I feel I have to respond to your article declaring Choice Advice a failure (CYP Now, 2-8 July). I appreciate good journalism shies away from grey areas but I think you should have highlighted that these are interim findings. The research is far from conclusive and in fact highlights good practice.
The Choice Advice role came into being without any strict guidance or instruction so it has been implemented in different ways. The success of the initiative has to be seen alongside other issues, such as the availability of good schools and the duty of authorities to scrutinise unfair admission criteria. Declaring the service a failure may be doing a disservice to a lot of parents and professionals.
As the report suggests, effective targeting of parents relies on working with partner agencies. If agencies are told the service is a failure this can only be detrimental. The losers will be those families who could have been referred for help to find a school place for their child.
Name and address supplied
- Internet use can be active
I was interested to read about the Opportunity Links study, which looked at how young people use the internet (CYP Now, 2-8 July).
I would agree that young people's tendency so far is to discuss, rather than act upon, activities in this arena. However, from our experience, teenagers do use the internet to find out what's available and to get advice and information - where they can. It may be there simply aren't enough opportunities for them to do more than chat online.
Get Connected has experienced great demand for our helplines in the past year, with almost four times as many young people asking for help via webchat than the year before and a 97 per cent increase in emails to the helpline.
So young people are clearly using the web as a starting point for action, to change their situations and get the information they need. While our helpline helps find them support, demand is such that we're considering a service to put young people in touch with activities. And I have no doubt young people will jump at the chance to get involved.
Emma Insley, chief executive, Get Connected
- Sentencing reform is needed
The Prison Reform Trust is right to call for an improved version of present sentencing guidelines, rather than an excessively rigid sentencing commission (CYP Now, 2-8 July).
The trust's document, Criminal Damage, correctly identifies misinformation about sentencing and attempts by politicians to "out tough" one another on crime as serious concerns. The idea that judges and magistrates should do more to explain their role and ideas to the public is also a good one.
But the trust is not right to countenance changing guidelines to reflect the availability of prison places. Sentencing should be for judges, not accountants, to decide.
David Howarth MP, Liberal Democrat justice spokesman - Letters should include an address and phone number. All letters may be edited for publication.
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