20/05/2022: Sector leaders attend first national youth work and racial justice conference
The conference highlighted successful work carried out by the National Youth Agency (NYA) and Equal Equity over the last two years. Equal Equity works to increase the proportion of black youth workers and youth workers of colour in leadership, management and policy roles.
19/05/2022: ‘I got fed up with my students ending up in prison or dead’: the teacher fighting to end school exclusions
Appalled by the damage of zero-tolerance behaviour policies that see ever more pupils thrown out of class, and often education, Zahra Bei founded a campaign focusing on racial justice.
Read: Guardian
12/05/2022: Playground overhaul needed so disabled children can join the fun, charity says
Disabled children can find themselves excluded from their local playgrounds because of poor design and a lack of consideration of their needs. But now disability equality charity Scope has started a campaign to help parents fighting for change.
Read: BBC
12/05/2022: ‘My boy’s autism was a difference, not a deficit’
Harris Macdonell took his own life after years of not fitting in led to mental health issues. He was 19 when he died in August 2020, but he had been treated in adult psychiatric units where his autism was never properly diagnosed. His mother, Jane, believes he would be alive today if the right help was available.
Read: BBC
09/05/2022: ‘Social workers judged me without knowing me’: tackling the criminalisation of care-experienced girls
Care-experienced women are stubbornly overrepresented in the justice system. Tackling this involves social workers challengeing negative stereotypes of young people and improving support, finds research.
Read: Community Care
09/05/2022: Disrupting The Routes Between Care And Custody For Girls And Women
Girls and women who have been through the care system should be diverted away from custodial sentences into community alternatives wherever possible, says a new (4 May 2022) Nuffield Foundation report. ‘Disrupting the Routes between Care and Custody for Girls and Women’ is authored by Dr Claire Fitzpatrick and Dr Katie Hunter, from the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research at Lancaster University, Dr Julie Shaw, of Liverpool John Moores University, and Dr Jo Staines, of the University of Bristol.
Read: Russell Webster
27/04/2022: Mental health: Call to reform youth support in racialised communities
System wide change is needed to improve mental health support across health and education services within racialised communities, a report is warning.
24/04/2022: Sajid Javid to review gender treatment for children
Health Secretary Sajid Javid is to review what immediate changes can be made to gender treatment services for children in England. This could include changing the law to let the independent Cass review have access to an NHS database of young people who already received treatment. It comes ahead of the review’s report, due later this year.
Read: BBC
16/04/2022: 70% of female teachers have faced misogyny in UK schools, poll shows
Teachers have raised concerns about the influence of “incel” subculture on teenage boys, as a survey revealed that seven in 10 female teachers have been victims of misogyny in school.
Read: Guardian
02/04/2022: Conversion therapy: Ban to go ahead but not cover trans people
The government now says it will ban so-called conversion therapy for gay or bisexual people in England and Wales – but not for transgender people. It comes hours after it had said it would drop plans for the ban entirely.
Read: BBC
01/04/2022: Third of British LGBTQ+ people experience abuse by relatives
Young LGBTQ+ people in the UK are facing a “hidden epidemic” of abuse by close family members based on their sexuality or gender identity, according to a study.
Read: Guardian
31/03/2022: End The Unjust Criminalization Of Female Victims Of Violence
Naomi is one of 18 women who share their stories in a new report from Centre for Women’s Justice, exposing how victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG) are unfairly arrested, prosecuted and convicted for offences arising from their experience of abuse.
Read: Russell Webster
31/03/2022: Overlooked and unsupported: young women and the CJS
This report highlights the interactions between women and the criminal justice system (CJS), finding that they are often overlooked and unsupported and that policy changes are required.
30/03/2022: Councils to be ‘strongly encouraged’ to appoint SEND social work leads
SEND code of practice would promote role of designated social care officers, tasked with joining up social care and special education needs services, says green paper.
Read: Community Care
29/03/2022: SEND review: Children to receive earlier support in new government plans
Children with special educational needs will receive better help at school from an earlier stage under a new national system, the government says. The Department for Education plans for England include digitising paperwork to help parents receive extra support for their children more quickly.
Read: BBC
