Daily roundup 1 July: Alcohol, end-of-life care, and first aid

The number of children drinking alcohol has fallen partly due to better parenting, according to the Institute of Alcohol Studies. The Daily Mail report that parents are less likely to drink alcohol in front of their children and are more likely to discipline them for drinking, according to the institute's findings. Between 2003 and 2014, the proportion of under-18s that had tried alcohol fell from 61 to 38 per cent.


Doctors and nurses should not be afraid to hug and comfort children when treating them during end-of-life care, guidance from NHS watchdog The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) suggests. The Telegraph reports that the guidance makes it clear that compassion and physical contact is important for children.


A new initiative to help improve paediatric training in early years settings has been launched by childcare minister Sam Gyimah. Millie's Mark, a quality mark in memory of the nine-month-old who died in 2012 after choking on her lunch at nursery, will require all staff to be trained in paediatric first aid.


The proportion of 16- and 17-year-olds in education or apprenticeships is at its highest level since consistent records began more than 20 years ago, according to government figures. By the end of 2015, the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds in education or apprenticeships rose to almost 91 per cent and the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) fell by 1.1 percentage points.


A children's home in Sandwell has been rated "inadequate" after Ofsted found "widespread failures". The Express and Star reports that inspectors witnessed an incident where a resident was able to take a knife from the home's kitchen two days in a row, and police were required to intervene.


Stay and play faculties that are open to the public in two Wandsworth children's centres have been saved after a petition from parents and councillors to keep the services open. Your Local Guardian reports that Wandsworth Council has pledged to keep the early years services open.