This report evaluates wellbeing in children and young people, including statistics on the wellbeing of children and young people in England, wider indicators on their happiness with their relationships, self-reported health and experiences with school, and an in-depth analysis of psychological wellbeing in teenage girls.
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Royal College of Occupational Therapists report outlining the role that occupational therapists play in improving the lives of children and young people with physical, learning and mental health needs. It demonstrates, through a series of case studies, how occupational therapists help children and young people participate in the activities that they want or need to do at home, at school or work and during their free time. It also shows how occupational therapists are key to promoting collaboration between, health, social care, education and the voluntary sector.
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This document aims to provide local dental commissioning teams with a framework to support implementation of the Starting Well Core initiative. It includes guidance around how the initiative works, the payment mechanism, securing participating practices, training and resources, and communications and engagement.
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This report assesses how well children with special education needs and disabilities are being supported in schools in England. The report finds that the system for supporting children with SENDS is not financially sustainable and calls for the government to secure improvements in quality and sustainability which are needed to ensure value for money.
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This report shines a light on this homelessness crisis and shares the experiences of some of those children. Growing up in a stable, healthy and secure home is so important for any child. Yet we know there are thousands of children in England who are living in homeless families, stuck in poor quality temporary accommodation, often with low prospects of finding something permanent. There are many others who are at risk of ending up homeless.
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Over the past decade, successive governments have brought in a range of legislation, policies and programmes in an attempt to deliver on a vision of coordinated, person-centred care and better outcomes for children and young people with SEND. However, despite this visible drive towards integration, services for children with SEND remain fragmented. The reality of integrated working between different services and agencies, such as NHS and local authority services, children’s and adults’ services and specialist and universal services, is challenging. The report identifies key factors that are helping and hindering the integration of services around special education needs and disability (SEND). The report finds that:
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Integrated commissioning is where commissioners (those who plan, develop and purchase services) pool budgets across traditional boundaries, such as ‘health’ and ‘social care.’ The intention of this is to reduce duplication in service provision, where, typically, different bits of local government or the NHS fund or commission (purchase) similar things. This guide aims to explain it to parents and carers.
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Using the internet and social media is an important part of life for children and young people. It can be a positive opportunity to learn, to connect with friends and family and to have fun. However, internet use can also expose children to dangers, such as cyberbullying, online grooming and sexual abuse. At the same time, mental health conditions are on the rise with recent data showing that 1 in 8 children and young people between ages 5-19 in England have a mental health problem.
This report gained insight from 80 practitioners across more than 30 Barnardo’s services in the UK. It found:
• Half of these practitioners responding said they had worked with children aged five to 10 who had been exposed to unsuitable or harmful materials online, and more than one third said children in that age group had been victims of cyberbullying.
• When it comes to 11-15 year olds, 79% of practitioners responding said children they work with have experienced cyberbullying. Some practitioners highlighted that cyberbullying had led to self-harm and suicide.
• 78% of practitioners responding also said they had worked with children in this age group who had been groomed online and 78% also said they’d worked with children in this age group who had accessed unsuitable/harmful content.
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Children’s Commissioner, May 2019
This report finds that too many children are being admitted to secure hospitals unnecessarily – in some cases are spending months and years of their childhood in institutions rather than being treated in their communities. It warns that the current system of support for those with learning disabilities or autism is letting down some of the most vulnerable children in the country.
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The Children’s Society, May 2019
One in five 16 year olds experience five or more complex issues. Their age means these young people often fall between the cracks of children’s and adults’ services and are left without support. Many face further challenges as support drops off overnight after their eighteenth birthday, making the transition into independent adulthood difficult. This report outlines steps that government departments and other agencies should take to improve transitions for young people. It recommends that the government forms a cross-departmental taskforce to look into transition planning for older teenagers as they move into adulthood, to ensure the best outcomes for vulnerable young people.
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