2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy: "Workforce: The Young Voice" Report Summary
11 December 2008
This paper gives an overview of the views of children and young people about the children's workforce.
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2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy: Report of Children's Workforce Practitioners Workshops
11 December 2008
This report covers workshops examining the attitudes, behaviours, knowledge and skills of individual members of the workforce, and the ways in which people with different professional backgrounds work together.
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2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy: The evidence base
11 December 2008
This paper sets out the key points highlighted from the gathered evidence by the Children's Workforce Expert Group.
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2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy: Evidence and Knowledge Management
11 December 2008
This paper has proposals for an approach to knowledge gathering and management which will best inform the implementation of a strategic programme of effective workforce reform.
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Launch of Children England
2 December 2008
The National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations (NCVCCO) has relaunched as Children England, with a new strapline "Charities working for children and families", a new logo and a new website.
Brown is urged to launch wide inquiry after Baby P case
1 December 2008
A coalition of politicians, child experts and family organisations, including the Academy, has called on the prime minister to launch a long-term, cross-party inquiry into how to stop children growing up to become abusive parents.
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Charity's Baby P 'yob' remark causes anger
27 November 2008
A speech by Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnardo's, on the impact of abuse and neglect on young children, has drawn criticism from MPs and other children's charities for its provocative language.
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LGA Chairman gives keynote speech on child protection
26 November 2008
The Local Government Association (LGA) publishes details of a speech by their Chairman, Cllr Margaret Eaton, warning that irreparable, long-term damage may be done to child protection services following the Baby P case.
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How the government turns parents into Frodo Baggins
24 November 2008
Times Online's Alpha Mummy blog looks at how the "government needs to get over its family-related control-freakery". The blog raises concerns that too much pressure is being put on parents.
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Baby P sparks training rethink
20 November 2008
Children & Young People Now reveals plans by the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust to review their professionals' training.
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Swedish study reconfirms the predicament of poor lone mothers
18 November 2008
Prevention Action highlights Swedish research that suggests single, poorly-educated mothers on long-term social assistance should have more access to evidence based prevention programmes.
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Three studies published on early years practice
17 November 2008
Three scoping reports have been published by the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services (C4EO), focused on what works in early years practice.
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Young mothers' depression risk
13 November 2008
BBC News highlights research results from the South London Child Development Study, showing young mothers are more likely to suffer from depression.
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To protect children we must first protect social workers
13 November 2008
A comment in The Guardian stresses the importance of supporting and training social workers who work with families in child protection cases.
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Early intervention pays off in Cambridge
12 November 2008
A project manager at the Youth Inclusion and Support Panel, YMCA in Cambridge, shares her experiences.
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NSPCC statement on the death of Baby P
12 November 2008
A media statement by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) calls for more investment in professional training of staff working with children and families at risk.
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Dads' Space launches 1-2-1 'Virtual Child Contact Centre'
11 November 2008
Dads' Space 1-2-1 is a unique 'Virtual Contact Centre' designed specifically for fathers who have been separated from their children.
Sure Start shown to improve outcomes for children
7 November 2008
An evaluation by Birkbeck University shows that children in Sure Start areas are doing better than children elsewhere.
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Challenging practitioners' attitudes towards young mothers
7 November 2008
A project by Coventry University highlights the hostile attitudes teenage mothers encounter from support services.
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School, childcare and nursery finder
4 November 2008
DirectGov have launched a website with a "Schools Finder online tool" giving details of schools which provide extended services by area.
Support for teenage mums goes mobile
23 October 2008
This article published in Prevention Action highlights research into using mobile phones to support teenage mothers.
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Families with different level of need can be grouped together, finds study
22 October 2008
A new Action for Children report evaluates four family support project and the impact of integrating families with different needs on perceptions of stigma.
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'Family Voice' - what families really say
20 October 2008
Family and Parenting Institute have launched Family Voice, an initiative to highlight the views of families to policy makers, politicians and the media.
UK Agony Aunt rally behind Kids in the Middle
20 October 2008
A new report on supporting separated families proposes ten pilots to develop and test cost-effective ways of reaching and supporting families dealing with separation and its aftermath.
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Parenting support in Tower Hamlets
17 October 2008
A parenting early intervention project manager tells how Tower Hamlets Council engaged parents in tackling their children's difficult behaviour.
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Feature: All-round drugs support
17 October 2008
An article in Children & Young People Now highlights charity Addaction's "Breaking the Cycle" programme in Derby which supports families with drug misusing parents.
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Leeds teenage pregnancy strategy
17 October 2008
The recently launched Leeds Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Strategy is aimed at reducing the under-18 conception rate and providing education, information and support to teenage parents.
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Parents get the blame for naughty children
15 October 2008
Research by Cambridge University suggests poor parenting is to blame for the behaviour of primary school pupils.
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Parenting Fund round 3 funding
15 October 2008
The third round of the Parenting Fund has been launched, with applications being accepted from 15 October - 12 December 2008.
Clinical and cost-effectiveness of parenting programmes
10 October 2008
A forthcoming academic paper investigates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of training programs for parents of children with conduct disorder.
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Shelter tests family intervention to combat antisocial behaviour
8 October 2008
Housing charity Shelter has launched a pilot project in Birmingham using family group conferencing to help parents and children at risk of causing antisocial behaviour.
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Deaf Parenting UK: Annual report 2007
4 October 2008
Deaf Parenting UK's annual report presents details of the charity's achievements in 2007 including Deaf Parenting Skill courses and services.
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Foster carers should be registered
2 October 2008
The Fostering Network has called for foster carers to join a professional register.
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After Adoption expands adoption support
1 October 2008
Charity After Adoption is to extend its SafeBase programme to support parents who decide to adopt children with attachment difficulties.
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Clinical guideline on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
24 September 2008
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published one of their latest clinical guidelines on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The guideline recommends parents of both pre-school and school-age children should first be referred to parent training.
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Health visitors fear 'another Victoria Climbie' in their NHS Trust
18 September 2008
Research from Unite/Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association into health visitor cuts found that almost 70% of health visitors felt they could not meet the needs of the most vulnerable children.
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'Left fending for ourselves'
17 September 2008
This report by netmums, the UK's biggest online parenting community, examines experiences made by 6,000 mothers with the health visiting service in the UK.
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Strain on leaders limits extended offer
17 September 2008
A survey by Children & Young People Now found 48% of extended school leaders felt the parenting support they offered was affected by their workload pressures.
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Councils fail to use truancy orders
10 September 2008
A report by the National Children's Bureau (NCB) found only half of councils have a written policy on using support-based education supervision orders.
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Draft standards for family services
10 September 2008
The National Association of Family Information Services (NAFIS) have drafted standards for advice and support from family information services.
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Is the child's smile father to the man's?
10 September 2008
This article published in Prevention Action highlights research into the impact of a child's behaviour on the parent.
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Preschool evidence has been right from the start?
5 September 2008
An article in Prevention Action details research that found children of parents who encouraged learning at home were more likely to overcome socio-economic barriers to education.
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Why such a downer on teenage pregnancy?
3 September 2008
BBC News published an article which considers public perception of teenage pregnancy and teenage parents.
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Academics bid to stir justice debate
3 September 2008
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, based at King's College London, has launched a new online forum to debate the youth justice system in England and Wales. The forum specifically addresses youth justice specialists and policy makers.
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Reading scheme targets early years
3 September 2008
The National Literacy Trust has launched the Early Reading Connects campaign: a website and toolkit for those working in early years offering advice on involving families in reading.
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The insiders: Marilyn Roberts, school-home support worker in south-east London
2 September 2008
In this interview with The Guardian, a school-home support worker discusses her role.
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Social worker on the benefits of being based in schools
1 September 2008
A social worker who developed a student support/home-school relations project discusses her role.
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Anti-social behaviour crackdown on Wakefield estate
29 August 2008
News report on drop in anti-social behaviour on a Wakefield estate since the introduction of new measures including parenting programmes.
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Camden parents to benefit from new programme
28 August 2008
The Parent Champion pilot scheme run by charity Working Links in Tower Hamlets to help disadvantaged families is being rolled out to Camden.
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NCH requested for prison-based mother and baby unit
27 August 2008
The charity NCH has been asked to temporarily manage a prison-based mother and baby unit in Yorkshire, following its successful work in another prison. Their unit offers a range of services including parenting programmes.
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Help for training early years managers
27 August 2008
The Children's Workforce Development Council are developing a Workforce Qualifications Audit Tool for managers in early years settings. It will be available from January 2009 and will assist providers in planning staff training and development.
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New Multi Area Agreement Forum website
19 August 2008
The New Local Government Network have launched a website for the new Multi Area Agreement Forum. The Forum aims to provide a hub for the new and potential local authority sub-regional clusters - allowing them to share learning and ideas, and discuss future policy and strategy.
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Therapy as First-line Treatment for ADHD
18 August 2008
Researchers at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention presented findings that suggest children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be helped most effectively through behavioural intervention and parenting programmes.
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Childhood obesity and parental neglect
15 August 2008
The Local Government Association has called for a national debate about the extent to which childhood obesity relates to parental neglect.
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Pledge to tackle child poverty in London
14 August 2008
London Child Poverty Ministers, Beverley Hughes and Stephen Timms have called on organisations across London to sign up to the London Child Poverty Action Pledge. It requires organisations to commit to a set of actions to improve their services to disadvantaged families.
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Children's Workforce Development Council annual review
7 August 2008
The Children's Workforce Development Council have published their annual report for 2007-08.
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YoungMinds Parents Information Service statistics
6 August 2008
YoungMinds have published statistics on the parents contacting their information service. The service was recently expanded as part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Parent Know-How project. They found 46% were concerned about their 12-16 year olds, and 53% were concerned about their sons. Most callers wanted support on parentchild relationships (25%), behaviour management (22%), anxiety, depression, and family breakdown. The majority of callers were mothers (92%), but YoungMinds are also working with fathers' groups to increase their knowledge and confidence.
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'Keep the Promise' to end child poverty
4 August 2008
The 'Keep the Promise' campaign has been launched to highlight that the 2009 Budget is the final chance for the Government to act on its commitment to halve child poverty by 2010.
£41.7m for Birmingham Brighter Futures
31 July 2008
Birmingham City Council have announced a £41.7 million investment in early years and preventative projects from September 2008.
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Comparative data on schools
28 July 2008
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have added information on Black Country schools to their City Challenge Families of Schools online resources. The project enables users to access data on individual school characteristics, improvements and performance, and compare these with other statistically similar schools. Currently information is provided on: London, Greater Manchester and Black Country. Schools are grouped into ‘families’ and the data aims to encourage greater collaboration.
Local authorities' attitude towards charities
18 July 2008
New research from nfpSynergy has found that 58% of councillors and 50% of local authorities believe the third sector can deliver public services as cost effectively as local authorities, and these figures are higher (63% and 59%) when compared to services delivered by companies. However local authorities estimate that only 14% of their services are provided by the third sector, compared to 26% privately delivered and 67% publicly delivered.
The research was part of the first Local Authorities Monitor into attitudes and behaviour towards charities in England and Wales. The Monitor is likely to be repeated again in early 2009.
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Call for common training structures
16 July 2008
The Chief Executive of the Children's Workforce Development Council, Jane Haywood, has said that local authorities need to address the lack of common training for the children's workforce.
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Parenting Culture seminar series
15 July 2008
The Parenting Culture Studies group based at Kent University have successfully received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for an interdisciplinary seminar series: 'Changing Parenting Culture'. The group takes the view that the traditional notion of "child-rearing" has been expanded to encompass a range of activities, and this has had a profound impact on parents' identity, roles and partnerships. Contemporary parenting culture now involves experts and policies, and the practical and cultural significance of this 'politicisation of parenting' for parents themselves will be explored through the seminar series. The first three seminars will be held in January, April and September 2009.
Early Learning Partnership Project
25 June 2008
The Family and Parenting Institute and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have published the results of an evaluation of the Early Learning Partnership Project which aims to get parents more involved in young children's learning. The project examined twelve ways of encouraging early learning including storytelling, buddy schemes, homebased, one-to-one and group workshops. The evaluation found that parents gained more skills, confidence and creative ideas, and noted improvements in some parent-child relationships although this could not be linked to improved child outcomes. The report also looked at how the voluntary and statutory sectors worked together, and suggested a stronger steer from central Government was needed to encourage partnerships.
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Extra pilot areas for social work project
16 June 2008
The Children's Workforce Development Council have announced two extra pilot areas taking part in the Remodelling Social Work Delivery project. Sheffield and Shropshire now join Bath and North East Somerset, Birmingham, Derbyshire, North Tyneside, Rochdale, Somerset, Tower Hamlets, Westminster, and Wirral. The pilots are developing new practices for social workers to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
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More training needed for professionals working with Asian families
9 June 2008
New research published by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) warns that Asian children are not being protected from domestic violence, as local authorities are hindered by cultural misunderstandings and 'political correctness'. The report calls for better training and support for professionals working with Asian families, closer work with community leaders to address domestic violence issues, and greater recruitment of Asian professionals to work with families.
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Analysis of children's rights
9 June 2008
The four children's commissioners for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have submitted a report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child highlighting infringements of the convention, warning that children are being "demonised" by modern UK society.
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Families of prisoners require more help
6 June 2008
An external evaluation of the Action for Prisoners' Families helpline and website has revealed a growing need for help and support for the families of those in prison. One of the most common topics for callers requesting help was maintaining family contact.
Prisoners' Families Helpline
Social policy and social work research teams merged
2 June 2008
The University of York's Social Policy Research Unit and Social Work Research and Development Unit have merged, creating one of the largest groups of applied social policy and social work researchers in the UK. The new organisation will be formally launched in September 2008, and will combine their expertise in the area of children, families and young people.
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