Letters to the Editor: Good quality PSHE is crucial

As one of the organisations name-checked by MP Diana Johnson when introducing her bill on drugs, alcohol and relationships education last week, we find it hard to overstate the importance of good quality PSHE.

Mentor exists to protect children from drug and alcohol harms and we believe that schools have a vital role to play. However, they need support, encouragement and incentives to take on the challenge.

Schools have now been waiting 23 months since the government announced an internal review of how they are going to provide better support for the subject. We still don’t know what ministers will propose. Schools may infer from this delay that government views the subject as trivial.

We know it isn’t – weekly drinking, for example, is associated with significant reductions in GCSE grades.

Johnson’s bill offers an opportunity to support early intervention that we hope all parliamentarians can support.

Andrew Brown, head of programmes, Mentor


Abusers must be challenged

Those who knew of Jimmy Savile’s crimes now express remorse at their unwitting role in the continued suffering of children.

Policies are in place to enable professionals to take action when required, but this may not be the case for much longer.

The government is proposing to drastically cut Working Together to Safeguard Children. The revised version has removed all reference to organised or institutional abuse. In the absence of comprehensive national guidance, local areas will have to invent their own, which will lead to a postcode lottery.

Social work involves supporting parents and carers and investigating harm to children within their families. It is this aspect that was the focus of the recent Laming and Munro reviews.

However, much social work is in a different league altogether and requires a high level of courage to challenge powerful, well-organised criminals and to galvanise dedicated professionals to do the job they are paid to do – protect children.

It is not too late to campaign against this manoeuvre aimed at deregulating one sphere of the welfare state that currently works effectively to keep children safe.
If we do not, we will all be collusive in allowing abusers to go unchallenged.

Dr Liz Davies, reader in child protection, London Metropolitan University