Schools should be the last place to be locked down in any future outbreaks, says commissioner
Schools should be the last places to be locked down if any local or national lockdown takes place, the children’s commissioner for England has warned.
Anne Longfield argues that if any lockdown takes place, schools should be the last places to be locked down, after pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops.
She says that given what it known [...]
Children’s commissioner tells ministers and unions to ‘stop squabbling’ over re-opening schools
The education secretary has said that the government’s plans to re-open schools on 1 June 2020 in a phased manner is based on science.
Gavin Williamson stood firm on schools in England reopening on June 1 and tried to reassurance parents saying that the government’s plans are based on the “best scientific advice with children at [...]
Children’s commissioner: Thousands of vulnerable children at risk in lockdown
Hundreds of thousands of children in England are living with a cocktail of secondary risks that Covid-19 may exacerbate, the children’s commissioner for England has warned.
Anne Longfield highlighted that thousands of children are experiencing a lack of food in the house, homelessness, sofa-surfing or living in cramped living conditions, neglect, domestic abuse, substance abuse and [...]
NSPCC raises concerns about new parents in lockdown
The number of adults who contacted the NSPCC helpline about parental mental health problems rose by 28% during the first three weeks of lockdown, the children’s charity has revealed.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 1 in 5 mums and 1 in 10 dads experienced perinatal mental health problems. But the uncertainty of the coronavirus [...]
Labour party leader calls for secondary legislation on children in care to be annulled
The leader of the Labour Party has called for the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 to be annulled.
Keir Starmer has tabled an early day motion urging the secondary legislation, which came into force on 24 April in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to be abolished.
The government published a statutory instrument [...]
Children’s commissioner calls for secondary legislation for children in care to be revoked
Measures set out in the secondary legislation on children in care should be revoked, the children’s commissioner for England has urged.
While acknowledging that some local authorities may be experiencing challenging working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anne Longfield said she does not believe that the changes made in these regulations are necessary.
“I would like to [...]
