Coronavirus daily digest: Morning update

Each day, CYP Now will summarise the key issues affecting the children and families sector as it tackles the effects of the pandemic. The daily update signposts children’s services practitioners and leaders to the latest developments, expert views, advice and resources.

Here are morning updates for 7 April:

Tulip Siddiq’s nurseries warning

Shadow early years minister Tulip Siddiq has warned that the government’s wage support scheme is forcing nurseries to shut completely.

She said: “MPs have contacted me to share stories of providers who desperately want to stay open to help key workers, but just can’t afford to without more support from the government. 

“The knock-on impact of these early years closures is appalling. Without childcare, key workers like doctors and nurses cannot go into work, depriving the NHS of staff at the most critical time. Ministers must fix the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme so that it helps early years businesses to stay open. They must also guarantee childcare provision to all key workers who need it.”

Sharp increase in domestic abuse

Charity Refuge has reported that calls to the charity’s national domestic abuse helpline have increased by 25 per cent since the UK introduced lockdown measures.

Meanwhile, hits to the national domestic abuse website increased by 150 per cent in the week commencing 30 March, the initial stages of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Sandra Horley, chief executive of Refuge, said: “Isolation has potential to aggravate pre-existing behaviours in abusive partners but isn’t reason for abusive behaviour.

“Since the UK lockdown measures were announced, Refuge has worked round the clock to ensure its life-saving services remain open and accessible to any woman who needs them.”

Council invests in childcare for key workers

Nottinghamshire County Council has invested £300,000 to support private and voluntary childcare settings to continue to provide provision for the children of key workers and vulnerable children over the Easter holiday.

The announcement comes after some settings in Nottinghamshire decided to close due to financial pressures, the council said.

Councillor Philip Owen, chair of the council’s children and young people committee, said: “Access to childcare can be a barrier for some critical workers, so it is important for us to do what we can to remove these barriers, especially for children who would have normally received funded childcare.

“We are working with early years providers to make sure we have enough childcare during the holidays. Parents and carers who need advice can contact the council if they need help to find childcare.”

Free school meals to cover Easter holiday

The government has extended its free school meals scheme to cover the Easter holiday.

Families eligible for the new voucher scheme will continue to receive £15 per week to spend at a number of supermarkets over the two-week break.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove said during a press conference on Saturday that “vouchers will be available over the Easter holidays to support household incomes”.

The former Education Secretary added that more support for “the country’s most vulnerable” would be announced this week.

Deputy head teacher walks five miles a day to deliver free school meals

Zane Powles, deputy head teacher at Western primary school in Grimsby received high praise after it emerged he had been walking five-miles a day to deliver food to vulnerable children.

He told Grimsby Live: “By delivering it myself I can check on vulnerable children. We don't want children having to come out of their homes. 

"I usually knock on the door and wait in the garden and can check they are being well cared for.”