Daily roundup: Early intervention, emotional health, and troubled families
Neil Puffett
Friday, March 15, 2013
Sector calls for an "early intervention Budget", emotional support for primary school children, and troubled families research announced, all in the news today.
Leading figures in the children and young people’s sector have called on Chancellor George Osborne to deliver a Budget backing early intervention when he takes to the Despatch Box next week. A letter sent to Obsorne calls for the Budget to move one per cent of departmental budgets from reactive spending to early intervention and to introduce tax changes that will stimulate the social finance market. The letter has been signed by, among others, Graham Allen, chair of the Early Intervention Foundation, David Robinson, chair of the Early Action Task Force, and Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries' Association.
Children in primary schools across Glasgow will be given access to emotional and mental health services as part of a £1.2m initiative. The Glasgow Herald reports that a partnership between children’s charity Place2Be, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and Glasgow City Council will see services funded in 15 primary schools, offering support to up to 4,000 five-to 11-year-olds.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced that work will take place to evaluate the success of its troubled families initiative. An evaluation contract has been awarded to a group of independent research organisations to gauge how attempts to turn around the lives of 120,000 troubled families have fared. Researchers will focus on the changes families who receive interventions have made, the most successful ways councils are working with troubled families, and cost savings for the taxpayer.
A charity that helps build the self-esteem and confidence of children in Hull has had its future secured following a major donation. The Hull Daily Mail reports that Hull Children's University has been given £375,000 by the newly formed NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group. The charity supports children with tutors and volunteer mentors to develop self-esteem, build self-confidence and communication skills and promote the importance of leading a healthy and active life.
And finally, the Daily Telegraph reports that more than 2,000 young people applied for 52 apprenticeship posts at EDF Energy. The engineering maintenance apprenticeship, which lasts four years, includes two years of training at a Royal Naval base and two at a nuclear power station.