Coronavirus daily round-up: Friday 5 June
Fiona Simpson
Friday, June 5, 2020
The government has been threatened with legal action over its decision to stop providing free school meals during the summer holidays.
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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.
Government threatened with legal action over free school meals scheme
An anti-poverty charity has threatened the government with legal action over its decision not to provide free school meals over the summer holidays.
In a letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, charity Sustain and Good Law Project call for urgent clarification about what action the government will take to address holiday hunger throughout the summer months.
The letter gives the government seven days to respond before it will launch a formal litigation process.
Funding for new coalition of charities supporting vulnerable children
The government has announced £7m of funding for a new coalition of children’s charities as part of the Covid-19 response.
The money will fund the launch of a new See, Hear, Respond service aimed at providing targeted help to vulnerable children, young people and their families affected by the virus and the measures put in place to stop its spread.
The coalition, led by Barnardo’s, will work alongside local authorities, schools and colleges, police forces, healthcare professionals and other vital services involved in protecting these children.
The launch of the programme comes as the DfE and Home Office prepare to open a joint £7.6 million fund for national vulnerable children’s charities working in England and Wales on issues including child sexual abuse and child criminal exploitation.
Labour calls for young people to be included in Covid-19 press conference
The Labour Party has called on the government to give young people the chance to question the Prime Minister over the coronavirus crisis.
Cat Smith MP, shadow minister for voter engagement and young people, has written to Boris Johnson urging him to better engage with young people and support them during the pandemic.
Smith says that young people have been “overlooked” throughout the government’s crisis response and highlights the negative impact the pandemic has already had on their mental health and employment prospects.
New portal highlights under-25s view on Covid-19
The Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health (RCPCH) has launched a new portal collating the views of thousands of young people affected by coronavirus.
The college is highlighting consultations, surveys and research taking place with children and young people by a range of charities and medical and academic institutes from across the UK on its new voice portal.
So-far the portal, which also showcases academic research papers, features the views of around 30,000 children and young people.
UK joins ‘Big Climb’ against child abuse
Thousands of people across the UK will climb the height of landmarks such as Mount Everest and Big Ben using just their staircases to help fight child abuse.
The NSPCC’s Big Climb challenge invites people to climb a height of their choice to raise funds to support more children suffering or at risk of abuse and neglect.
The challenge takes place tomorrow (6 June) and participants are asked to sign-up online.
