Daily roundup: School inspections, child protection and mental health
Derren Hayes
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Minister calls for Ofsted to inspect academy chains; serious case review finds health services missed chances to refer baby to social workers; and new standards for managing anxiety published, all in the news today.
Ofsted should be given new powers to inspect groups of academy schools run by the same organisation, Liberal Democrat minister David Laws has said. He told the Independent that academies, which have expanded hugely under the coalition since 2010, were no longer a "precious flower needing protection". Ofsted can run the rule over individual academies but not "chain" organisations that run multiple academies.
A serious case review into the case of a baby left with brain damage after suffering injuries at the hands of her mother has found mistakes were made by health professionals. The review found opportunities were missed to refer the 10-month-old child to children’s services before she was taken to hospital suffering from two fractures to her skull, bleeds to the brain, four broken ribs, a broken thigh bone, five fractures in both legs and fractures to her upper and lower arm. The report was carried out on behalf of Leicester Safeguarding Children's Board after the 31-year-old mother was jailed for two-and-a-half years following her pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm last year, the Leicester Mercury reports.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued standards to improve the quality of care and support for children, young people and adults with anxiety disorders. The condition in children and young people is associated with an increased risk of other serious mental health problems, including depression and substance misuse. Recognition of anxiety disorders is poor, particularly in primary care and as a consequence only a small minority of people experiencing anxiety disorders ever receive treatment.
Playing violent video games for long periods of time can delay the "moral maturity" of teenagers, according to a study in Canada. In-depth research into the behaviour of about 100 13- and 14-year-olds found over-exposure to violent games weakened empathy for others. Researchers warned of adolescents losing a sense of "right and wrong", reports the BBC.
A group of organisations, including Parenting UK, ECORYS, Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships and the Family and Childcare Trust have developed a quality mark for parenting training. The CANparent quality mark can be applied for by all types of organisations, from charities and social enterprises to private sector and local family organisations, delivering a universal parenting class.