A Useful TV Programme For Social Workers

Over the next 3 weeks BBC2 is showing a series of documentaries " Protecting our children" following Bristol's Child Protection team over the course of a year to see frontline work first-hand and explore how the crises of the last decade have had an impact on their ability to safeguard children. The series airs each week at 9.00 pm on BBC2. If you missed last night's episode it available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01bpjf7/ until Monday 20th February.

New Government Reports - Jan 20th

The following recently published Government reports may be of interest:

• Rules of engagement: changing the heart of youth justice
  Centre for Social Justice
  This report on the youth justice system in England and Wales calls for a drastic cut in the 5,000 children aged 10-17 given custodial sentences every year and recommends reforms in which child welfare services rather than youth justice teams and courts take the lead in preventing juvenile crime. It also advises that it is time to break the “taboo” surrounding raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) from ten to twelve. The report identifies four key shortcomings, which must be addressed if outcomes are to be improved: The youth justice system continues to function as a backstop: sweeping up the problem cases that other services have failed, or been unable, to address; The system is often operating in a way which promotes rather than reduces offending; There continues to be too much focus on functional process at the expense of lifechanging outcomes; and The importance of relationships to preventing offending and facilitating rehabilitation, emphasised consistently to the CSJ in its evidence hearings, continues to be overlooked.
  Published 16 January 2012
  http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/downloads/CSJ_Youth_Justice_Full_Report_WEB%20%282%29.pdf [PDF 2.6MB]
• Cutting them free: how is the UK progressing in protecting its children from sexual exploitation
  Barnardo's
  A report released to mark the first anniversary of the charity's campaign to stop child sexual exploitation, reveals that little is happening to protect victims of child sexual exploitation in many communities around the country and in some areas budget cuts are leading to the issue being downgraded.
  Published 17 January 2012
  http://www.barnardos.org.uk/cuttingthemfree.pdf [PDF 318KB]
• Landing in Dover: the immigration process undergone by unaccompanied children arriving in Kent
  Adrian Matthews for the Office of the Children's Commissioner
  This report focuses on immigration procedures to which unaccompanied children arriving in Kent are subject between their first encounter with the authorities and the time they are placed in the care of Kent County Council children's social care services. An investigation found that vulnerable unaccompanied children who arrived illegally at Dover docks or through the Channel tunnel were being sent straight back to France under a secret "gentleman's agreement". The practice has now been stopped by the UK Border Agency.
  Published 17 January 2012
  http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/content/publications/content_556
• Joint enterprise Commons Justice Committee. Eleventh Report of Session 2010-12. Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence. Volume II: Additional written evidence.
  The Committee warns that efforts to tackle gang-related violence are being hampered because the law on joint enterprise is confusing for juries and courts alike. Over-zealous application of the principle, particularly with gang fights, can discourage witnesses from volunteering vital information that would solve killings for fear they end up on trial for murder. The report notes “The Prison Reform Trust is concerned that joint enterprise may be used disproportionately in cases involving children and young adults, and can act as a dragnet, bringing individuals and groups into the criminal justice system who do not necessarily need to be there”. The report advises that legislation is needed to ensure justice for both victims and defendants and end the high number of cases reaching the Court of Appeal.
  Published 17 January 2011
  Volume I:
  http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmjust/1597/1597.pdf [PDF 472KB]
  Volume II:
  http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmjust/1597/1597vw.pdf [PDF 400KB]
  
  

PAD Workshops at Bedford, Polhill

The programme of PAD Workshops at Bedford, Polhill for Semester 2 is now available here: PAD Workshops at Bedford (Polhill).

The workshops cover everything from essay planning & writing, referencing, using the Internet for assignments, critical thinking and reading, critical writing, doing presentations and preparing for exams.

Just drop in if you're interested! For more information please contact: veronica.cooke@beds.ac.uk

Government Reports & Statistics - Week Beginning 16th January 2012

The following new Government Reports & Statistics may be of interest:

• Child rights impact assessment of the Welfare Reform Bill
  Office of the Children‟s Commissioner
  This impact assessment considers the Bill in the light of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the Human Rights Act 1998 and other international human rights obligations. It highlights the following risks as of real concern: An increase in child poverty as a result of the household benefit cap and housing benefit changes, resulting in poor health and educational outcomes for children.
  Published 11 January 2012
  http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/content/publications/content_555

• The Good Childhood Report 2012: a review of our children’s well-being. Children's Society.
  Researchers questioned more than 30,000 children and young people aged eight to 16 in the UK. The report identifies six key priorities needed for a happy childhood including the conditions to learn and develop; a positive view of themselves; have enough of what matters; positive relationships with family and friends; a safe and suitable home environment and local area; opportunity to take part in positive activities to thrive. Other findings include: choice and family have the biggest impact on children's happiness; the quality of children's relationships with their families is far more important than the structure of the family that they live in; low well-being increases dramatically with age – doubling from the age of 10 (7%) to the age of 15 (14%).
  Published 12 January 2012
  http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/research/well-being/good-childhood-report-2012

• Cafcass care statistics, December 2011 . There were 795 care applications in December 2011. Care application demand has remained at a very high level. Between April and December 2011, Cafcass received 7,487 new applications. This figure is 10.5% higher when compared to the same period last year. Applications received between May and December this year have been the highest ever recorded by Cafcass for these individual months.
  Published 9 January 2012
  http://www.cafcass.gov.uk/news/2012/december_care_statistics.aspx

• Youth custody data – November 2011
  Ministry of Justice
  Monthly statistics on the population of children and young people in custody within secure children's homes, secure training centres and young offender institutions.
  Published 13 January 2012
  http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/youth-justice/custody-data.htm
  
  
  

Some Recent New Government Reports & Statistics

The Government has published the following reports, which may be of interest:

• Positive for Youth: a new approach to cross-government policy for young people aged 13 to 19. HM Government Report covering a wide range of issues, including education, youth services, health, crime and housing.
• Children entering detention held solely under Immigration Act powers November 2011.
  Home Office figures.
• Deaths in prison custody 2011. Ministry of Justice. Provisional statistics including a table on Self-Inflicted Deaths in Prison Custody (England and Wales) by Age.
  
  
  

Happy 2012 Everyone! Made Any New Year's Resolutions?

Happy New Year to you all; hope everyone had a good break. Have any of you set yourselves New Year's Resolutions? According to an article in the Daily Mail, 10th January is the day on which most people will give up their resolutions - just 9 days after they were made. The American Psychological Association has some good tips on how to stick to your resolutions at: http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/new-years-resolutions-in-the-digital-age-more-than-apps/ and to help you on your way they have links to some free apps covering everything from losing weight to getting organised. You can see & download the apps here: New Year's Resolutions Mobile Apps.

Whilst we're on the topic of New Year's Resolutions Learning Resources have put together a list of the top fifteen tips to help you to improve your performance at university. You can take a look at them here.