29th November

Osborne doubles free nursery places for two-year-olds: Chancellor's £380m boost for toddlers in mini-Budget
A major increase in free childcare will be unveiled today as the Government steps up its efforts to intervene earlier in children’s lives.

Chancellor George Osborne will use his mini-Budget to double the number of two-year-olds receiving free nursery care, with an additional £380million a year in funding by 2014-15.

The Coalition promised universal nursery education for three and four-year-olds last year.  

It also made a pledge to extend this to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds. A Government source said: ‘We’re aiming to close the gaps between young children that are opening up even before they hang up their coats for their first day at school.

‘Currently six out of ten two-year-olds from the poorest families do not experience any formal early education – the participation rate in the wealthiest homes is 72 per cent.’

Other measures expected today include:

• A delay in a 3p rise in fuel duty to come into effect in January;
• A £30billion programme of public works, mainly funded by investments from British pension funds;
• A big increase in the annual levy on bank balance sheets;
• Rail fares capped at 1 per cent above inflation next year;
• A £1billion fund to help the young unemployed;
• A dramatic acceleration in the increase in the state pension age to 67;
• A £250million scheme to ease the impact of climate change taxes on energy intensive firms.

Mr Osborne is also expected today to unveil a big squeeze on working tax credits, Gordon Brown’s favoured method of channelling cash to less wealthy families.

Critical observers would say that toddlers should not be in need of any formal nursery provision or childcare and should be in the care of their mothers.

However, ministers believe that the reality of modern living means many  mothers cannot afford not to work.

 Iain Duncan Smith, the government’s leading champion of early intervention, argues that the state must intervene earlier to provide parenting support for failing families at the bottom end of society.

The Chancellor also wants to wean families off means tested benefits and concentrate resources on children’s earliest years. 

A source said: ‘This is part of the Government’s approach to child poverty and social mobility, aiming to fundamentally change the prospects of children by focusing on early years service provision as a better way to improve life chances than means tested transfers. 

‘This goes further and offers more help to hard-working families to help boost life chances.’

 Totalling £650million over the next three years, the targeted extra funding will double the number of two-year olds covered to 260,000 – around 40 per cent. Compared with this year, 130,000 more will have access to 15 hours of free education and care a week – up from just 20,000 in 2010.

Earlier this year, Mr Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, led calls for earlier state intervention in children’s lives to provide parenting support.

He said: ‘A child’s life development score at just 22 months can serve as an accurate predictor of educational outcomes at 26 years’. He also pointed to research which showed that parental interest in their children’s education could increase their chances of moving out of poverty as an adult by 25 percentage points.

He added: ‘Shamefully, this is a story that has hardly changed in the last decade.’

In another move, the Chancellor will dramatically bring forward the year when the state pension age will climb again to 67.

Whitehall sources said an announcement would come as early as next week.

Under Labour’s timetable, the pension age was set to reach 67 between 2034 and 2036. But ministers say Britain’s ageing population and spiralling pension costs mean that is untenable. 

source: James Chapman, Mail Online

25th November

Fear of isolation prevents neediest parents from accessing early years groups The neediest parents are being held back from accessing early years services because of fears over being judged or left isolated, a report by the University of Bristol has found.

Funded by The Economic and Social Research Council and Barnardo’s, the study found that first-time visits to early years groups could be so off-putting that some mothers did not return.

Dr Sue Jones, from the University of Bristol’s School for Policy Studies, interviewed 30 parents from a working class area in Bristol to identify the factors behind why some parents use early years groups regularly and others not at all.

"Despite the concerns of government agencies, such as social services and education authorities, that many ‘hard-to-reach’ parents do not use early years groups, there has been little research into the social and psychological factors that underlie why these parents choose not to attend," she said.

source: Janaki Mahadevan, Children & Young People Now

23rd November

Parents struggle to cope with their children's bad behaviour
Parents are increasingly concerned about children's aggressive behaviour, often leading to feelings of desperation and shame, charity Family Lives has warned.

Analysis of calls taken by the charity’s Parentline between July 2010 and June 2011 revealed that of 39,258 calls, 27 per cent were seeking advice on children’s behaviour with parents frequently reporting feelings of helplessness. 

But respondents to a web survey conducted over a month between September and October 2011 found that only 56 per cent of parents had sought help for their child’s aggressive behaviour.

Of the 205 parents and carers who completed the survey, 44 per cent reported that children misbehaved almost every day and in 70 per cent of cases this misbehaviour involved angry outbursts, swearing and aggression towards parents or their siblings.

Jeremy Todd, chief executive of Family Lives, said: "There are many reasons that can explain why children behave in an aggressive way at home. Answers commonly include an inadequate approach to parenting, a lack of respect, sudden and unpredictable changes to the family routine, parental domestic violence or bullying at school, which causes the anger and hurt to spill out at home.

"Whatever the reasons, children, parents, families and ultimately society will pay a huge cost if this growing area of concern is not addressed, and parents must feel able to come forward to seek support without worrying about being judged."

From the web survey nearly four in 10 parents were unsure as to the reasons behind their children’s aggressive behaviour.

The charity is now recommending that in its response to the Family Justice Review, the government ensures that parents receive the support to meet the needs of their children during the separation of parents.

The government is also called upon to commit to examining sustainable ways of better integrating family support services with universal services to remove any stigma surrounding seeking help.

source: Janaki Mahadevan, Children & Young People Now

16th November

Education Bill receives Royal Assent
Legislation that gives teachers the power to search pupils, entitles all disadvantaged two-year-olds to free early education and gives the Education Secretary powers to close down underperforming schools has received Royal Assent.

The Education Act 2011 is the next step in a major programme of education reforms for the coalition government.

It rubberstamps measures to transfer some duties from five arm's length bodies, including the Children’s Workforce Development Council, into new executive agencies accountable to the Education Secretary.

The act also outlines a new focus for the children’s inspectorate Ofsted and exempts schools judged as "outstanding" from routine inspections. The procedure for the establishment of new schools will also now give preference to academies and free schools.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "This new legislation hands to teachers all the powers they need to ensure that every classroom is a safe and ordered place where children are free to learn. It focuses school inspection on educational standards and strengthens school accountability to drive continued improvement in academic standards.

"We are determined to deliver for parents the type of schools they want for their children and this new Education Act is an important part of this programme."

The latest Education Bill to receive Royal Assent follows the Academies Act 2010, which became legislation in July 2010.

source: Janaki Mahadevan, Children & Young People Now

14th November

Local authorities urged to make space for two-year-olds in nurseries
Local authorities will be asked to look at how to increase capacity in early years settings in their area to ensure that they will be able to provide sufficient places for disadvantaged two-year-olds.

Ideas being considered by some local authorities include increasing the number of three-and four-year-olds in nursery classes in schools to allow early years settings to offer more places for two-year-olds.

Speaking in advance of the consultation on proposed changes to the Code of Practice, children’s minister Sarah Teather told delegates at a 4 Children conference in London, ‘We’re about to consult on the specifics of how to deliver the free entitlement.’

Ms Teather said that there was a lot of work to do in many local authorities to increase capacity but that was why the two-year-old places were being phased in so that local authorities could build up capacity on the ground.

‘I do know the situation is difficult and it’s not the easiest time to increase capacity,’ she said.

One delegate from Brent commented that in some London boroughs there was a dearth of property to increase childcare provision, even though many providers wanted to increase their numbers, and asked whether there was likely to be capital funding available.

Ms Teather replied that it was ‘very unlikely’ that there would be any funding for capital budgets during the current spending review and said that local authorities would need to identify spare capacity in terms of space and work creatively.

The children’s minister urged local authorities to share good practice, citing work being carried out in Tower Hamlets to encourage existing settings to offer more two-year-old places by increasing the number of three-and-four-year-olds in nursery classes in schools, in order to free-up space in early years settings.

Nurseries in Rotherham have been spreading the free entitlement over 52 weeks and opening earlier to increase the number of places they offer.

In Gloucestershire the council is using an innovative lead childminder system to improve good practice.

The Government will also publish estimates of the number of two-year-olds in each local authority area that will be entitled to places to support local authorities to build their capacity.

Childcare sufficiency assessments will end and be replaced by an annual report that each local authority will publish on childcare in their area, which Ms Teather said would be more accessible for parents.

From September 2013, a legal entitlement to nursery education will be extended to 20 per cent of two-year-olds. The offer will be given to the poorest children, using eligibility criteria for free school meals, as well as looked-after children.

source: Catherine Gaunt, Nursery World

10th November

Ombudsman identifies common faults of school admission appeal panels
Lack of communication with parents, absence of impartiality and a failure to accurately record events have all been identified as common failures of school admission appeal panels.

In its latest report the local government ombudsman concludes that school admission appeal panels often make recurring mistakes, subjecting parents and children to unjust rulings.

The local government ombudsman receives more than 1,000 complaints every year about school admission appeals and finds fault with about 28 per cent.

As well as identifying common failures of appeal panels, the report cites examples of six parents and their children who experienced unfair hearings, including a panel that failed to check that the distance between a home and a school was calculated accurately and a panel that awarded some places to children from a feeder school but not others.

Ombudsman Dr Jane Martin said: "Every year we receive a large number of complaints on school admission appeals. While each case is different and receives individual attention, we are alert to trends and themes both within schools and across authority areas. We want to draw attention to the repeated mistakes we see and help admission authorities to avoid these pitfalls in future."

Parents have the right of appeal to an independent panel, appointed by the local authority or school governing body, against an admission authority’s decision if their child is not allocated a place at the preferred school.

The report recommends that appeal panels provide clear written information to parents in advance of the hearing and make sure the panel’s position is explained and understood by parents.

Panels are also urged to treat parents in the same way as representatives of the school admission authority and ensure each case is properly understood and addressed on its individual merits.

Notes of the proceedings must be full and legible, according to the ombudsman, and letters of decision made must be written in clear English to ensure parents understand why an appeal has not succeeded.

source: Janaki Mahadevan, Children & Young People Now

3rd November

New admissions code for schools prioritises adoptees
Children who are adopted will be given priority in the hunt for sought-after school places under a new admissions code announced yesterday.

Until now, only those in care have been given preferential treatment on the grounds they have no parental advocate to argue their cause. However, anecdotal evidence showed that this had led to some prospective parents delaying signing their final adoption orders to secure a good placement for charges.

The Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "Many of these children have had traumatic experiences in their early lives. They don't stop being vulnerable just because they are now in a loving home." He added: "This will speed up some adoptions – we know that some adoption orders are delayed until a child has started school because priority currently ends when that child leaves care."

The new code also introduces the idea of a single national offer day for all parents trying to get their children into primary schools. All places will be allocated on the same day – 14 April.

The code also confirms plans to allow over-subscribed schools to expand, for infant schools to ignore the class size limit of 30 if it is to take in twins, and schools to give priority to members of staff's children. In addition, schools will no longer be allowed to use lotteries as the main means for selecting applicants.

source: Richard Garner, The Independent

1st November

Councils told not to weaken Sure Start
Early years experts have issued a warning against weakening the impact of Sure Start children's centres as local authorities reconfigure services and explore new models of provision to target more vulnerable families.

Reduced resources coupled with a shift away from the strict targets set out under Labour’s Sure Start programme have resulted in councils attempting to remodel services across the country.

Radical proposals

Reforms set out by the coalition government are also likely to see changes in the way services are provided from children’s centres. Twenty-seven local authorities are trialling payment-by-results in centres.

Health visitors will be increasingly expected to undertake outreach work, with the aim to recruit an extra 4,200 by 2015. The government is also considering accelerating plans to guarantee a named social worker for every children’s centre, following the recommendations in Professor Eileen Munro’s review of child protection.

Manchester City Council is consulting on proposals to replace its centres with an outreach-based service to reach more families, despite early years spending in the area falling from £29m to £7m. It believes the new service could allow it to reach 80 per cent of families, compared to the third that currently use their centres.

Afzal Khan, Manchester’s lead member for children’s services, said the council’s early years plans will allow it to make the most of fewer resources. "The emphasis on outreach will help us and our health sector partners to identify those most in need and start helping them earlier – even before birth in some cases," he said.

But Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4children, said that children’s centres should be cautious about replacing existing services with outreach work. Instead, she claimed centres should expand community-based provision to counter cuts and maintain universal access.

"We want more families to get robust support, rather than many more families getting something that is very diluted," she said. "We would suggest that centres are used as community hubs, so they are maximized 24/7. For example, community groups could use centres for self-help groups and peer-to-peer support."

Longfield argued that existing centre-based provision is vital for early intervention. "We shouldn’t abandon universality," she said. "That’s how you best reach out to the most vulnerable families. We would be really worried if we were just looking at outreach work without follow-through support."

She claimed the government’s drive to transform the lives of the 120,000 most troubled families could be based out of children’s centres. "That way, families can get intensive support, but they also have somewhere they can keep going back to," she said. "We don’t want families getting piecemeal support from different agencies. That might mean the statistics for contact with families are high, but it won’t lead to a long-term solution for families."

Rhian Beynon, head of policy and campaigns at the charity Family Action, which runs a children’s centre in Manchester, warned that an over-dependence on outreach could mean that some families miss out on support. She insisted that a mix of outreach work, centre-based services and home-based support works best.

"Family support is necessary to get some people out of the door. Health visitors are incredibly important from an outreach perspective because they identify families and use their clinical training to support child development," she said.

"But they do not offer long-term practical and emotional support. They don’t have time to sit down over endless cups of tea with a parent and discuss the fact they feel flummoxed by household budgets or don’t know what to do about getting the children up in the mornings."

Community centres

June O’Sullivan is chief executive of the London Early Years Foundation, a social enterprise that runs two "multi-generational" children’s centres in Westminster and Paddington. She said opening centres to the whole community is the only way to make them economically viable.

She said: "If you want to enrich communities, you have to work with all ages. For example, we have a knitting group with older and younger people and we do stuff with toddlers and teenagers."

O’Sullivan added that current health visitor training does not prepare professionals to work in community-based centres. She suggested that nursery nurses should be offered the chance to train as specialist health visitors.

"That would build on the skills of people already in the field and combine the community and health visiting skills," she said.

Figures obtained by shadow children’s minister Sharon Hodgson have revealed that nine out of 10 local authorities admitted to cutting spending for children’s centres next year.

source: Lauren Higgs, Children & Young People Now