Daily roundup: Loughton warning, youth premium and asylum tragedy
Neil Puffett
Monday, October 8, 2012
Government warned on family policy, proposals for youth premium, and concerns over "flawed" support system for asylum seekers, all in the news roundup today.
Former children’s minister Tim Loughton has warned of impending “social and economic peril” unless family policy is prioritised. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Loughton said the “absence of strong family structures contributes to the chaos of the herd instinct and lawlessness that we saw in last summer’s riots”. He went on to ask “where is the government’s comprehensive programme on family in action given its implications economically and socially, and who’s leading it?”. His words were in response to publication of a report by the Centre for Social Justice that found half of all children can now expect their parents to separate. Loughton said government must adopt a ten-point plan, including recognising marriage in the tax and benefits system, introducing a full presumption of shared parenting in the family courts following separation, and early intervention where parents fail to form strong attachments to their children.
Youth services should be supported with a central government subsidy similar to the pupil premium, the National Youth Agency has said. Launching the “youth premium” concept at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, the organisation said government risks damaging future generations if young people aren’t given the “resources and attention they need”. NYA chief executive Fiona Blacke, said: “Youth work helps transform the lives of young people by helping their educational attainment, health and behaviour. Yet not all have access to good quality youth work services, whether formal or informal. We recognise that there is little money to go around, but we are not asking for additional cash; funding could be diverted from existing streams.”
Child safety experts have warned government to fix flaws in the support system for successful asylum seekers, after a child starved to death in temporary accommodation in Westminster. Inside Housing reports that a serious case review into the death of “child EG” found that the family had become dependent on “ad hoc charitable handouts”, despite a successful asylum claim. The review blamed the situation on difficulties transferring the family from Home Office to mainstream welfare support services. A letter sent to government by Westminster Council calls for improvements in support arrangements for successful asylum seekers.
Nearly one in five parents believe alcohol has a positive effect on their parenting, a study by 4Children has found. A report by the charity warns that too many parents “remain oblivious to the negative effects that alcohol can have on their parenting”. The report found that 22 per cent of children live with a parent who drinks hazardously and 6 per cent of children (around 700,000 in total) live with a dependent drinker. Anne Longfield, 4Children chief executive, said: “This report demands that we think again about our relationship with alcohol for our families’ sake. The statistics speak for themselves with consumption of alcohol known to be a major factor in family crisis – from domestic abuse and family conflict to a breakdown in family relationships and the ability to parent.”
Homeless young people in Scotland are being failed by a lack of support in overcoming inadequate life skills, a report has found. The Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee said the issue is compounded by substandard accommodation and isolation. The report suggests young people experiencing family breakdown and vulnerable care leavers could benefit from mediation, respite and increasing the role of schools in prevention. MSP Mary Fee, convener of the committee, said: “While we recognise that the Scottish government and local authorities are working hard to prevent youth homelessness, we were very troubled to hear from 16-year-olds leaving care with a real lack of essential life skills such as budgeting, being put into utterly unacceptable, substandard accommodation and left isolated in an unsupported tenancy.”
And finally, a senior Roman Catholic official has raised concerns that school children are being labelled as “Nazis” and “bigots” for disagreeing with the principle of same-sex marriage. The Christian Institute reports that John Deighan, the institution’s parliamentary officer in Scotland said there is “a level of hostility which is building up even against very young people”. He said: “I know, for example, of children in Scotland, including my own 12-year-old child, who have been branded ‘Nazis’ and ‘bigots’ because they have dared to disagree with the idea of same-sex marriage.”