Tag: letters

Letter: Increase in school violence is no surprise

Dear Editor

The annual survey from the EIS teaching union, highlighting the scale of violence in our schools, should come as no surprise.

Just under two-thirds of those teachers surveyed said there were daily incidents of pupil-on-teacher violence or aggression in their school, and these had significantly increased over the last four years. Many of these incidents are linked to pupils with additional support needs (ASN), with numbers more than doubling since 2012, and now amounting to more than a third of children, who are also experiencing an increasing complexity of need. These numbers have been exacerbated by the traumatic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost- of-living crisis, with us also facing a mental health emergency.

However, this is set against a background of acute under-resourcing to support their needs, with the number of specialist ASN teachers falling by 546 between 2012 and 2022 as just one example.

Additional funding is desperately needed to increase the support available to those with ASN, including specialist teachers, teaching assistants, mental health professionals and educational psychologists.

While we support the principle of mainstreaming, that all children be taught in mainstream classes unless exceptional circumstances apply, this has never been properly resourced. Those with ASN are therefore frequently being inadequately supported, which is also impacting on other pupils.

Violence against any member of school staff or another pupil is never acceptable, and it is critical that with the Scottish Budget being published next month, our schools are given the necessary resources to ensure that they are safe places in which to work and to learn.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Letters: World Pancreatic Cancer Day 2023

Dear Editor,

Each year in the UK around 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, devastating news that also affects many thousands more of their family members and friends. In this distressing time people are often unsure where to turn for support and are left feeling isolated.

Ahead of World Pancreatic Cancer Day on Thursday 16 November I want to reassure people that you are not alone. Pancreatic cancer UK’s Support Line specialist nurses, like myself and my colleagues, provide expert information and support for you. We are here to provide you and your family with practical steps and emotional support when you need it most.

I also need to ask people living with pancreatic cancer and their loved ones to help us as we research how our support services can reach even more people. We particularly want to hear from those who have never been in contact with the charity before to understand where we can make a difference.

There are two ways to contribute: either by taking a short survey or through a 1-1 interview.

Your views will be invaluable and help us continue to be there for thousands of families for years to come. To take part, please email: 

servicesreach@pancreaticcancer.org.uk

Anyone affected by pancreatic cancer can call our Specialist Nurses for support and information on our confidential, free Support Line on (Freecall: 0808 801 0707).

Thank you,

Dianne Dobson

Pancreatic Cancer UK Specialist Nurse, Pancreatic Cancer UK

4th Floor Westminster Tower

3 Albert Embankment

London SE1 7SP

Direct line: 07929 750 651

Pancreatic Cancer UK Support Line: Freephone 0808 801 0707

pancreaticcancer.org.uk

BHF addresses worrying increase in cardiology waiting times

Letter to editor

Waiting times for cardiology appointments in Scotland are at record levels and have more than doubled since before the Covid pandemic.

Between September 2016 and June 2023, the number of people waiting for an appointment rose from 10, 496 to 22,720. In the last year alone, the waiting list has grown by 6,000.

The British Heart Foundation is deeply concerned by these figures, not least because deaths from heart and circulatory diseases are also increasing in Scotland.

Last year, 18,073people (around 50 a day) died from heart and circulatory diseases – this is the highest number of deaths since 2008.

At the BHF we know that delays in the diagnosis and treatment of a heart condition can have devastating consequences.

As also understand the human impact behind these figures – the families dealing with grief and loss, worry and anxiety.

That’s why we are asking members of the public who have been impacted by cardiology waiting times to get in touch with us.

If you are willing to share your experience of waiting for a cardiology appointment in Scotland with the BHF please e-mail scotland@bhf.org.uk or call 0131 555 5891 to speak to our team.

David McColgan

Head of British Heart Foundation Scotland

Letter: Cats Protection Lifeline service

Dear Letters Editor,

We are pleased to share that the Cats Protection Lifeline service, previously known as Paws Protect, is expanding into further areas of the UK. Lifeline is a free and confidential fostering service that provides temporary loving homes to cats whose families are fleeing domestic abuse, reuniting them with their owner once they are safe.

Abusers will often use their partner or family member’s love for their cat as a tool to coerce and control. Our recent survey of over 400 professionals working with victim-survivors of domestic abuse showed that 78% encountered cases where cats had been physically abused and 39% had supported cases where a cat or kitten was killed by the abuser.

They have not only come across cases where cats were physically abused, but also spoke of cases where survivors of domestic abuse were unable to access essential veterinary care because an abuser had full control over their access to money.

The Cats Protection Lifeline service has provided confidential foster care for over 250 cats this year so far, enabling over 150 owners to get to safety, but we want to do more. It has expanded from the South East into Yorkshire, East Anglia and the Midlands, but we now need more volunteer cat fosterers in these areas to enable us to support even more cats and their owners.

The expansion of the service is supported by a generous three-year grant of £315,000 from the Pets Foundation, so we would like to thank everyone who shops at Pets at Home for making this possible.

Anyone wishing to find out more about Lifeline or interested in becoming a fosterer should visit  www.cats.org.uk/lifelineservice 

Yours faithfully

Amy Hyde

National Lifeline Manager, Cats Protection

Letters: Childline Support

Dear Editor,

Eating disorders and body image issues were the sixth most common concern brought up by children and young people in Scotland contacting Childline last year (April 2022 – March 2023), with 273 counselling sessions carried out on the issue.

Childline, the counselling service run by the NSPCC, has also revealed that 40 per cent of counselling sessions with children across the UK about these issues took place in the summer months (June to September).

There are number of factors that make the summer holiday a particularly tricky time for young people struggling with their body image or relationship with food.

For some, the prospect of wearing clothing which shows more of their body can make them feel under pressure to look a certain way, lose weight or change their appearance. 

This pressure can be reinforced by content they are exposed to online that makes them feel negatively about the way they way look.

At Childline, there is always someone to talk to. Our counsellors are there to listen and offer support and advice every day of the year on 0800 11111 or at www.childline.org.uk

Kind regards,

Lauren Burke

Childline Team Manager, Glasgow

Letter: Additional funding desperately needed to address ASN scandal

Dear Editor

Recent statistics highlighting a sharp increase in attacks on school staff, and the fact that almost all of these are linked to pupils with additional support needs (ASN), should come as no surprise to those like us who have been arguing for some time that this issue is quickly becoming a national scandal.

The number of children and young people with ASN has more than doubled since 2012, and now amounts to more than a third of pupils. This has been further exacerbated by increasing mental health problems, the Covid-19 pandemic and cost- of-living crisis.

However, this is set against a background of acute under-resourcing, with the number of specialist ASN teachers falling by 546 between 2012 and 2022 as just one example.

Additional funding is desperately needed to increase the numbers of specialist staff available to support those with ASN, as well as better support for teachers working with young people from a wide range of backgrounds.  We would also suggest that the Scottish Government expand school counselling provision to all primary and special schools.

Violence against any member of school staff or another pupil is never acceptable, and it is critical that local authorities and the Scottish Government take all possible action to ensure that our schools are safe places to work and to learn.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Letters: Look beyond the label to address skills shortages

Dear Editor

The news that more than seven in 10 Scottish businesses are struggling with skills shortages, but almost 40% don’t have programmes in place for under-represented groups, highlights the considerable opportunities being missed by Scotland’s employers (29th June 2023).

This Business Barometer Report, published by The Open University and British Chambers of Commerce, outlines the need for businesses to become better at hiring those from these groups, such as young people who are disabled or care experienced.

The rewards of getting these individuals into work are well worth it. They bring passion, skills, dedication and drive to the workplace. This also allows businesses to grow and fulfil their potential, delivering economic growth.

Employers are currently missing out on an immense untapped talent pool, and never has it been more important for businesses, the government and training providers to work together to address this.

We would urge Scotland’s employers to look beyond the label and take on an employee who may have an additional need, taking advantage of the excellent skills offered by many of these young people.

Yours faithfully 

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Letters: Every Moment Counts

Dear Editor,

Every Moment Counts

Did your readers know that deaf children often fall behind in their development, because they’re not getting the right support in their early years? It’s an especially critical time for deaf children, because of the impact their deafness can have on language development, communication and social skills. 

Without good communication skills learned early on, a deaf child could face lifelong challenges. For instance, when they start school they may come up against many barriers, like struggling to understand instructions in the classroom and conversations with their peers, all leading to feelings of isolation and a sense of ‘missing out’.

To make matters worse, Teachers of the Deaf, who provide specialist support and make such a difference to a deaf child’s life, are in decline in Scotland. Their numbers have fallen by 40% in a decade – twice that of other parts of the UK. It’s a scandal.

Here at the National Deaf Children’s Society, we’re determined to do something about it. That’s why we’ve just launched our new five-year plan, Every Moment Counts, which calls for more support, more quickly, for deaf children during those vital early years. We won’t rest until every deaf child receives the right support as early as possible.

For more information about Every Moment counts, visit:

www.ndcs.org.uk/everymomentcounts

The National Deaf Children’s Society supports the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and young people. For anyone needing advice, support or information about deafness, please call our free Helpline on 0808 800 8880 or visit our website, www.ndcs.org.uk

Debbie Talbot, 

Chief Strategy Officer, the National Deaf Children’s Society

Letters: Home Alone

Dear Editor,

Now that the long school holiday is on the horizon, many parents in Scotland will be sorting out extra childcare over the break.

At the NSPCC Helpline, we often receive calls asking about the appropriate age to allow children to stay home alone. Between work appointments and other family commitments it’s inevitable that some parents will have to deal with this situation.

It can be difficult to know what’s best to do and it’s natural for parents to worry. With this in mind I thought it would be a good opportunity to give some insight into when it is safe for your child to be home alone.

There is no legal age that a child can be left home alone but it’s against the law to leave a child alone if it puts them at risk. Every child matures differently so it would be almost impossible to have a ‘one size fits all’ law. A child who doesn’t feel comfortable should never be left home alone and, obviously, infants aged 0 to 3 should never be left, even for a few minutes. Also, we wouldn’t recommend leaving a child under 12 years old home alone, particularly for longer periods of time.

However, as children get older they may want more freedom and independence. This can present another tough decision for parents and carers, and one that will differ from child to child. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a plan in place, to help to build up their independence at a pace that is right for them.

It’s absolutely vital to talk to your child about how they feel about this situation and to ask if they are worried about anything when home alone. Regularly checking how they feel can pinpoint any concerns and will give you an idea of how to help or why they might not be ready. If they are happy to be home alone for a while, it’s always good to check in with them during that time to make sure they feel safe.

There is guidance and information at  https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/in-the-home/home-alone/ but the most important thing to remember is that a child who doesn’t feel comfortable should not be left alone.

Parents can contact our helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk for more advice.

Our Childline service is available too, and children can contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 0800 1111 or via a one-to-one chat on www.childline.org.uk 

Wishing you a safe and happy summer!

Yours sincerely,

Carla Malseed

Campaigns Manager, NSPCC Scotland

Letters: Pawsome Tea

This summer at Cats Protection we’re inviting cat lovers to hold a Pawsome Tea anytime, anywhere. Whether you choose to hold a casual coffee morning or a yummy bake sale at work, any funds raise will then be put towards our vital cat welfare work.

By taking part you’ll be truly ‘baking a difference’ for cats in need and you can choose whether to donate to your local branch or centre or to the charity as a whole.

With every pot of tea poured, biscuit dunked and cake cut you will help give our feline friends a chance at finding their furever home. A £10 donation could feed a cat in care for 50 days, while £50 would cover neutering a cat or kitten.

At Cats Protection we help an average of 157,000 cats and kittens a year through our national network which includes around 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres. Our vision is to help people see the world through cats’ eyes and your cat-themed tea will help us achieve that goal.

Anyone wishing to take part can sign up by visiting: 

catsprotection-pawsometea.blackbaud-sites.com 

where you will also find plenty of resources to make planning your event a piece of cake – from DIY bunting and invitations to recipe ideas and advertising posters. We can’t wait to have a cuppa with you!

Yours faithfully,  

Hannah Ashwell

Digital Community Fundraising Manager