The kids may be counting down the days until school’s out for summer, but many parents are worried about making their money stretch in the coming months.
Whether it’s the cost of essential childcare or activities to keep the kids entertained, many are concerned they just won’t have enough to pay for school uniforms when the new academic year finally rolls around in August, so are having to make cut-backs in response.
And it’s understandable. The latest research shows parents spend an average of almost £300 per year on primary school uniforms and more than £400 per year on secondary school uniforms. And so, to help ease the pressure,
The Leith Collective is launching its free school uniform exchange on Saturday 1st June.
The exchange will take place at all four of The Leith Collective stores – at Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal and Fort Kinnaird, Glasgow Fort and their brand new store at Dundee’s Overgate. The Community Interest Company is calling on locals to donate good quality uniforms, shoes, schoolbags and lunchboxes to those in need. Items will be available for anyone to collect completely free of charge, no questions asked.
The initiative is the brainchild of The Leith Collective founder, Sara Thomson, who has just returned from 10 Downing Street after receiving a personal invitation from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
This was Sara’s third visit to Downing Street, having previously been invited by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss the positive impact of The Leith Collective’s important work on the community.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the free school uniform exchange, Sara said; “The cost of living crisis is seemingly relentless, and there is now a generation of children growing up who have never known anything other than cut-backs and stressed out parents struggling to make ends meet.
“So, we’re taking action to help lighten the parent’s load by removing the expense of buying a new school uniform and helping the ‘cut-back kids’ get the best possible start to their education.”
Last year, the NSPCC delivered its Speak out Stay safe programme to nearly 63,000 children in Scotland
The assembly helps children understand abuse in all its forms and where to ask for help.
The charity rolled out a refreshed version of the programme earlier this year alongside a new promotional video and is encouraging schools across the UK to sign up
NSPCC Scotland is appealing for volunteers to help share these vital messages in primary schools
NSPCC Scotland has released new today which reveals that their Speak out Stay safe educational programme was delivered to 62, 986 children across 348 schools in Scotland last year (April 2023 to March 24).
Speak out Stay safe, which has been running since 2011, aims to help primary school children understand abuse in an age-appropriate way, as well as teach them where to ask for help.
The NSPCC believes empowering children with this knowledge is vital as on average two children in a primary school class across the UK have experienced abuse or neglect.
Educating children on abuse and neglect helps them to recognise situations or signs which will enable them to share their concerns with a safe adult.
Earlier this year the children’s charity rolled out a refreshed version of the programme, with a new promotional video. The updated version of Speak out Stay safe, which is available to all UK primary schools, includes a range of resources – which varies depending on the age of the children. Schools can benefit from virtual assemblies, lesson plans and face-to-face workshops with NSPCC trained volunteers.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Speak out Stay safe was delivered in more than 90% of all primary schools across the UK. This was affected due to the lockdown and using its refreshed service model, the children’s charity is ambitious to rebuild numbers and reach more children.
Speak out Stay safe volunteer, Karen Duncan (60) from Auchterarder, Perthshire, said:“Speak out Stay safe is a brilliant programme that helps children recognise what may be happening to them, that’s it not ok, and that they can speak to someone.
“I was a teacher for 30 years, but you don’t need previous professional experience of working with children to do this.
“The most important thing is that you are concerned about the wellbeing of children and would like to help keep them safe. The training and support are exceptionally good and it’s great to be part of a team with the same goal in mind.
“I feel I’m making a difference. If I can prevent abuse happening to one child, then I’ve done what I set off to do.”
Enola Butler, NSPCC Scotland Schools coordinator, said: “Speak out Stay safe is a vital safeguarding service in schools which helps them to understand what abuse is and where they can turn for help.
“We know many children might not be aware that they are experiencing abuse, and they might be scared about speaking out because they are worried about repercussions.
“Our volunteer numbers have reduced in recent years, and we would love to hear from anyone who is interested in joining us for just a few hours each month.
“Many volunteers have told us they feel privileged to be helping to spread these really important messages and we’d like to reach every child in Scotland to let them know that abuse is never their fault, and help is available.”
The programme is available in English, Welsh and incorporating British Sign Language and there is also a version of the programme for children with additional needs and disabilities.
Over £829 million in social security payments providing boost for families
The families of more than 329,000 children under 16 are benefitting from Scottish Child Payment, latest statistics show.
The weekly payment of £26.70, which is unique to Scotland, is helping families with the cost of living crisis, with over £677 million paid since the payment launched.
Scottish Child Payment is part of a wider package of payments – including the three Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods – which together have provided over £829 million in vital financial support at key stages of a child’s life.
There is no cap on the number of children in one family who can receive these payments.
In a survey, also released today, the majority of families said that the payments helped their child to take part in social or educational opportunities and also helped them buy milk and healthy food for their children.
Survey responses also suggest that families are finding it straightforward to apply with more than 90% of people noting the application was clear and did not take too long to complete.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As the First Minister has set out, eradicating child poverty is the number one priority for the Scottish Government.
“Scottish Child Payment plays a key part in that mission. Together with our Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments, this package of financial support, which is worth almost £25,000 per child by the time their child turns 16, is helping to make sure all children in Scotland get the best start in life.
“We have provided over £829 million to help people raise their families, putting money into the pockets of people who need it most.
“This crucial cash is available as soon expectant parents know they are pregnant all the way through to their child starting nursery, then going to primary and secondary school and helps them cover costs of caring for their children.
“We know from our recent research that families say the application process is clear and doesn’t take too long to apply. So I would urge families to apply for our package of five family payments and get the money they are entitled to.”
The committee has published its report “Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing”.
There has been a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022; nearly 25% of children and young people use their smartphones in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction.
Screen use has been found to start as early as six months of age. One in five children aged between three and four years old have their own mobile phone, increasing to one in four children by age eight and to almost all children by age 12. The amount of time those aged 5–15 years old spent online rose from an average of nine hours per week in 2009, to 15 hours per week in 2018.
As well as harms to mental and physical health, screen time can disrupt pupils’ learning both at home and in the classroom, as it can take up to 20 minutes for pupils to refocus on what they were learning after engaging in a non-academic activity such as browsing the internet or noticing a notification on their phone.
The report strongly supports the tougher guidance on keeping phones out of the classroom and breaktimes that the Department recently issued. However, the Committee heard mixed evidence on how well taken up this will be, we therefore recommend formal monitoring and evaluation of this approach by the next Government with the possibility of a statutory ban if needed.
The Committee also concludes that screen time should be minimal for younger children and better balanced with face-to-face socialisation and physical activity for older ones.
Parents need clear guidance from Government on managing children’s screen time, and in particular advice to parents of babies and young children should be revised to ensure it gives sufficient attention to face-to-face interaction and warns of the risks of screen time in reducing opportunities for this.
While the Online Safety Act 2023 will undoubtably play a role in keeping children safe from online harms, the Committee is concerned that children will not feel the full protections of the Act until implementation is completed in 2026.
79% of children have encountered violent pornography before the age of 18, with the average age that children first see pornography being 13 years old. Some 81% of girls aged 7-21 have experienced some form of threatening or upsetting behaviour, and online sexual crimes committed against children online has risen by 400% since 2013.
One in five children (19%) aged 10-15 experienced at least one type of bullying behaviour online, and out of them, around three-quarters (72%) said they experienced at least some of it at school or during school time.
It is clear that the entire system surrounding the digital age of consent and how it is verified is not fit for purpose. The Committee heard no evidence to suggest that 13 is an appropriate age for children to understand the implications of allowing platforms access to their personal data online.
Yet even with the digital age of consent currently formally set at the lowest possible level, it is widely ignored and not effectively enforced. This must change urgently. The next Government should consult on raising the age of digital consent and should recommend 16 as a more appropriate age.
The report also calls for the level of digital age of consent to be effectively enforced. The Online Safety Act 2023 allows for substantial fines or even imprisonment for executives of companies who breach its rules, and the Government should consider how this approach can be applied to social media companies who knowingly breach age verification requirements and expose children to addictive content which is not appropriate for them.
Within the first year of the new Parliament, the next Government should work alongside Ofcom to consult on additional measures regarding smartphones for children under 16 years old, including the possibility of a total ban of smartphones (internet-enabled phones) for children under 16 or parental controls installed as default on phones for under 16s.
The next Government should work with mobile phone companies and network operators to promote children’s phones, a class of phone which can be used for contact and GPS location but not access to the internet or downloading apps.
Chair of the Education Committee, Robin Walker MP, said: “Excessive screen and smartphone use has a clear negative impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of children and young people. Our inquiry heard shocking statistics on the extent of the damage being done to under-18s, particularly those who are already extremely vulnerable, such as those in care.
“Without urgent action, more children will be put in harm’s way. From exposure to pornography, to criminal gangs using online platforms to recruit children, the online world poses serious dangers.
“Parents and schools face an uphill struggle and Government must do more to help them meet this challenge. This might require radical steps, such as potentially a ban on smartphones for under-16s.
“Our report found that digital age of consent checks are not fit for purpose. We heard no evidence demonstrating that thirteen-year-olds understood the ramifications of sharing personal information online and today’s report urges the Government to increase this age to sixteen.
“It’s also clear that children require face-to-face and in-person social contact in order to thrive. Our report found that screen time is inversely associated with working memory, processing, attention levels, language skills and executive function.
“Whilst there can be some benefits from the online world and sharing information or interests with their peers, ready, unsupervised and unrestricted access to the internet leaves children vulnerable, exposing them to a world they are not equipped for. Their safeguarding and protection must be our priority.”
The Centre, Livingston welcomes the Big Kid Circus to the shopping centre for the first time, which is packed with a fantastic variety of performances by talented acrobats, trapeze artists, daredevils and clowns from Wednesday, 29th May until Sunday, 2nd June.
The show by the circus company, which started in 2005 by talented acrobatic performers Biliana and Kiril Kirilov is entitled ‘Illuminations’ and is currently on tour around the UK.
It features a host of exciting performances by artists from around the world, including Europe’s only all-female motorbike stunt riders inside a mesh sphere ball and heart-warming comedy by twin brothers Rolando and Matrakita from Mexico, under the big tent spotlight, situated behind Primark.
Gary Anderson, Operations Manager at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Big Kid Circus to The Centre, Livingston for the first time.
“The ‘Illumination’ show will be a big hit with our visitors, of all ages, whether you are a circus fan or new to it, with lots of brilliant performances guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.”
For tickets and more information check out Eventbrite and Itison.
Big Kid Circus on 13th February 2024 – Gyle Shopping Centre, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scotland (Photo by Allan Maxwell)
In an era where digital screens dominate our lives, the importance of nurturing a love for reading in children cannot be overstated. However, a recent survey commissioned by Awesome Books has uncovered a concerning trend among parents in the UK.
The survey, which involved 3,000 parents with children aged 2-12, revealed that 53% of parents do not buy books for their children. This statistic raises significant questions about the future of literacy and the cultural value placed on reading within families.
The Importance of Early Reading
Reading is a fundamental skill that forms the foundation of a child’s education. Early exposure to books has been linked to numerous benefits, including improved language skills, increased empathy, and better academic performance. Books open up new worlds, stimulate imagination, and foster a lifelong love of learning. Despite these well-documented advantages, the survey results suggest that more than half of the parents surveyed are not investing in this crucial aspect of their children’s development.
Possible Reasons Behind the Decline
Several factors contribute to this decline in book purchases for children. According to the survey, the reasons are varied:
Digital Distraction: The prevalence of digital devices is a significant factor. Of the parents who don’t buy books, 35% stated that their children prefer using tablets, smartphones, and televisions for entertainment. These devices are often loaded with educational apps and ebooks, which parents believe can substitute for physical books. The convenience and engaging nature of digital content make it more appealing than traditional reading materials.
Economic Factors: Financial constraints also play a significant role. The survey found that 28% of parents cited affordability as a barrier to purchasing books for their children. For many families, budgeting for essential needs takes precedence over buying books, which might be seen as a non-essential expense. The rising cost of living and other financial pressures make it challenging for some parents to prioritise book buying.
Lack of Awareness: Some parents may not fully understand the importance of reading or might believe that their children are getting enough exposure to literature through school alone. About 20% of the parents surveyed mentioned that they rely on schools to provide sufficient reading materials and do not feel the need to purchase additional books.
Limited Access: A smaller yet notable group, 10% of parents, reported limited access to bookstores or libraries in their area as a reason for not buying books. This is particularly relevant in rural or underserved communities where access to a variety of books can be restricted.
Impact on Children
The lack of books in the home can have far-reaching consequences. Children who are not regularly exposed to reading material may struggle with literacy skills, which can affect their performance in school and their ability to succeed in life. Moreover, children who miss out on the joys of reading may be less likely to develop a love for literature as they grow older.
What Can Be Done?
Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach:
Promoting the Value of Reading: Educating parents about the benefits of reading and encouraging them to make books a priority can help shift attitudes.
Making Books Accessible: Initiatives such as book exchanges, libraries, and affordable book sales can make it easier for families to access books without significant financial strain.
Integrating Digital and Physical Reading: While digital devices are here to stay, finding ways to integrate both digital and physical reading can cater to modern preferences while still emphasising the importance of traditional books.
Joanne Williams a book expert from Awesome Books says: “The survey highlights a critical issue that needs immediate attention.
“With 53% of parents not buying books for their children, largely due to economic constraints, the allure of digital devices, and limited access, there is a pressing need to address the barriers that prevent families from engaging in this vital activity.
When designing our disability benefits, Social Security Scotland collaborated with disabled people and their families to create a better and more compassionate system, putting dignity, fairness and respect at its heart.
Child Disability Payment was launched in November 2021. It helps families cover the extra costs of looking after a child or young person who is disabled, who has a long-term health condition or who is terminally ill. Importantly, it isn’t means tested.
Since its introduction, over 80,500 children and young people have received the payment, with more than £621 million being paid out.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, visited Carrongrange High School – Falkirk Council’s secondary school for pupils with severe and complex additional support needs – on 1 May.
The school’s motto is, ‘Carrongrange – Where you can be all you can be’.
We spoke to children and their families and learned what impact Child Disability Payment has on the lives of pupils who receive it and how it is helping them to live full and independent lives.
Dughall Boyne’s daughter, Rosselyn, has bilateral coloboma, a condition which prevented her eyes from developing properly. She receives Child Disability Payment.
Dughall, father of Rosselyn
According to Dughall: “Child Disability Payment has been very important for Rosselyn.
“Everything costs more when you have a disability. The payments have allowed us to find after-school activities for Rosselyn which have helped develop her independence. She likes horse-riding but riding lessons for the disabled cost a lot more, because you need three people around the horse.
“Rosselyn has now moved on to Adult Disability Payment and the transfer has been very smooth. We were told at regular intervals what was happening with things like setting up the named contact.
“There were no big forms to fill in and it was all online. We just had to tick the box saying that there had been no change in Rosselyn’s condition. Previously, with the DWP, there was a 13-page form to complete. It’s certainly helped to take a couple of hours off the process and it’s been well received by parents throughout the school.”
Catherine and her son Louis
Catherine Sneddon’s son, Louis, also goes to Carrongrange. She echoed Dughall’s words about Social Security Scotland’s human rights approach to delivering disability benefits.
“Louis has been on Disability Living Allowance since he was diagnosed in 2013. Back then I didn’t know if he’d be able to claim and it was a constant battle with the DWP.
“It’s only recently that he’s transferred over to Child Disability Payment. It was much more plain sailing than I anticipated. I expected a fight and what I got was a questionnaire through the post. The level of care he gets has been the same for three years so I ticked the box saying, ‘He’s stable.’ And that was it.
“With the DWP I would have had to get a letter from his neurologist to prove he still needed Disability Living Allowance for children. For them your child is what they see on the form. They don’t know how hard it is to care for a child with a disability at home, at school and in the community.
“Social Security Scotland is so different.”
Janine Proudlock, Carrongrange’s headteacher, described exactly how Child Disability Payment helps pupils be all they can be: “For me the Scottish Child Disability Payment supports families to ensure they have the right resources, at the right to time to do the right work to allow the whole family to flourish.
“Whether it’s caring support or specialised resources to meet their child’s needs, this is an essential fund to improve the lives of young people and their families.”
People can find out more about Child Disability Payment and apply by visiting mygov.scot/childdisabilitypayment or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
A Scottish Parliament Committee has reported its alarm at the gap between the ambitions and implementation of a policy that aspires for children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) to be taught in mainstream education.
Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee unanimously agreed that the policy behind mainstreaming is the best route forward, however its inquiry found that the Scottish Government and local authorities are failing to implement it properly.
Speaking as the report was published, Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said:“The situation faced by children and young people with additional support needs is intolerable.
“During our inquiry, we were extremely concerned to hear about negative experiences of additional support for learning provision, the educating of children and young people in mainstream schools and the detrimental impact this has had on some pupils, their parents and carers, and teachers and support staff.
“Things must change. The Scottish Government and local authorities have been repeatedly warned about the consequences of failing to improve support for children with additional support needs. With a rising number of children reporting with additional support needs, a third of pupils in some areas, the Government and local authorities must not ignore the concerns and recommendations made in this report.”
During the inquiry, children and young people told the Committee that it can be hard to understand when someone does not give them the support they need and that a lack of support staff to cope with the number of pupils who need support can leave them feeling frustrated.
The Committee was particularly concerned by evidence that highlighted challenges of getting children the support they required.
In evidence to the Committee, the National Autistic Society said: “We see continually that autistic children and young people are forced to “fail” in mainstream settings before any other option or support is offered.
“Families have to fight the system to get that support, with many being forced into legal action and having to engage a solicitor before a solution is found.”
Other concerns raised in the Committee’s report look at the problems with a move towards open-plan schools, which could prove extremely overwhelming for children with autism and the number of neurodivergent children who are masking at school.
To improve the situation, the Committee makes several recommendations including reviewing placing requests, undertaking research on the prevalence and impact of masking, and urgently addressing gaps in specialist provision.
Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “The report by the Parliamentary committee on a lack of support to children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) is not a surprise to any of those involved in the sector.
“We have consistently warned of a potential ‘lost generation’ of those in this group, now amounting to more than 259,000 children.
“The number of those with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, amounts to more than a third of pupils, a doubling in numbers over the past decade, including an increase in those with complex needs.
“As a coalition of organisations that support vulnerable children and young people, we have however for many years shared the concerns of the committee over a lack of resourcing to support an escalating number of pupils with ASN, including a lack of specialist teachers and support staff.
“There has, for example, been a cut in ASN spending per pupil of just under £2,000 over the last decade, and the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen by just under 400.
“Under the new First Minister, we need a ‘national crusade’ to address of the needs of more than a third of our children and young people, providing the necessary resources to address their needs.
“While we support the principle of mainstreaming, that all children and young are taught in mainstream classes unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is difficult to see how this can work effectively when those with ASN are in many cases not receiving the necessary care and support.
“This situation is putting an incredible level of pressure on teachers and other staff, with an impact also in terms of surging levels of school violence and poor behaviour we are witnessing.
“The committee noted this gap between policy ambition and implementation, which is leading to mainstream education being ‘intolerable’ for many children and young people with ASN.
“There are also many of those in mainstream education, whose complexity of needs would be far better served in a special school setting, delivering what is best for their educational and social requirements.
“The Scottish Government, local authorities, health and other agencies need to work in collaboration with the private and third sectors to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of children and young people with ASN.“
Council refuses to pass on uplift in Housing Benefit to charity housing provider as Scottish Government declares a housing emergency
Right There, a charity which helps prevent homelessness, has been forced to end its contract with City of Edinburgh Council, to provide critical housing in three locations for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The charity, which was formerly called Ypeople, says this is its ‘absolute worst case scenario’, and ‘a last resort’ but after months of trying to negotiate with the Council, housing bosses are refusing to pass on its uplift in housing benefit to increase the Housing Management Payment.
The Housing Management Payment has remained unchanged since 2019 despite the cost of living skyrocketing in that time. Over the last five years, the local authority has received increased housing benefit which it refuses to pass on to providers to help deal with increased costs of running an assisted housing programme.
The housing facilities facing closure are one in Broomhouse and two residential units in Pilton. Their closure comes after the local authority failed to engage with the charity on contractual terms over recent weeks.
It will build pressure on the Council’s administration after a housing emergency was declared in the capital in November of last year, now even more so with the Scottish Government expected to announce a national housing emergency later today.
Janet Haugh, CEO of Right Theresaid: “We are devastated that we are having to pull the plug on this service, this is our absolute worst case scenario, especially when Scotland is at the brink of a national housing crisis.
“We have done everything in our power to resolve this with the Council but sadly as a charity we simply cannot absorb a projected £2.5 million deficit over the next five years and continue running this service.”
Housing Benefit levels have increased across Scotland to reflect the increased cost of living, utilities and general inflationary increases. Despite that, the Council expects Right There to subsidise the cost of an essential service despite being in receipt of additional payments to which the residents are entitled.
The project run by Right There provides accommodation support for 44 of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable people, who live with the consequences of family breakdowns, homelessness, poverty, addiction, and many other challenges. In addition, the jobs of 19 support workers are now at risk.
Janet Haughadded: “We have exhausted all avenues with the Council and bringing the contract to a conclusion by triggering the three months’ notice period is our last resort.
“Our priority now is to work with the Council to hand over the running of the programme to either the local authority or another provider to ensure as much continuity and as little distress as possible for the 44 residents affected, and the support workers whose jobs are at risk.”
‘Putting women at the centre of their own care, listening to them, learning lessons from both failed and successful maternity services is crucial to delivering safer better care’ – that’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as it responds to a new report on birth trauma.
The report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the Birth Trauma Association follows the UK’s first-ever inquiry into birth trauma to which the RCM provided evidence in February.
Safe levels of staffing and ensuring there are enough midwives so they have time with women particularly during antenatal appointments to pick up issues early on. In addition to discussing concerns and making decisions around birth choices and infant feeding choices is fundamental to delivering good quality maternity care says the RCM.
The RCM says it also supports the reports call for the reinstatement of a Maternity Commissioner with accountability to the Prime Minster, this the College says is very much needed particularly as their remit would include a commitment to tackle inequalities in maternity care for Black, Asian and minority ethic women.
Commenting, RCM’s Chief Executive, Gill Walton said: “Sadly, not all birth experiences are positive and poor experiences can have a devastating impact on woman and should be taken very seriously as a threat to maternal mental and physical health and infant wellbeing.
“The women who shared their experiences with the inquiry must be commended for doing so and we owe it to them to learn and improve from the failings that happened in their care. Undoubtedly staffing shortages drastically impact the safety and quality of care that midwives can and so want to deliver.
“Our own members tell us they are struggling to give women the time and quality of care they need and deserve. Also, with the rise in more complex pregnancies, having the right skill mix of staff on shift is key.
“Access to appropriate training has also been highlighted in this report and when there aren’t enough midwives, crucial training is often postponed and this impacts how prepared staff can be for not only emergency situations, but how improvements in day-to-day maternity care can be achieved.”
Solving the midwifery recruitment and retention crisis with practical solutions must be the number one priority for any incoming Government says the RCM who recently published ‘How to Fix the Midwifery Staffing Crisis’ a practical guide which contains solutions for the next UK Parliament.
Included in the key recommendations is a plea for mother’s health records to be digitised, this is something the RCM has long called for. Assessing and documenting risk in an electronic record is essential to providing safer effective midwifery care. The RCM has already published an Electronic Guidance and Audit tool and has called for midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) to receive appropriate training on electronic record keeping systems used in their Trusts and Health Boards.
The report also highlighted the difficulty many women have in accessing maternal mental health services. Mental ill-health ranks with physical factors as one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the UK, and yet this is not reflected in the resources allocated to it says RCM. Last year the RCM called for the postcode lottery provision of perinatal mental health services to be tackled urgently and published a ‘perinatal roadmap’ which laid out recommendations to improve perinatal mental health care in the UK.
Commenting on that, Gill Walton added: ““We need to ensure that every Trust or Health Board in the UK providing maternity services has a fulltime perinatal specialist midwife.
“This would make an enormous difference and enable midwives to refer women in their care to someone in their service for immediate support. The RCM also believes and have advised that all maternity professionals should be equally concerned with mental as well as physical health in pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal period.
“Also, the recommendation of a standardised post birth service for give mothers a space to speak about their experiences we would support, but this is something that needs separate levels of investment. It’s important too that fathers and birthing partners who have witnessed a traumatic birth have access to the right support and help postnatally.”
Health and Social Care Secretary speech at birth trauma APPG
A speech the Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins gave at The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma
Good evening everyone. It is an absolute privilege to be speaking to you all this evening as we mark the launch of the first ever Birth Trauma Inquiry report.
And I’d like to start by May by thanking my dear friend Theo (Theodora Clarke MP) for her strength in speaking out about her own experiences and in so doing, creating this incredible workstream whereby other women are being invited to give their experiences and to be listened to.
I mean, Theo is, to my mind the exemplar of a parliamentary powerhouse, and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you, but also I genuinely think the work that you have achieved will have very, very long term and positive benefits for women across England.
The reaction that you have received from women shows just how critical this work is.
You have given a voice to those who may never have shared the pain and the suffering that they have been through, or when they have spoken up, they have not been listened to.
And so, thanks to you and to the brave women in this room, but also the many, many brave women who have contributed to this report, or who have shared their stories today with media outlets, as it has rightly got such media attention.
But thanks to those brave women, things are changing and you are shining a bright light on the struggles that too many women face, and you are putting birth trauma at the heart of our national conversation, and ensuring that other mums do not have to suffer in silence.
And I’d also really like to thank the wider APPG, co-chaired by Theo but also by Rosie, and both of whom have really demonstrated, along with APPG colleagues, just how cross-party working can work to the very best for us as a country.
And so thank you to every single parliamentarian involved in the APPG.
And in that spirit, I am determined to make care for new mums and mums-to-be faster, simpler and fairer because the birth of a child should be amongst the happiest moments in our lives.
Theo said of course, the overwhelming majority of families it is.
Each week around 10,000 babies are born in England on the NHS and most of them are born safely and with mothers and families reporting a good experience of the care they receive.
But we want that for every woman and every family.
And as this inquiry demonstrates so starkly, there is far too much unacceptable variation across the country in the service that women receive.
Some mums endure simply unacceptable care and live with the consequences of that trauma for the rest of their lives.
Now I’ve been open about my own experiences with the NHS.
The NHS is genuinely one of the reasons I came into politics.
I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of three and I’ve seen the very best of the NHS, but I’ve also seen some of its darker corners and that includes in my own experience when I was pregnant.
Aa you can imagine the clinicians in the room will understand a type one diabetic having being pregnant brings its own complications. And I had wonderful, wonderful care in many, many instances. But I also had examples where I wouldn’t wish other women to go through the same, including and I’ve spoken about this, I was rushed into hospital earlier than anyone had planned, and I was put on a ward, heavily pregnant, not quite knowing what the future was holding for me or my baby.
And, I was on the ward where women who had just experienced extremely traumatic, dare I say it, dangerous births were being rushed from theater onto the ward where I was.
Now clearly those their experiences were far, far worse and far more traumatic than my own.
But you can imagine the how frightening actually that experience was for a first-time mum to be, with the concerns that I was having to live with at the time.
So just that, as an example, I know everybody was trying to do their best at that point, but I desperately want to ensure that women who are expecting and who need additional support don’t find themselves in similar or even worse situations as I did.
And I want to make sure that no woman goes through a physical and mental trauma, and while giving birth, that could have been prevented.
Now I know that the Women’s Health Summit in January, Dame Lesley Regan and I talked about and forgive me, gentlemen, we talked about the NHS being a system that was created by men for men.
And that struck a chord with many women, particularly those who know Lesley and know she is another female powerhouse And the truth is that women have suffered in pain that would simply not be tolerated in any other part of the hospital.
Women have tried to raise concerns about unacceptable care, but they’re being told it’s all just natural.
And it is that, if you like, silencing, that really should not be the reality that women face in the 21st century.
We can and we will do better.
Now, being made Health Secretary in November, I have been impatient to make progress.
And that is why in January I held the Women’s Health Summit, where I made birth trauma one of the top priorities for the second year of the Women’s Health Strategy.
And I want to make this year not just the year that we listen, but that we act and that this is happening now.
We are rolling out new maternal mental health services for new mums, which are already available in all but three local health systems.
We are, believe you me, paying close attention to those final three areas to make sure they finalise their plans at pace this year.
On physical injuries too, we are rolling out improved perinatal pelvic health services, including guidance to better support women who experience serious tears and to prevent these from happening in the first place.
We’re halfway through. We plan to get to full coverage by the end of the financial year. And these services will be supported by our announcement at the Spring Budget of an extra £35 million pounds more for more midwives and better training for when things go wrong.
On top of the extra £186 million pounds a year, we are already investing into maternity services and safety compared to three years ago.
And thanks to Thea, we have also introduced standalone GP appointments six to eight weeks after giving birth to ask those crucial questions about whether mum is okay while keeping separate checks for her baby, because we know a happy, healthy mum means a happy, healthy baby.
And this is supported by new guidance to prompt, direct questions about their birth experience, even if there is nothing in her notes to suggest that the birth was traumatic.
I want to embed a culture that listens to women right from the start of their pregnancy, and so I’m delighted that NHS England are co-producing new decision-making tools with new mums to help guide through choices on how they give birth, what interventions could happen and what pain relief they should be offered.
These will be made available in a range of languages and formats to make sure that they can be tailored to different settings and to different local populations, because the ethnic disparities that Kim and Theo have highlighted have to be tackled, and we are determined to do that.
Theo’s speech in Parliament spoke to the lasting impact that birth trauma can have on the whole family. And of course, dads and partners are very much part of that. And so I’m extremely grateful to Theo’s husband for making that point.
But also we have listened in government and Maria Caulfield, my minister, who is responsible for men’s health along with a great many other things, will be chairing the next session of the Men’s Health Task and Finish Group in June to focus on dads mental health and trauma so that we can better understand how to support partners.
And I’m delighted to announce that the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will commission new research into the economic impact of birth trauma, including how this affects women returning to work.
That’s a really important idea and a really important commitment.
I know there is so much work to do to deliver on the detailed findings of this report and I, together with NHS England, fully support the APPG’s call to develop a comprehensive cross-government national strategy for maternal care.
I’m very grateful to the NHS for the progress that have been made so far on the three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, but I want to go further and a comprehensive national strategy will help us to keep driving that work forward while making sure everyone across government and the health service are crystal clear about what we need in maternity services to focus on.
And I also want to be clearer to mums and those looking after them, what their rights and expectations should be, so that everybody can be clear about the standard of care that mums deserve.
So watch this space.
Now in conclusion, this is the first time in the NHS’s 75-year history that I, as the Secretary of State, but also the Chief Executive of NHS England, are both mums.
We get it.
And for this, this is not just professional, it is personal.
Both Amanda and I take our responsibilities to all of you incredibly seriously and I have to say more soon on how I plan to make this area of our health system faster, simpler and fairer.
So I want to finish by thanking you, each and every one of you that has been involved in this report, for everything you have done to kickstart the national conversation about birth, trauma and how women should be listened to and their concerns acted upon.
And I really look forward to continuing this conversation with you in the months ahead.
