The wrong approach?
“The role of Government, both central and local, is not to get involved in the detail of service provision. It is to set the broad objectives, to resource services adequately and to hold those delivering services to account…” Chris Mills looks at the decision by Coventry City Council to appoint a retired high court judge to advise it on child protection.
Reflections on primary research interviews with young offenders in London
“When you consider the complexity of adolescence and the transition to adulthood the road that young people travel is bordered by opportunity and, depending on choices made, taking those opportunities can lead to both positive and negative outcomes.” Simon Claridge shares his reflections from research interviews with young offenders.
Sixteen principles for better and safer practice
“Sometimes it seems that there is something about child protection that defies all attempts at improvement. The case of Daniel Pelka, and the uninspiring report into his tragic death, only serves to deepen frustrations.” Chris Mills outlines sixteen principles for better and safer practice.
Arbitrary lines, short-term approaches and small statistical gains
“We might deduce from the above that, if these families lives have been ’turned round’ then tackling the poverty which is likely to affect many of them is simply not even a goal anymore.” Stephen Crossley considers whether the Coalition’s Troubled Families agenda will reduce child poverty.
The value of working with emotional intelligence in schools
“There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the end of KS3 is a tipping point for young people in terms of the outcomes they are likely to achieve as they grow into young adults.” Simon Claridge makes the case for building emotional intelligence into the curriculum.
Poetic justice
“One wrong mistake took me out; I felt that I was drowning in the mist of my tears when the judge sentenced me to 5 years imprisonment. I felt this way because I saw my life flash before me.” Shauna Dacres describes her experience of taking part in a restorative justice programme.
Frontline Friday 30th August 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 26th August 2013 - from housing policy and community engagement in health, to the political intentions behind the Government’s Lobbying Bill.
Frontline Friday 26th July 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 22nd July 2013 - from welfare reform to the Work Capability Assessment, police powers to the ‘war on porn’.
What a sham! The Positive for Youth Progress Report 2013
The only thing remarkable about this recently-published report is that it is 35 pages long! How long it must have taken them to find sufficient information to produce it, heaven only knows? What it tells us about the progress on Positive for Youth ~ the so-called Government ‘youth policy’ ~ is that business as usual is the […]
School dinners
A government-commissioned school food review has recommended Headteachers insist everyone has school dinners, that means banning packed lunches which the report says are often less healthy than school meals because they frequently include crisps, sugary drinks and sweets or chocolate. Headteachers are also encouraged to ban children from leaving school at lunchtime to buy food […]
Why sex education matters to “nervous” young people
With schools taking a vacation from the National Curriculum and a renewed focus on traditional ‘academic’ subjects, many schools have already laughed subjects like Sex Education off their teaching roster. “Teaching about condoms?” they say, “Ha! How quaint. These days we teach about real things like romantic poetry and royal history”. Except, however quaint it might seem, sex matters […]
Frontline Friday 31st May 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 27th May 2013. Let us know which posts we’ve missed and which other bloggers we should be following for next week’s list.
Do black boys need black role models?
“Look wider. Look deeper. Don’t restrict your thinking or place in the world to just those who look like you.” David McQueen questions the assumption that black boys (only) need black role models in order to achieve success.
Raising the bar
From my perspective, a number of recent discussions and policy initiatives have missed the target when it comes to tackling the issue of educational under-performance in our schools. Even where I agree with the diagnosis, the prescribed medicine doesn’t seem to match. At classroom level, where it counts, there are a number of reasons why ‘raising […]
Peer courts - a good idea?
“Think back to the London riots, just think how many young people would not have gone to prison in 2011 if these systems were in place then?” A Conservative London Assembly Member, James Cleverly, is calling for a dramatic change in the approach to ‘teenage criminals’. He is asking the Met Police Commissioner to introduce […]
I will not let an exam result decide my fate
This post is for those of you who’ve ever wondered about the place of youth work in the modern day! Pondered what its role is in a society where ‘achieving’ at school is the mantra … and where ‘qualifications’ are seen as THE key to unlock career, wealth and happiness! Yet knowing, at the same time, that […]
Children’s rights in the UK
Children North East is a member of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE). This week we received their annual ‘State of Children’s Rights In England’ report. The UK is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and as such our government is required to report every 5 years to the […]
Let’s banish Section 28 forever
A week or so ago I tweeted about the dreadful Section 28. I fully understand why Section 28 is being talked about so much in the wake of Lady Thatcher’s death and like most sensible people I want it to RIP. This year, even before Thatcher’s’ death, the Equal Marriage legislation had brought Section 28 […]
I make mistakes that I learn from ’cause I’m young…
A quick post this and one I’ll start by stating firstly that I think Ann Barnes has rightly condemned Paris Brown’s tweets as being ‘silly’ and ‘offensive’, secondly I’ll add that I’d not usually go for Tulisa lyrics for my blog titles but in this case, it’s appropriate… As you’ve likely seen in the news […]
Rich pickings in foster care
In January the Financial Times carried a piece about the investment potential for private companies seeking to invest in foster care. Entitled Fostering Sector Ripe For Consolidation, it begins in seductive fashion not with high finance or balance sheets but with the personal experience of carers who are clearly dedicated to the disabled child they […]