Leap in children being home educated
There has been a rise of almost 40 per cent in the number of children being electively home educated, The Association of Directors of Children’s Services has revealed.
The annual survey of local authorities to look at rates of children being home schooled found that the most common reason cited by parents or carers for electing [...]
England needs to learn from Scotland and ban smacking
Scotland has become the first country in the UK to ban smacking – and should be applauded for leading the way.
The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019 removes the outdated defence of “reasonable chastisement” from the physical assault of children, giving them the same legal protections everyone else already has.
Wales has also introduced [...]
COVID-19 – The effects on survivors of abuse
Clare Jerrom speaks to Future Pathways Alliance Manager Flora Henderson about how COVID-19 has impacted on survivors of abuse in care.
The loneliness and isolation experienced by so many during lockdown have been amplified for many adults who experienced neglect or abuse in the care system. For some the restrictions of freedom have felt reminiscent of [...]
Children experiencing homeless slammed as ‘national scandal’
Over half of state school teachers have worked at a school with homeless children or children who have become homeless, the charity Shelter has revealed.
Most teachers have first-hand knowledge of the damage done by the housing emergency to education –– with it now commonplace to see children grappling with homelessness at school, an issue slammed [...]
Instagram increasingly used to groom children
Instagram is increasingly being used to groom children, the NSPCC has warned.
The photo and video sharing app was used in 37% of online grooming offences compared to 29% over the previous three years, the children’s charity has found.
NSPCC Chief Executive, Peter Wanless said: “Families have long paid the price for big tech’s failure to protect [...]
Foster places remain stable but demand increases
There is a struggle to find suitable accommodation for vulnerable young children due to little changes in capacity yet demand being at its highest, Ofsted has warned.
There has been little variation in the number of foster carers and places available, Ofsted’s annual fostering statistics show, which has caused the inspectorate to raise concerns about the [...]
