report – Page 17 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Kicked into the long grass?

Progress has been too slow, Committee warns football authorities

Legislation and external regulation may be the only way to protect the rights of children and young people involved in youth football, a Scottish Parliament Committee has warned.

In a report published today, the Public Petitions Committee welcomed measures introduced by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) since it first raised concerns about unfair contracts and the state of youth football.

However, the Committee has also warned that progress in many areas has been too slow and that systemic issues remain, with over ten years passing since the petition was first lodged in Parliament – making it the longest-running petition in The Scottish Parliament.

While developments such as Club Academy Scotland players now being able to play recreational football, the establishment of a young player wellbeing panel, and the publication of a ‘Child Wellbeing and Protection Strategy’, have demonstrated a commitment to addressing the concerns raised in the petition, the Committee is not satisfied changes have improved child welfare sufficiently.

“The Committee is therefore making a number of recommendations to footballing authorities and the Government.”. It then continues “This includes calling for an independent evaluation of the work which has been carried out, in order to ensure the wellbeing of young players are protected with the possibility of legislation as a last resort”.

Committee recommendations and conclusions include:

That players under the age of 16 should not be required to sign up to multi-year contracts, proposing to extend the one-year registration period for players aged 10-14 to include 15-year-olds;
That there should be an annual sampling of contracts to ensure that young players are being paid the minimum wage, however their club chooses to remunerate them;
That the Government works with the SFA and SPFL to fully evaluate the measures already introduced, as well as to investigate the recommended changes;
That it is incumbent on the Children and Young People’s Commissioner to maintain a clear focus on addressing the outstanding issues raised in this petition, as there appear to be breaches occurring in regard to young people’s human rights in football.

Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener Johann Lamont MSP, said: “There is a huge power imbalance between football clubs and the young people who aspire to play for them.

“Football is a passion for many young people and an offer to join a club’s youth set up may seem like a golden ticket. However, clubs trading in children’s dreams should not be hiding devils in the detail, such as contractual small print which too many young people and their parents or carers may overlook until it is too late.

“The Committee welcomes some of the measures introduced by the SFA since our consideration of this petition began, but this progress has been painfully slow. After 10 years, the Committee believes that time is up.

“A number of the issues in this petition are not simply about football, but the protection and welfare of our young people. Children under the age of 16 should not be expected to sign exploitative multi-year contracts, and young players should expect to be paid at least the minimum wage for their work.

“We are also concerned that the current Children and Young People’s Commissioner is not prioritising this petition in his office’s work, despite agreeing with his predecessor that issues remain unresolved.

“We believe that the Commissioner’s office still has a critical role to play in ensuring the rights of children involved in youth football are not overlooked.”

First lodged on 11^th March 2010, PE1319 ‘Improving youth football in Scotland’ has become the Parliament’s longest-running petition ever.

More info can be found online by clicking here.

Schools: Time For A Clean Slate, says Barnardo’s

Barnardo’s warns of missed opportunity if Government does not change education system when schools reopen

The Government could miss a once in a generation opportunity to put mental health and wellbeing at the heart of the education system if it does not make changes when schools reopen their gates.

This is the warning from Barnardo’s in its report Time for a Clean Slate: Children’s Mental Health at the Heart of Education, which is released today.

The UK’s largest children’s charity works in schools across the country supporting pupils with their emotional health and wellbeing and says the Government must realise it cannot make them return to the ‘business as usual’ from the pre-pandemic days.

This is because the Covid-19 outbreak, as well as side effects of the measures to contain it, have exposed the country’s children and young people to an unprecedented level of trauma, loss and adversity.

Some children, who were already extremely vulnerable will have been badly affected.

For example, children and young people living in lockdown or socially isolating in challenging and unsafe home environments may have lost their ‘safe space’ at school. Some children and young people will have experienced domestic abuse, poverty or child abuse for the first time.

Others will be grieving for loved ones, and we know the virus has disproportionately affected BAME communities.

Some children will be fearful of catching the virus and others will be experiencing separation anxiety.

As schools start to return, Barnardo’s says they should be allowed to use at least a term as a ‘readjustment period’ where they can be flexible with the curriculum, so they can work through the emotional effects of the pandemic.

This would enable teachers to help their pupils reintegrate into the school environment, re-socialise with their friends, and change the structure of the day so there is more of a focus on pastoral care, play, creative outlets and outdoor activities.

The call comes as the results of a survey, undertaken by Barnardo’s for the report, revealed 88% of school staff said the pandemic is likely to have an effect on the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils.

And 26% said they did not feel confident they had the tools, skills or resources to support their pupils in this way.

Barnardo’s would also like to see the Government act on the proposal by the chairman of the Education Select Committee, Robert Halfon, to introduce a catch up pupil premium for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils.

But this funding should not just be about ‘catching up’ academically and schools should be able to use it flexibly to support these pupils in a holistic way, including for support with mental health and wellbeing.

And the UK’s leading children’s charity is calling on the Government to go much further than this in the longer term.

It wants the Government to seize this opportunity to bring about a sea change in the education system – to prioritise child welfare and wellbeing, so that it is on a par with academic achievement.

With the current system weighing heavily on the side of academic performance, Barnardo’s is concerned that schools are finding it difficult to meet the needs of the most vulnerable pupils and to prioritise welfare and wellbeing.

This echoes the views of the school staff surveyed, with more than two thirds (67%) saying they want to see changes in the curriculum structure and exams process.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “When it comes to this pandemic, we are all in the same storm, but we are not in the same boat.

“We know children who were already vulnerable before the crisis have been badly affected, and with families now under increasing financial and emotional pressure, more children are now living in poverty and at risk of abuse. Many more are struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, now largely hidden from the view of teachers and professionals.

“When children return to school, there must be additional resource available to help overcome not just the ‘attainment gap’ but also the ‘trauma gap’ faced by vulnerable pupils.

“The Government should also take this once in a generation opportunity to rebalance the school system, recognising that children rely on school to keep them safe and well, just as much as they need it to pass exams.

“We urge the Government to work with schools, local authorities, the NHS and charities to place wellbeing at the heart of the curriculum and school culture, so that every child has the support they need to thrive.”

Time for a Clean Slate Mental Health at the Heart of Education – Barnardo’s

State of Child Health – it’s not good

The RCPCH has today published State of Child Health 2020, the largest ever compilation of data on the health of babies, children and young people across all four UK nations.

The report shows that for many measures of children’s health and wellbeing, progress has stalled, or is in reverse – something rarely seen in high income countries.

Visit the State of Child Heath website

Across most indicators, health outcomes are worse for children who live in deprived areas. Inequalities in some outcomes have widened since the last State of Child Health report in 2017. Progress has also been seriously affected by deep cuts to local authority budgets – used to finance public health initiatives and community services.

The authors highlight that, even where there have been notable improvements in children’s health, the UK is often lagging far behind other countries. For example, although there has been a fall in the number of emergency asthma admission rates across all four nations, the UK still has one of the highest mortality rates in Europe for children and young people with asthma.

Dr Ronny Cheung, Clinical Lead for RCPCH and co-author of the report, said: “Two weeks ago, the Marmot Review presented a stark picture about life expectancy in England. Now, our own report shows troubling signs for children and young people across the UK.

“The harsh reality is that, in terms of health and wellbeing, children born in the UK are often worse off than those born in other comparably wealthy countries. This is especially true if the child is from a less well-off background.

“Infant mortality is a globally-recognised sign of how well a country is looking after the health of its citizens. Throughout the world, the number of babies dying in their first year has been steadily falling for decades, as incomes rise and mothers and children receive better healthcare.

“Yet UK infant mortality rates have stalled, and in England they actually got worse between 2016 and 2017. For a high-income nation such as ours that should be a major wake up call.”

State of Child Health 2020 brings together 28 measures of health outcomes, ranging from specific conditions – such as asthma, epilepsy, and mental health problems – to risk factors for poor health such as poverty, low rates of breastfeeding, and obesity.

Community paediatrician and co-author Dr Rakhee Shah, said: “Investment in preventative health services must now be prioritised by the new UK Government.

“England has seen a huge decline in spending on local services and I see the results of that every day of my working life especially for my most disadvantaged patients. The cuts to services also have an impact on our NHS – people have fewer places to go to get advice, support, and stay well.”

The authors make a number of policy recommendations for each nation. These include:

Introduce a cross-departmental National Child Health and Wellbeing Strategy to address and monitor child poverty and health inequalities.
Restore £1 billion of real-terms cuts to the public health grant for Local Authorities.
Ensure future investment in public health provision increases at the same rate as NHS funding and is allocated based on population health needs.
Implement in full commitments from the prevention green paper, Advancing our health: Prevention in the 2020s.
Implement commitments to provide a Youth Investment Fund, with protection of the committed £500m funding.
Provide health-based support for children throughout education, including funding for increased numbers of school nurses and school counsellors.
Provide renewed investment in services for children and families, which support the child’s school readiness.
Ensure that health visiting services are protected, supported and expanded with clear and secure funding.

President of the RCPCH, Professor Russell Viner, said: “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us if we’re to get a grip on the state of child health in the UK. This report is the only one of its kind to zoom out and look at the full picture and it’s not a pretty sight. On many vital measures we risk lagging behind other European countries.

“There some positive signs – teenage pregnancies have fallen hugely, Scotland is leading the way on reducing youth violence, and we’ve made huge strides in the treatment of conditions like diabetes. These outcomes are invariably the result of good policy, political commitment, and proper funding.

“In many areas of healthcare, we’ve led the rest of the world. But we’re in danger of failing a generation if we don’t turn this situation around. The government has made welcome commitments on childhood obesity and young people’s mental health but we need to see delivery in these and other areas.

“We have the evidence, the experience and the expertise to make real progress in the life of this government. It’s now time to deliver for children and young people.”

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Infant mortality

The UK is fifth from bottom among 27 European countries for infant (under one year of age) mortality. Infant mortality in England stalled between 2013 and 2018 at 3.9 per 1,000 livebirths, with a slight rise in 2017 to 4.0.
In England and Wales infant mortality is more than twice as high in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas.

Healthy weight

The prevalence of children aged 4-5 who are overweight or obese has not improved significantly in any of the four countries since 2006-7.
Trends among 4-5 year olds are stable across the UK with around 25% of children overweight but this increases to around 34% for 10-11 year olds in England.
Childhood obesity is more prevalent in deprived areas. In England, the prevalence of severe obesity among 4-5 year olds was almost four times as high in the most deprived areas (3.8%) than the least deprived areas (1.0%) in 2017/18.

Child poverty (new indicator)

A total of 4.1 million children live in relative poverty in the UK (after considering housing costs) – an increase of 500,000 between 2011-12 and 2016-17. From 2016/17 to 2017/18, the numbers in England rose from 30% to 31% of children and in Wales from 28% to 29%
Child poverty in Scotland plateaued at 24% and in NI decreased from 26% to 24%.
Across the UK, rates of child poverty have increased for all types of working family. Lone parents working part time and households with only one working parent have seen the sharpest increases in poverty over the last three years.
Nearly half of children (47%) in working lone parent families live in poverty.

Immunisations

In 2018, all four UK nations fell short of the 95% WHO target for the second dose of MMR.
In 2018, the uptake rates of two doses of MMR vaccine at 5 years ranged from 86.4% in England, 91.2% in Scotland to 91.8% in Northern Ireland and 92.2% in Wales.

Youth violence (new indicator)

While rates of physical violence among young people are broadly similar across the four nations, England is the only country in which rates are increasing – most notably for 20-24 year olds. Between 2012 and 2017, the rate of physical violence among that age group increased from 297.7 to 315.49 per 100,000.
In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, physical violence among young people aged 10-24 shows an overall downward or stable trend from 2012-2017.

Long term conditions

Emergency admission rates for asthma have fallen since 2003/4 across the UK. However, the UK has among the highest mortality rates in Europe for children and young people with the underlying cause of asthma.
Epilepsy had until recently seen similar falling rates of emergency admissions. However, in 2017/18 rates rose slightly in England, Wales and Scotland. In Scotland, children with epilepsy from the most deprived areas were twice as likely to have an emergency admission to hospital than those from the least deprived.
There has been continued improvement in blood glucose control among children and young people with Type 1 diabetes across all four nations, and it is encouraging that there have been increases in the completion of key health checks for those with diabetes.

2020 indicators

Mortality – Infant mortality; Child mortality (1-9 years); Young people’s mortality (10-19 years)
Maternal and perinatal health – Smoking during pregnancy; Breastfeeding
Prevention of ill health – Immunisations / vaccinations; Healthy weight; Oral health
Injury prevention – Accidental injury; Road traffic accidents; Youth violence (new indicator)
Healthy behaviours – Smoking in young people; Alcohol and drug use in young people; Conceptions in young people
Mental health – Prevalence of mental health (new indicator); Mental health services (new indicator); Suicide
Family and social environment – Child poverty; Education – not in education, employment or training (NEET) (new indicator); Young carers (new indicator); Children in the child protection system; Looked After Children (new indicator)
Long term conditions – Asthma; Epilepsy; Diabetes; Cancer; Disability and additional learning needs
Workforce – Child health workforce (new indicator)

SOCH-SCOTLAND2-03.03.20

New report exposes race inequality in the workforce

Millennials from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are 47% more likely to be on a zero-hours contract, and have 10% greater odds of working a second job, compared to their White peers, according to a new report from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Carnegie UK Trust, and Operation Black Vote.

BAME millennials are also 5% more likely to be doing shift work, and are 4% less likely to have a permanent contract than White workers.

At the report’s launch in Parliament on Monday 2 March, the authors will call on the Government, mental health services and employers to take action to tackle racial inequalities in access to good work.

The research draws on information from a nationally-representative group of more than 7,700 people living in England who were born in 1989-90 and are being followed by a study called Next Steps.

The researchers, led by Dr Morag Henderson (UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies), compared the employment status of 25-year-olds from different ethnic backgrounds – White, Mixed-race, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean, Black African, and other minority ethnicities. They also examined the mental health of people in different types of employment.

Although BAME workers on the whole had more trouble finding stable employment than their White counterparts, experiences in the job market varied for different ethnic groups.

For instance, Pakistani millennials were more likely to be on a zero-hours contract or be working shifts, and less likely to have a permanent job than their White peers. However, Indian and Black Caribbean workers were no more likely than their White counterparts to be in these types of employment.

Black African 25-year-olds had lower odds of being in a permanent role and were more likely to be doing shift work than White workers of the same age. But Mixed-race, Indian and Black Caribbean millennials had similar chances of being in these types of jobs. Only Black Caribbean 25-year-olds were more likely than their White peers to be working a second job.

The findings held even when other factors that could affect labour market success were taken into account, including gender, family background and educational attainment.

The research also showed that, on the whole, millennials from BAME backgrounds were 58% more likely to be unemployed than their White counterparts. But again, experiences differed for each ethnic group. Although 25-year-olds from Pakistani, Black African, and Mixed-race backgrounds were more likely to be unemployed than their White peers, Indian, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean adults were no more likely to be out of work.

However, even though ethnic minority groups faced more challenges in the labour market, the overwhelming majority of millennials were in permanent employment at age 25. Indian and White workers (89%) were the most likely to be in a stable role, followed by Mixed-race (87%), Black Caribbean (86%), Bangladeshi (85%), Pakistani (84%), Black African (81%) and other ethnicities (80%).

Unfavourable employment status was also found to be linked to mental ill health. While the greatest disparities were between those who were unemployed and those who were working, millennials in unstable employment also suffered poorer mental health than those not working under these conditions.

The connection between employment status and mental health at age 25 held even when the researchers considered whether the participants had mental health problems in their teenage years.

Lord Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote said: “This report must be a serious wake up call for the Government, industry and our mental health practitioners.

“The race penalty in the work space is further exacerbated by mental health issues. It’s a double hit if you’re from a BAME community. We can, however, turn this around, but we need collective leadership.”

Douglas White from Carnegie UK Trust said: “Good work can have a really positive impact on people’s wellbeing – but we need to tackle the inequalities in who has access to good quality jobs.

“This report highlights that young people from BAME communities are particularly likely to enter into precarious forms of work. We need policy and practice to recognise and respond to this to ensure that good work is available to all.”

Dr Morag Henderson, of the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, said: “Our findings suggest that broad brush policies to improve employment conditions for BAME groups are unlikely to work for everyone.

“We need to better understand what’s driving the particular challenges different ethnic minorities are facing in the job market.”

Responding to the report, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE said: “These new research findings paint a familiar pattern that I discussed in my Government Review ‘Race in the workplace: persistent race penalties at the lower pay scale’.

A key solution we recommended, and which remains valid, is the introduction of ethnic minority pay reporting. Until organisations publish data and put plans in place to reduce pay gaps, nothing fundamentally changes. It is time for action rather than words.”

The report outlines 13 recommendations for action, including:

Racial inequality, including the ethnicity pay gap, need to be better addressed in Government efforts to improve access to good work.
Employers should carry out internal audits of race disparity, in consultation with their employees and with support from trade unions and race equality bodies.
Developing guidance for mental health services on how to improve access for ethnic minority groups is an urgent priority.

Race-Inequality-in-the-Workforce-Final

A Tale of a Divided Britain

New polling for the UPP Foundation sheds light on the public’s domestic priorities following the election
People who live in Scotland among the most positive about their local area
Access to NHS, cost of housing, and declining high streets are seen as the biggest challenges
People are positive about the role universities can play in their area, but awareness is limited, and almost a third of people in Scotland have never visited their local university
By over a 4.1 ratio, people from Scotland would prefer that graduates return to their local area after graduation – by far the most in the UK

New polling for the UPP Foundation, the registered charity founded by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), carried out by Public First, shows a stark divide between the various communities in Britain as to how they feel their local areas have fared over their time living there.

At a time when much political attention is being given to how to ‘level up’ areas of the country that have fared less well in recent years, the polling shows a great divide between how different parts of their country see their everyday lives.

A divided Britain – and the view from Scotland

There are sharp differences in how people view their community by the type of area they live in, by their age, and by their financial circumstances.

Across Britain, while 30% of people who live in cities say that their local area has improved (39% the same, 25% worse), this figure decreases to 22% of those who live in large towns, and only 17% for those who live in small towns – almost half of the figure for those who live in cities.
Across Britain, younger people are the most positive. 31% of those aged 18-24 believe their local area has improved (38% think it is the same, 21% has got worse), but only 26% of 35-44 year olds, and 14% of 55-64 year olds – fewer than half as many seeing improvement as the 18-24s.
Scottish residents are among the more positive, with 25% of residents thinking their area has improved during the time they have been living there – and only 18% say it has got worse. (Nationally, respondents in London, Scotland, and Wales are most likely to feel that their local areas had improved in recent years, and those in the East of England, East Midlands, and the South East are the most likely to believe there has been decline.

Priorities for improving their local area

With the new government making bold statements about regional infrastructure, transport links such as HS2, and relocating major civic institutions such as the House of Lords to ‘level up’ across the country, this polling also sheds light on the public’s real priorities for improvement in their area.

When asked about their various priorities for improving their local area, people across Scotland thought that:

56% of people thought that high streets in decline was one of the most important issues in Scotland – the second highest in the UK after the North East
44% of voters stated that access to local NHS services was a key priority
48% said the cost of housing was one of the most important issues

These are going to be important issues to many voters – and their new MPs – in the coming years.

Effectiveness of civic institutions in improving local areas

Although voters across Scotland are familiar with the local civic and other institutions active in their local area, they have typically low levels of satisfaction with how well they are performing to improve a local area.

Local MPs / MSPs – 22% of respondents think they’re doing a good job for their local area
Local government / council – 21%
Local businesses – 30%
Local cultural institutions (museums, galleries etc) – 39%
Local universities – 44%
Local sports clubs and teams – 34%
Local hospitals – 37%
Local charities – 37%

The role of universities in improving local areas

Universities have been increasingly focussed on the role they can play in their local area in recent years. Despite the expansion of higher education, the public’s overall awareness of the 19 universities across Scotland – who between them educate over 240,000 undergraduates a year is relatively low, but people are optimistic about their potential.

Almost a third of people (31%) have never visited their local university in Scotland
44% of people in Scotland think that the universities are doing a good job to improve the local area
65% of respondents in Scotland want universities to play a greater role in their local economy, and 53% of the public agree that universities can and should be involved in the delivery of government services in a local area.

One of the issues often raised in policy debates is whether it is better that graduates return to their home communities after studying, or whether it is better if they migrate to the UK’s larger cities. This research shows that by an over a 4:1 majority – 50% to 12% – people in Scotland would prefer graduates to return to their local area after studying.

The polling was conducted as part of a project looking at the role of universities, as part of their civic responsibilities, to help address the government’s levelling-up agenda. A final report will be published in the Spring.

Richard Brabner, Director of UPP Foundation said: “Our post-election polling points to a divided Britain and underlines the need for the government to double down on its focus on towns to help ‘level up the country’. But although Scotland has its own government for many areas, the Westminster Parliament and Scottish MPs, and MSPs, will need to think about how to improve Scotland as well as other areas in Britain.

“Organisations embedded in their communities will be key to revitalising areas across Scotland. Local institutions and civil society should be supported by government to deliver this agenda.

“Taking the higher education sector as an example, it is clear that there’s a real appetite amongst universities to support ‘left behind’ places in their regions, and the public is extremely positive about the role universities could play too.

“However, with a third of people having never visited their local university in Scotland, there is much for our sector to do to engage all parts of our society.

“To grow trust and support, universities should be particularly focussed on demonstrating their public value to areas which do not benefit from having a university on their doorstep.”

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UPP_Excel_Regional (2)

Parents more concerned about their children online

More parents than ever feel children’s online use now carries more risks than benefits, according to Ofcom’s latest research into children’s media and online lives.

Ofcom’s Children’s Media Use and Attitudes report 2019 is based on around 3,500 interviews with children and parents. Children’s Media Lives is a qualitative report looking at how children aged eight to 18 think about and use digital media.

Parents and carers are becoming more likely to trust their children with greater digital independence at a younger age. But far fewer believe the benefits of their child being online outweigh the risks than five years ago. And around two million parents now feel the internet does their children more harm than good.

This comes as children are now more likely to see hateful content online. Half of 12-15s who go online had seen hateful content in the last year, up from a third in 2016.

Parents are increasingly concerned about their child seeing something online which might encourage them to harm themselves. Similarly, two gaming-related problems are increasingly concerning parents: the pressure on their child to make in-game purchases of things like ‘loot boxes’, a virtual item containing rewards; and the possibility of their child being bullied via online games.

However, parents are now more likely than in 2018 to speak to their children about staying safe online, and are nearly twice as likely to go online themselves for support and information about keeping their children safe.

Influencers, online activism and girl gamers

Looking at what today’s children are doing online, Ofcom uncovered three big trends over the past year.

The ‘Greta effect’. There is increased online social activism among children. Almost a fifth of 12-15s use social media to express support for causes and organisations by sharing or commenting on posts. One in 10 signed petitions on social media.
Rise of the ‘vlogger next door’. While high-profile YouTube stars remain popular, children are now increasingly drawn to so-called ‘micro’ or ‘nano’ influencers. These often have fewer followers, but might be local to a child’s area or share a niche interest.
Girl gamers on the increase. Almost half of girls aged five to 15 now play games online – up from 39% in 2018. The proportion of boy gamers is unchanged at 71%, but boys spend twice as long playing online each week as girls.

Social Media use more fragmented

Older children are using a wider range of social media platforms than ever before. WhatsApp in particular has grown in popularity among 12-15 year-olds since last year, despite having a minimum age limit of 16.

WhatsApp is now used by almost two thirds of older children – up from 43% in 2018. For the first time, it rivals Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram as one of the top social media platforms for older children.

Newer platforms are also becoming more popular. Around one in seven older children use TikTok, which enables users to create and upload lip-sync, comedy and talent videos, while one in 20 older children uses Twitch, a live streaming platform for gamers.

Children’s viewing habits are changing radically too. Almost twice as many children watch streaming content than they did five years ago.

In 2019, fewer children watched traditional broadcast TV than streaming content, with a quarter not watching it at all.

But YouTube is as popular as ever, remaining children’s firm favourite for video ahead of Netflix, Amazon Prime, the BBC and ITV.

The age of digital independence

When it comes to going online, children are most likely to use a tablet but mobiles are becoming increasingly popular and children are now as likely to use a mobile as they are a laptop.

This move to mobile is being driven by older children, for whom 10 is becoming the age of digital independence. Between age nine and 10, the proportion of children who own a smartphone doubles to 50% – giving them greater digital freedom as they prepare to move to secondary school. By the time they are 15, almost all children have one.

“Today’s children have never known life without the internet, but two million parents now feel the internet causes them more harm than good, said Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s Strategy and Research Group Director.

“So it’s encouraging that parents, carers and teachers are now having more conversations than ever before with children about online safety. Education and stronger regulation will also help children to embrace their digital independence, while protecting them from the risks”.

children-media-use-attitudes-2019-report

Inside Story: Report raises health concern over home air pollution

There is growing evidence that respiratory problems among children may be exacerbated by indoor air pollution in homes, schools and nurseries, according to a joint report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Royal College of Physicians.

The report, informed by a RCPCH commissioned systematic review of 221 studies, presents evidence linking indoor air pollution to a range of childhood health problems including asthma, wheezing, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and eczema.

Sources of indoor air pollution include smoking, damp, the burning of fossil fuels and wood, dust, chemicals from building materials and furnishings, aerosol sprays, and cleaning products.

The authors warn that indoor air quality tends to be poorer in low quality housing where ventilation may be inadequate or insufficient.

The report recommends that local authorities should have the power to require improvements where air quality fails to meet minimum standards in local authority schools and houses. This should be extended, according to the authors, beyond damp and mould (where powers already exist) to include other pollutants.

The report recommends:

Legally binding performance standards for indoor air quality to include ventilation rates, maximum concentration levels for specific pollutants, labelling of materials, and testing of appliances
Air quality tests when local authority construction is complete and before the building is signed off
Compliance tests after construction stages and assessment of buildings once occupied – this may require ring-fenced resources for local authorities to take enforcement action

The report recommends local authorities should follow the NICE guidelines for ‘Indoor air quality at home’. It warns “exposure to indoor air pollution from cookers, damp, cleaning products and fires can irritate the lungs and exacerbate asthma symptoms.”

It encourages people to ensure rooms are well ventilated by opening windows or using extractor fans, especially when cooking, drying clothes inside, or using sprays, solvents, and paints.

Professor Jonathan Grigg, Paediatric Respiratory Consultant from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said: “We’re finally paying attention to the quality of our outdoor air and this is long overdue.

“It’s harder to get population level data on the quality of indoor air but the evidence in this report paints a worrying picture. Children in the UK spend most of their time indoors, with just 68 minutes spent outside on an average day. Too many of our homes and schools are damp and poorly ventilated – this is adversely affecting the health of children.”

The report says local authorities should provide free indoor air testing for residents. It recommends a national fund to support improvements for low income residents who report issues with ventilation and air quality.

Professor Stephen Holgate, Special Advisor for the Royal College of Physicians said: “Poorer households have fewer choices about where to live and where to go to school. More than three million families live in poor quality housing in the UK.

“Most will not have enough money to make improvements and have no option but to make do with damp, under-ventilated environments. We need to offer support at local authority level – likewise with schools. If we ask our children to spend their childhood days in unhealthy spaces, then we’re storing up problems for future health.”

The report ‘The Inside Story: Health effects of indoor air quality on children and young people’ makes further recommendations:

A cross-governmental committee to co-ordinate working in health, environment, education and homes for indoor air quality
Advice for the public about the risks of, and how to prevent, poor indoor air quality
Investment in high quality research and evidence to support decision making.

The Inside Story: Health effects of indoor air quality on children and young people is jointly published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

It is funded by Allergy UK, Airtopia, Asthma UK, British Heart Foundation, British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Dyson, and the Greater London Authority.

Systemic change needed to address disadvantage in STEM subjects, says Holyrood committee

Disadvantages as a result of deprivation, gender and rurality need to be addressed to improve learning experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to a new Holyrood committee report. Continue reading Systemic change needed to address disadvantage in STEM subjects, says Holyrood committee

State of Hunger: new report reveals desperate struggle to survive

Commissioned by the Trussell Trust and conducted by Heriot-Watt University, State of Hunger 2019 is the most authoritative piece of independent research into hunger in the UK to date. It reveals the average weekly income of people at food banks is only £50 after paying rent, and almost one in five have no money coming in at all in the month before being referred for emergency food.

94% of people at food banks are destitute
Almost three-quarters of people at food banks live in households affected by ill-health or disability
22% of people at food banks are single parents – compared to 5% in the UK population
More than three-quarters of people referred to food banks were in arrears

The first annual report of a three-year long research project, it shows definitively for the first time the three drivers hitting people simultaneously and leaving no protection from hunger and poverty. These drivers are problems with the benefits system, ill health and challenging life experiences, and a lack of local support.

The most common source of income for people at food banks is the benefits system. Problems with benefits are widespread, affecting two-thirds of people at food banks in the last year. Key benefits problems highlighted by the research are: a reduction in the value of benefit payments, being turned down for disability benefits, being sanctioned, and delays in payments like the five week wait for Universal Credit.

Statistical modelling shows the positive impact an increase in the value of benefits could have, estimating that a £1 increase in the weekly value of main benefits could lead to 84 fewer food parcels a year in a typical local authority.

The majority of people referred to food banks also experienced a challenging life event, such as an eviction or household breakdown, in the year prior to using the food bank. Such events may increase living costs and make it harder to maintain paid work or to successfully claim benefits.

Particular groups of people are more likely to need a food bank. One risk factor is being a single mother – 22% of people at food banks are single parents, the majority of which are women.

Almost three-quarters of people at food banks have a health issue, or live with someone who does. More than half of people at food banks live in households affected by a mental health problem, with anxiety and depression the most common.

A quarter of people live in households where someone has a long-term physical condition; one in six has a physical disability; and one in 10 has a learning disability, or live with someone who does. Ill health often increases living costs and may be a barrier to doing paid work.

Amanda explained to researchers that £130 of her £138 fortnightly benefit payment for a health condition goes to paying arrears, leaving her with only £8:

“If I don’t pay my bills, then I’ll get the house taken off me. After paying arrears, I’ve got £8 a fortnight and that’s to pay for gas, electric, water. So it’s just impossible, it really is. I go to bed at night wishing I never wake up in the morning.”

The study also found that the vast majority of people at food banks have either exhausted support from family or friends, were socially isolated, or had family and friends who were not in a financial position to help.

Chief Executive Emma Revie said: “People are being locked into extreme poverty and pushed to the doors of food banks. Hunger in the UK isn’t about food – it’s about people not having enough money. People are trying to get by on £50 a week and that’s just not enough for the essentials, let alone a decent standard of living.

“Any of us could be hit by a health issue or job loss – the difference is what happens when that hits. We created a benefits system because we’re a country that believes in making sure financial support is there for each other if it’s needed. The question that naturally arises, then, is why the incomes of people at food banks are so low, despite being supported by that benefits system?

“Many of us are being left without enough money to cover the most basic costs. We cannot let this continue in our country. This can change – our benefits system could be the key to unlocking people from poverty if our government steps up and makes the changes needed. How we treat each other when life is hard speaks volumes about us as a nation. We can do better than this.”

The Trussell Trust is calling for three key changes as a priority to protect people from hunger:

As an urgent priority, end the five week wait for Universal Credit
Benefit payments must cover the true cost of living
Funding for councils to provide local crisis support should be ring-fenced and increased

State-of-Hunger-Report-November2019-Digital

Scots are using less water due to fears for the environment

The majority of Scots are reducing how much water they use at home amid environmental concerns, according to new research by Water Plus.

More than half (56%) of Scots say they’re using less water at home than they did 12 months ago
Two-thirds (67%) cite environmental concerns as their main motivation for cutting back
But just two in five (39%) have done similar at work, with water-efficiency bottom of organisations’ sustainability priorities across both the public sector and the private sector, according to employees.

The majority of Scots (56%) have reduced the amount of water they consume at home over the last 12 months, according to research commissioned by the UK’s largest business and public sector water retailer, Water Plus.

The research, published in a new report, surveyed 500 people employed in the private and public sector across Scotland on their attitudes towards water use both at home and at work. Notably, of those who said they had reduced their domestic water use, more than two-thirds (67%) were most motivated to do so because of their concerns about the environment. That’s in comparison to just one in 10 (15%) who have done so primarily to reduce their bills.

But while Scots are increasingly doing things like showering instead of bathing and only using washing machines and dishwashers when full to reduce the amount of water they use at home, more could be done in Scottish workplaces, workers say.

Surveying workers from across the public and private sectors, the study found just two in five (39%) people had acted to reduce their water use at work in the last 12 months, with almost two-thirds (64%) suggesting that their employer could do more to encourage them to be more water-efficient – including highlighting information on water-saving targets and progress towards those.

Water not a priority

According to the research, water is the resource both public sector and private sector organisations are least likely to promote among workers as a way of reducing their environmental impact, behind resources including paper, plastic, glass, energy and food. The findings have been released to provide unique and up-to-date insight for those managing utilities for public bodies to consider their water management further and the opportunity to lower running costs.

Despite water-efficiency being a low priority in the workplace, some Scots are bucking the trend, with a quarter of workers (24%) taking more care of water use at work than at home. Almost three quarters (70%) of those taking more care at work said the main reason they do so is because their employer encourages them to act more sustainably.

Andy Hughes, chief executive of Water Plus, said: “The findings paint a picture of the Scottish public becoming increasingly in tune with its environmental responsibilities, but not acting with the same sustainable vigour at work as it does at home.

“While we’re seeing a clear trend in people becoming more conscious about how much water they use, the research highlights the significant potential for employers in the public and private sectors to introduce new initiatives to cut consumption at work that could not only reduce bills but also enable them to become more environmentally sustainable. This is not about suggesting workers are wasteful in their water use at work but increasing awareness and encouraging them to take a responsible approach wherever they are.”

The regional outlook

In Scotland’s most heavily populated cities, including Glasgow (60%) and Edinburgh (52%), over half of those questioned have reduced their water consumption at home in the past year. By comparison, three-quarters (75%) of those surveyed in England have reduced their domestic consumption, with Manchester (90%) and Nottingham (89%) proving the most increasingly water-efficient cities.

Andy Hughes added: “As the ‘Blue Planet effect’ continues to influence people’s decision-making in the home, there’s an opportunity for businesses to inspire behaviour change that not only lowers their costs but also contributes to their corporate social responsibility goals.

“It’s evident when looking at issues such as plastic and paper use that there is a direct correlation between those who are encouraged to reduce their environmental impact and those who act – and this can be applied across the board, including for water.”

Water Plus’s new report Flowing in the Right Direction is available to download for free.