benefitting from the UK Government top up year on year, HMRC is reminding eligible working families of the financial support available to pay for approved childcare including holiday clubs, breakfast and after school clubs, child minders and nurseries. Last year, £533 million in government cash was shared by families across the UK who saved money on their childcare bills. 

Working families, with children up to the age of 11, or 16 if their child has a disability, can save up to £2,000 a year per child or £4,000 a year if their child is disabled. 

For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account, families automatically receive an additional government top up of £2. Families can save up to £500 every 3 months for each child or £1,000 if their child is disabled.  

This is one of many ways the UK Government is easing cost of living for people across the country, whilst taking action to halve inflation this year which is currently adding pressure to household budgets.

Victoria Atkins, The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “While thousands more working families are benefitting from Tax-Free Childcare, which is making a real difference to their childcare bills, many more are missing out on the help they’re entitled to.

“Parents should check their eligibility and apply online, the top-up could make a big difference to working families at a time they need it most.”

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: 

“Tax-Free Childcare is a flexible benefit for families, allowing them to save towards the cost of childcare throughout the year and use when they need it. It can be a real boost to the household budget of working families. Search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK and sign up today.”  

More than one million families could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare. Families who haven’t signed up should check their eligibility and sign up to start saving today.  

Opening a Tax-Free Childcare account is straightforward and can be done online in about 20 minutes. Money can be deposited at any time at any time of the year to be used straight away, or whenever it is needed. Unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time.  

Go to GOV.UK to register and get started.    

The UK Government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support, including help with childcare costs.  

Bake-Off winner Peter Sawkins leads National Numeracy Day event

Building brighter futures through confidence with numbers. That was the message today for children and young people from across the Capital as they celebrated National Numeracy Day.

The national scheme, run by charity National Numeracy, aims to promote confidence through numbers and how we use them in our everyday lives.

Here in Edinburgh at Piershill Library, Great British Bake-Off Winner, and National Numeracy Ambassador Peter Sawkins, led a reading group for local children.

A singing session then took place, led by library colleagues, before finishing with refreshments. 

The aim of the event was to show local children the variety of situations where maths and numeracy were important.

Also in attendance were Depute Lord Provost, Councillor Lezley Marion-Cameron and Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, alongside library colleagues, representatives from National Numeracy, Education Scotland, and the Scottish Book Trust.

Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Val Walker said: “I was delighted to attend the event today at Piershill Library to celebrate National Numeracy Day. It was fantastic to hear from National Numeracy Ambassador Peter Sawkins and all the children who attended enjoyed it tremendously.

“I am proud that our libraries can host such diverse and fun events for our residents to enjoy.”

Trolls who encourage serious self-harm to face jail

New offence for encouraging serious self-harm with perpetrators facing 5 years behind bars

  • offence to apply regardless of whether target goes on to cause serious self-harm
  • move will protect vulnerable while not criminalising those who share their recovery journey

Vile trolls who hide behind the anonymity of the internet to encourage others to cause themselves serious harm will face prosecution as part of an overhaul of online safety laws announced today (18 May 2023).

Additions to the Online Safety Bill will make it a crime to encourage someone to cause serious self-harm, regardless of whether or not victims go on to injure themselves and those convicted face up to 5 years in prison.  The new offence will add to existing laws which make it illegal to encourage or assist someone to take their own life.

Police or prosecutors will only have to prove communication was intended to encourage or assist serious self-harm amounting to grievous bodily harm (GBH) – this could include serious injuries such as broken bones or permanent physical scarring.

The offence will apply even where the perpetrator does not know the person they are targeting – putting an end to abhorrent trolling that risks serious self-harm or life-changing injuries.

Encouraging someone to starve themselves or not take prescribed medication will also be covered.

Research from the Mental Health Foundation shows that more than a quarter of women between 16-24 have reported self-harm at some point in their life and since 1993 the levels of self-harm among women have tripled.  Today’s announcement is the latest step in our work to provide greater protections for women and girls who are more likely to self-harm.

Research also shows more than two-thirds of UK adults are concerned about seeing content that promotes or advocates self-harm while online.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said: “There is no place in our society for those who set out to deliberately encourage the serious self-harm of others. Our new law will send a clear message to these cowardly trolls that their behaviour is not acceptable.

“Building on the existing measures in the Online Safety Bill our changes will make it easier to convict these vile individuals and make the internet a better and safer place for everyone.”

The new offence will be created following a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2021 and balances the need to protect vulnerable people while not criminalising those who document their own self-harm as part of their recovery journey.

Justice Minister, Edward Argar MP, said: “No parent should ever worry about their children seeing content online or elsewhere encouraging them to hurt themselves. Our reforms will punish those who use encourage vulnerable people to inflict serious injuries on themselves and make sure they face the prospect of time behind bars.“

This new offence builds on measures already in the Online Safety Bill, which will better regulate social media and ensure that social media companies like Tiktok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and others are held legally responsible for the content on their sites.

Barratt Developments supports women and families with East of Scotland community fund

Three essential causes focused on improving the lives and wellbeing of women and families in the East of Scotland have benefited from donations from Barratt Developments’ community fund.

Barratt Developments, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, currently donates £1,500 per month to local charities in its divisions as part of the homebuilder’s pledge to improve the quality of life of those living in the areas in which it operates.

To kick off the first quarter of the year, £1,500 was donated to Smart Works in January – an organisation that supports the most vulnerable women in society by providing interview clothing, styling services and professional interview coaching.

The women who come to Smart Works are often referred from Job Centres, mental health charities, women’s refuges, homeless shelters, the prison service, the care service and youth organisations. The essential resources provided by the charity not only allow 72% of its service users to gain employment each month, but also helps improve women’s overall confidence and self-esteem.

Rachel Shields, Fundraising and Partnerships Manager at Smart Works Scotland, said: “We’re so grateful for this donation. In the shadow of the cost-of-living crisis our service has never been more needed.

“In response to increasing demand, we are expanding our service in Scotland, and we just had our biggest month for appointments in March.

“With support like this from Barratt, we’re one step closer to achieving the ambition of our 3-year plan to double the number of women who access our transformative service by March 2025.”

In February, a further £1,500 was given to Stepping Stones North Edinburgh. 

Supporting pregnant women and young families, Stepping Stones provides a range of services focused on mental and emotional wellbeing, resilience building, reducing isolation and early learning services.

The donation has been used by the Stepping Stones team to improve play materials used by the organisation’s Steps to Grow group. Run on Wednesdays throughout the year at Granton Community Garden, the shared space provides children and their caregivers with the opportunity to socialise in a safe, secure and enriching environment.

Dee Reid, Early Learning Practitioner at Stepping Stones North Edinburgh, said: “Barratt’sgenerous donation has enabled us to purchase some much needed and durable equipment for our garden group to proceed in a safe and effective way, within our environment.

“This will hopefully benefit our families greatly, and they can continue to enjoy the equipment and new resources for years to come.”

To round off the quarter, Barratt Developments donated £1,500 in March to SiMBA (Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal).

The charity’s aim is to honour babies who have died, are stillborn or miscarried through supporting parents by gathering precious items in Memory Boxes, spending time with the baby in a comfortable Family Room, and providing the chance to remember and reflect at the Tree of Tranquillity.

The funds received from Barratt Developments will help SiMBA to continue to provide these services to families in the East of Scotland.

Vanessa Rhazali, Head of Fundraising and Communications at SiMBA, said: “We were delighted to receive a generous donation from Barratt Homes.

“The funds will go directly towards providing Memory Boxes to bereaved parents at their critical time of loss. The Memory Boxes offer comfort at one of the most traumatic times of their lives, while also holding cherished memories for the family to honour their baby for the years that follow.”

Alison Condie, Managing Director at Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes East Scotland, said: “Giving back to the communities in which we build has always been a priority for Barratt Developments, and we try our best to identify the charities most in need in our divisions with the help of our customers.

“This quarter we’ve donated to three fantastic causes that are supporting women and families in the East of Scotland. To be able to provide essential services in the current climate can be extremely challenging for charities.

“Hopefully, these donations will help them to continue the vital work they are doing in their local communities.”

For more information on Barratt Developments in the East of Scotland, visit:

https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/scotland-east/

Demand for wishes from critically ill children rising fast

The number of wish enquiries from seriously ill children with less than a year to live is rising fast and children’s charity Make-A-Wish UK is calling on people to help to meet this urgent demand now, before it’s too late.  

New statistics by Make-A-Wish, the charity which grants wishes for critically ill children, has revealed that the number of rush or priority wishes for children who have less than a year to live, doubled from 2021 to 2022 from 75 to 151. With 130 of these wishes already granted since September 2022*, that number is expected to go even higher this year.  

More than 63,000 children in the UK have been diagnosed with a critical condition and are eligible for a wish. It’s estimated that by 2030, this figure will have risen to over 73,000 and Make-A-Wish UK is worried that without support, they could soon be forced to turn critically ill children away.  

Jason Suckley, chief executive for Make-A-Wish UK said: “This year we have seen a sharp rise in the number of children with short prognoses. We want every single one of these children to experience the life-changing magic of a wish but sadly, the demand for wishes is growing faster than we can meet it. For these children in particular, every day counts. 

“When a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, the joy of childhood is brought to an abrupt end; replaced by hospital appointments, gruelling treatment plans and endless worry. We’re appealing for the public’s generous support to help make more wishes come true for a critically ill child before it’s too late.

“Families can create lasting memories that they will treasure forever – no matter what the future holds. Their support really does mean everything to the children and families who turn to us.” 

Make-A-Wish currently grants on average about 1,000 wishes a year and right now, 1,124 seriously ill children like Oliver are waiting for their wishes to come true.

At just 18-months-old, Oliver Cheng from Leicester, was diagnosed with the incredibly rare genetic condition, FIG 4 neuro development disorder – a condition so rare it’s believed he’s just one of seven or eight children in the world who have it.  

With no treatment available, no one was sure how long Oliver had to live. “We were told to take lots of pictures and make as many memories as possible,” said mum Lia who wanted to find a way of bringing comfort to Oliver as often as possible, whilst she still could.  

After visiting a hydrotherapy pool and seeing just how relaxed Oliver became in the warm water, the family turned to Make-A-Wish who made Oliver’s wish of having a spa pool at home come true.  

“His eyes were glowing,” said Oliver’s mum Lia describing the moment Oliver saw his spa pool for the first time. “He spreads his body out, floats in the water and puts his hands towards the bubbles. He’s not able to do much but this is something fun that he can enjoy every day now and help relieve his pain. 

“We love to just sit and watch him relax. We know that our time with Oliver may be short, but Make-A-Wish have helped us make incredible memories as a family that we couldn’t make on our own. I don’t know how to thank everyone enough for what you have given us.” 

To find out more about how to support Make-A-Wish’s Spring Appeal campaign, visit make-a-wish.org.uk/springappeal.  

Youth Charity’s support reaches new heights as demand for offline resources soars

Curiosity Collective has distributed over 20,000 ‘Wonderbox’ packs to date

Marking the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, Curiosity Collective has announced that its dedicated offline learning and wellbeing resource, the ‘Wonderbox’, has reached a significant new delivery milestone.  Over 20,000 free resource packs have been distributed to date and the charity plans to build on this success with a new longer-term offering to be launched later this year. 

Curiosity Collective operates with a vision that every child in Scotland should have the opportunity to learn for fun and receive the support they need to positively protect their health and well-being.

Guided by young people, the charity designs and delivers activities to 1) build confidence and knowledge in children and young people 2) enable them to try new things and 3) equip them with the tools and understanding they need to better protect their mental health and wellbeing.  

Responding to new needs, the charity refocused its activities through the pandemic; switching away from online models to concentrate on dedicated offline support helping to reach the often under-supported groups of young people who lack regular online access.

Curiosity Collective packs are provided for free and the pack contains everything needed to enjoy the activities – no additional resource is required.  Over 95% of survey respondents say that “Wonderbox” helped them to feel less isolated and stressed.   

The charity works with partners and stakeholders operating on a national level such as One Parent Families Scotland, Families Outside and the Women’s Aid network to distribute the resource effectively to those most in need of support, including those who are shut out due to poverty and hardship, including urban and rural communities.  

Chloe Goodall, Executive Director of Curiosity Collective said: “Our activities and resources have never been needed more.  Almost a quarter of children in Scotland are growing up in poverty, a situation made worse by the impact of the pandemic and the bleak reality of the cost-of-living crisis.  

“As a result, children and young people are missing out on opportunities to learn and have fun and this can have a detrimental impact on their health and wellbeing.  

“We are proud that we are providing support that works.  The demand for our offline resources has been even greater than we anticipated.  We thank all our generous funders for making this support possible. Feedback we are receiving from young people has been overwhelmingly positive and the demand continues to grow as children and young people are asking for more resources to enjoy at home.  

“We are working with our partners and funders to extend this cherished resource into a longer-term offering that will ensure young people receive a continuous support journey with the resource pack.

“We strongly believe that all children have the right to learn, play, have fun and express themselves, and through our programmes and resource packs we can ensure young people have more tools with which to realise those rights. We have ambitious targets and we look forward to making them happen with our committed partners.” 

As a registered charity Curiosity Collective relies on the generosity of its funders, such as The Scottish Children’s Lottery, Wheatley Group, ScottishPower and The Robertson Trust, to enable the organisation to deliver its vital activities.  

Lorna Wallace, Funding Officer, The Robertson Trust said: “Through our Education Pathways theme at The Robertson Trust, we are interested in funding projects that support educational engagement and attainment, and in particular projects that include engagement with parents and wider family members.

“Education is recognised as one of the best protections against poverty and we know that access to support such out of school activities which stimulate development, encourage independent learning, build confidence and resilience as well as encouraging participation in learning, helps to close the attainment gap.   

“We look forward to seeing how Curiosity Collective progresses and learning from its work on the way and congratulate them for reaching their incredible milestone of distributing 20,000 Wonderboxes to date.” 

For more information visit https://www.curiositycollective.org.uk