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The latest news stories and updates that may be of interest to organisations working with children and families
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Children's Services Plan event
Everyone’s Children had a great start to February with our Children’s Services Plan consultation event on the 1st which we hosted with the new Citywide Forum and the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership. There was an excellent turnout on the day with 80 attendees from a variety of third sector organisations. They were able to hear from key speakers about potential contents for the plan as well as sharing their views and experiences. We will be putting out a report on the event, along with copies of the presentations soon.
The Everyone’s Children team would like to thank everyone who came along to participate in the day - we plan to carry on with an exciting and engaging events programme on a range of topics. Have a look at our events section to see what else we have on this month!
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The Citywide Forum has launched!
The Children Young People and Families City-wide Forum was launched at the Children’s Services plan event. This was timely as many of the discussions on the day highlighted the need for more collaboration and information sharing within the third sector. Eddie Kane (Barnardo's) spoke on behalf of the Forum steering group and gave background to work that has been done so far in developing the Forum, emphasising that it is still in its early stages.
The City-wide Forum is open to any third sector organisation working in Glasgow that provides services to children, young people and families. At the moment, the Citywide Forum will use the Everyone's Children newsletter and mailing list to publicise its events. In the future, the Forum will have its own communication strategy. If you would like to join the Citywide Forum and receive information about its activities, please ask to join the Forum mailing list by emailing Lisa at lisa.wright@gcvs.org.uk
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Scottish Parent Awards 2017
Parent Network Scotland are raising awareness of the good work of parents and carers in making communities strong and resilient by hosting the Scottish Parent Awards. Nominations can be made by any individual, organisation or community group. The deadline for nominations is 9.00 am 16th February 2017.
A panel of independent judges will decide on the winners in each category, with the winners announced at the awards ceremony on 17th May 2017 at the Scottish Parliament.
Find out more/nominate a parent here.
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Children's Mental Health Week 2017
Place2Be launched the UK's first Children's Mental Health Week which took place 6-12 February. The campaign focused on encouraging parents and carers to talk openly with their children about their feelings and getting help, with resources and tips surrounding children’s mental health available on the Place2Be website. The overall aim of the week was to encourage everyone to ‘spread a little kindness.’
Place2Be provides emotional and therapeutic services in primary and secondary schools, building children’s resilience through talking, creative work and play. They are currently working in 18 schools in Glasgow. Find out more here.
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LGBT History Month
February is LGBT History Month - an opportunity to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer lives and culture, and to recognise the significant contribution LGBT people have made to our country and the world at large. It is also an opportunity for learning, discussion and debate.
LGBT Youth Scotland are inviting people to wear purple on Friday 24th February. Purple Friday is a day for people across Scotland to show support for LGBTI people, and stand against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Scotland.
Find out more here.
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One Parent Families save our jobcentres campaign
One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) have launched a campaign and petition challenging the closure of 50% of Glasgow’s jobcentres by the Department for Work and Pensions. The closure will have huge impacts on children and families in the city.
Read more here.
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Scottish sports coaches without appropriate PVG checks
BBC Scotland have reported that almost a third of sports in Scotland could have coaches who don’t have the appropriate disclosure checks. Sportscotland provided the BBC with figures stating that there were 1,882 ‘unchecked coaches’ out of 31,175 in Scotland. This follows a series of allegations of historical child abuse in British football in recent months.
Read more on the statistics here.
Note: We are running a FREE session on PVG's on 15th Feb. See our training and events session below.
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Concern about substance abuse near children
The NSPCC have reported that there were more than 1,400 calls made to the NSPCC’s helpline over the last three years by people in Scotland concerned about alcohol, drug or other substance abuse around children.
Read more here.
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Health of children in Scotland 'among worst in Europe'
Charities have been responding to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) report ‘The State of Child Health’ which was published in January. The findings show the health of children in Scotland is 'among the worst in Europe', with Data relating to Scotland showing that:
- 27% of children are overweight or obese, with higher levels in deprived areas
- More than 29% of pregnant women in the most deprived areas are smokers
- Only 15.4% of mothers in the most deprived areas were exclusively breastfeeding at the 6-8 week review, compared to 53% of mothers in the least deprived
- 400 children and infants die each year, with a significant number of these deaths potentially avoidable.
Access the full report here.
Read Children In Scotland's response here.
Note: We have a FREE briefing on Children’s Health Profiles in Glasgow on 22nd February. See our Events section below to book.
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Homeless families with children spending longer in temporary accommodation
Research published by Shelter Scotland has found that time homeless families with children spend in temporary accommodation in Scotland has risen by almost 20 per cent in the past two years. They found that households with children spent a median time of 20.1 weeks in temporary accommodation (up from 17 weeks in 2014), while households without children had a median of 13.5 weeks in temporary accommodation.
Read the full report here.
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'Staggering' poverty-based gulf in Scottish education
Bright children born into poor families are more than two years behind equally gifted peers with wealthy parents in maths, science and reading by the age of 15, according to new analysis.
A report by the Sutton Trust attacked what it called a 'staggering' poverty-based gulf in Scottish education.
More here.
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Report on forced marriage shows 1 in 10 victims are children
The report ‘Understanding forced marriage in Scotland’ has been published and gives the analysis and findings of a 10 month study that was commissioned by the Scottish Government as part of on-going work from the Forced Marriage Network. Respondents reported 191 cases of forced marriage between 2011 and 2014, with particular concern that in 1 in 10 of the cases where age was known, the victims were children under 16 years of age.
In a response to the report, equalities Secretary Angela Constance praised the third sector for continuing to provide excellent support to help tackle forced marriage in Scotland.
Read the full report here.
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Initiative to improve mental health services for new mums
An initiative to improve mental health services for new mums has started with the launch of a national network of specialists across Scotland. The ‘Managed Clinical Network’ will bring together health professionals who work in the area of perinatal and infant mental health. This joint expert leadership aims to identify gaps in current perinatal care services, helping to improve standards and to ensure everyone gets the same level of care.
Read more here.
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Scottish Government invites applications for £18.9m Aspiring Communities Fund
The Scottish Government have now opened applications for the first round of the new two year £18.9m Aspiring Communities Fund. Community bodies and third sector organisations can apply for funds to develop long-term local solutions to poverty.
Read more about the fund/apply here.
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£1.5 million for nursery teachers and graduates in deprived areas
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on 18th January that more teachers and graduates are to be recruited for nurseries in deprived areas in Scotland, through a £1.5 million investment to expand early learning and childcare. The Scottish Government made a commitment of recruiting an extra 435 graduates, one in every setting in a deprived area, by 2018. The investment comes ahead of the move from 600 to 1140 free childcare hours in Scotland by 2020.
Read more here.
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Additional Support Needs - have your say, share your experience
The Scottish Parliament Education and Skills Committee has been looking at school education and wants to do more work on additional support needs. The Committee wants to hear your views.
What are your views on Additional Support Needs provided in Scotland’s schools? What have your experiences been?
Please email es.submissions@parliament.scot
Or write to: Education and Skills Committee, T3.40 Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP.
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The latest consultations, publications and resources for organisations and people working with children and families in Scotland.
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Child Poverty Bill for Scotland published
The Scottish Government announced on 10th February that the Child Poverty Bill (Scotland) had been published. This sees Scotland as the only part of the UK with statutory targets in a bid to reduce the number of children in poverty by 2030.
Campaigners and third sector organisations in Scotland have welcomed the bill and are looking to the government to ensure practical steps are taken to make the ambitions set out in the Bill a reality.
You can access the Bill and its associated documents here.
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Handbook for foster carers who support teenagers
A new handbook to help foster carers who support teenagers has been published by the REES Centre.
Topics covered include the start of the placement, adolescent development, attachment, boundaries, risk taking and aspirations. Each chapter has top tips and discussion points to help foster carers support the young people in their care.
Access the handbook here.
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Supporting Children and Young People with Healthcare Needs in Schools: Draft Guidance
This guidance has been developed in partnership with a range of key stakeholders to guide those working in and with NHS boards, education authorities and schools to support children and young people affected by health issues which require healthcare support.
Access the document here.
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The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland
The Scottish Government have published a five year plan for maternity and neonatal care in Scotland. The report sets out the Case for Change for maternity and neonatal services, describing current services, details of the review process and its findings, and a new model of care which is supported by a series of recommendations.
The new model seeks to put the family at the centre of decisions so that all women, babies and their families get the highest quality of care according to their needs.
Read the report here.
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The Status of Young Women in Scotland Report
The YWCA published their second annual Status of Young Women in Scotland (SYWS) report. This is an original piece of research, carried out by Edinburgh-based research agency The Lines Between that explores the realities of life for young women in Scotland today.
Read it here.
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Upcoming training for organisations and people working with children and families.
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Disclosure Scotland
FREE half-day session for GCVS members
Wed 15th February 10am to 1pm
Trainer: Duncan Steel - Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services
GCVS are delighted to host this free session on the purpose and requirements of the Protection for Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. The session will also cover forms, Certificates and Referrals. We think this session is essential for organisations and groups who need to comply with the PVG Scheme.
Click here to book a place.
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Community Health Profiles for Children & Young People
FREE - Wed 22nd February, Albany Centre - 10.00 to 11.30
Would you like to:
- know about child poverty, health and wellbeing in your area?
- access a useful free resource to inform action at a local level?
- get some up to date statistics for funding applications?
The Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) has been developing a big data set to provide a comprehensive overview of health and wellbeing in Glasgow. Bruce Whyte from GCPH will provide information on a new set of children and young people's health and wellbeing profiles. This FREE event is open to all third sector organisations in Glasgow with an interest in children, young people and families.
To book at place, please register here.
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Introduction to Child Protection
Wed 1st March, Albany Centre - 9.30 to 12.30
Trainer Alison Ebbitt - Children in Scotland
Following our well-attended session in January, Everyone’s Children are hosting another child protection session to provide an introduction to the area, outlining your individual and organisation’s roles and responsibilities and steps to take should you feel a child requires your support. The course is suitable for new staff and volunteers, and for those who would like a refresher. The course is run in partnership with Children in Scotland and delivered by their very experienced trainer, Alison Ebbitt.
Click here to book a place.
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Child Poverty - The Housing Assocation Role
Tuesday 7th March, Albany Centre – 09.00 to 13.30
Child poverty is a serious issue in Glasgow. Good quality housing is a key factor in improving life chances, but some community controlled housing associations have used their wider role to work in partnership with other organisations to help children and families.
This FREE joint event with GWSF Community Regeneration Learning Network will discuss the housing association role in Children's Services Planning and highlight good practice examples. There will be an opportunity to talk about funding and partnership working opportunities. The event ends with a networking lunch.
Book a place here.
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Information Sharing - half day session
Monday 13th March, Albany Centre – 09.00 to 13.30
Sharing information at the right time can improve outcomes for children, young people and their families. The appropriate sharing of information is a vital part of the early intervention approach, an approach which is at the heart of GIRFEC. In this session Ronnie Hill from the Scottish Government’s GIRFEC Team will provide information on the updated guidance following the recent Supreme Court judgement and explore further issues related to information sharing.
Book a place here.
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An Introduction to Wellbeing
Wednesday 8th March, Barnardos at Academy Park, G51 1PR
The Third Sector GIRFEC project are putting on sessions sharing their tool ’An Introduction to Wellbeing’ which takes the format of a game to help community groups, clubs and other local organisations understand how their work contributes to the wellbeing of children and young people.
If you are interested in learning how to use this resource, particularly if you are in a position to share this with others either by facilitating workshops or directly supporting other organisations to use it, you are invited to participate in one of the following Training for Trainers sessions:
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Wednesday 8th March 2017 |
10.00 – 12.30 |
Barnardo’s Scotland, Academy Park |
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Wednesday 8th March 2017 |
14.00 – 16.30 |
Barnardo’s Scotland, Academy Park |
Places are FREE but limited. Email ailsa.sharkey@barnardos.org.uk by Thursday 16th February if you would like to attend.
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Transforming How We Engage with Young People in Scotland - FREE
Friday 21st March, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – 10.00 to 15.00
The Scottish Government's Our Voice initiative aims to ensure that the voices of citizens and especially those whose voices are seldom heard; are listened to, taken seriously and acted upon by key decision makers in health and social care services. As part of Our Voice, this event will celebrate the success and share the learning from an innovative partnership project between Includem and the Scottish Health Council.
Book a place here.
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Strengthening Father-Child Relationships - FREE
Thursday 16th March, Royal College of Physicians – 09.15 to 12.30
Following Year of the Dad, Father’s Network Scotland are inviting you to reflect on what new evidence there is from the Growing up in Scotland (GUS) longitudinal survey and other international perspectives on the impact of fathers and their relationships with their children.
Sponsored by Children in Scotland and the Scottish Government, and featuring Adrienne Burgess of the Fatherhood Institute among others, this briefing at Edinburgh’s Royal College of Physicians on March 16 will give practitioners, academics and policy makers an opportunity to discuss the findings of such research and how you might use this in practice.
Book a place/read more here.
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Relationship First Aid Training
Dates and venue TBC dependent on interest
GCC/GCHSCP are hosting two free courses for a maximum of 15 participants: a 2 day programme (targeted for staff) and a half day workshop (adapted for community members but staff also welcome).
Relationship first aid training enables you to:
• Identify early where your clients might be struggling with relationships
• Have confidence to open up this conversation with them
• Create more effective relationships with your clients
• Achieve better outcomes for both your clients and your organisation
• Equip your clients with an effective communication tool
• Signpost your clients to specialist support
If interested please contact:
Sarah Brady, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership sarah.brady@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
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Raising Awareness about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Tuesday 14th March, Heart of Scotstoun Community Centre – 1.30 to 16.30
The Women’s Support Project is offering a half-day training session on FGM. Discussion will include definitions, causes, communities at risk, health impact, the law, why FGM is an issue for services in Glasgow, and services and resources.
The training is open to people who live or work in Glasgow’s North West locality.
It is a free session but places are limited.
Please contact Jan Macleod to register:
Jan Macleod, Women’s Support Project - 0141 418 0748 jan@womenssupportproject.org.uk
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Children in Scotland Training
Children in Scotland run a wide-ranging range of conferences, seminars and CPD training events throughout the year. Up and coming events in Glasgow include:
GCVS members can get a 20% discount in the cost, if this is mentioned when booking.
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Upcoming events in Glasgow for organisations or people working with children and families.
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The GCVS Learning and Events Programme
January - March 2017
There are lots more Learning and Events in the newly renovated GCVS Learning & Development programme, looking at:
- Community Development
- Third Sector Development
- Third Sector Employers
- Developing Intelligence using big data
- Social Justice
- What Works
To see the full programme click here.
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We would really welcome your feedback on this bulletin and any suggestions you have about future content - You can email any feedback or questions to suzie.scott@gcvs.org.uk
Visit our website for more information about our Everyone's Children project and to see regular news updates and related resources.
Our Everyone’s Children Project is funded by the Scottish Government to promote and support third sector services for children and families. It also provides strategic support to the sector in Glasgow.
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