Putting Sibling Relationships on the Map
A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective
Edited by Martina Klett-Davies
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Welcome to February's issue of the Family and Parenting Institute's newsletter.
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1. News
2. Family Policy Digest
3. Horizon scan
4. Forward look
5. Notice board
6. Consultations
1. News
Staying safe
The Government published its 'Staying Safe: Action Plan' at the beginning of February which outlines DCSF's three-year plan to improve children and young people's safety.
Mosquito
A debate around the anti-gang device 'Mosquito' raged in the media recently. The Family and Parenting Institute is concerned about the use of the device; not only because it excludes young people from public areas but also the unknown effects that it has on young children.
The discussions came days after the Home Office announced its new plans to clamp down on underage drinking and the subsequent damaged caused to communities.
British Social Attitudes Survey
This survey showed a change in people's attitudes towards the family with only 28 per cent of people saying that married couples make better parents than unmarried ones, and 61 per cent feeling that donor insemination should be allowed in the case of a single woman who could not have a child naturally.
Conservatives launch Childhood Review
The Conservative Party published their Childhood Review setting out plans to make parks and streets more secure from bullying, crime and other dangers. The review's author, Shadow Universities and Skills Secretary David Willetts MP, said the outdoors seemed "hostile" to children and parents.
At the same time the Conservative Party said it would like to investigate introducing a universal system of maternity nurses for mothers similar to the Dutch Kraamzorg.
Meet the parents
Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Michael Gove MP set out some of his ideas about education and support for parents during the Family and Parenting Institute's Meet the Parents event last month
2. Digest
The latest edition of the Family Policy Digest came out on 7th February. It includes a report on low wages and the working poor, the Conservative Party's plans for welfare reform and the Government's strategy for tackling childhood obesity.
3. Horizon scan
3. Horizon scanUpdated guidance on charity campaigning imminent
The final version of The Charity Commission's revised guidance on campaigning and political activities is being considered and should be published next month.
Council of Europe will launch a Europe-wide initiative to ban corporal punishment
This year the Council of Europe through its "Building a Europe for and with children" drive will launch a Europe-wide awareness-raising initiative against corporal punishment of children.
Budget speech
The Chancellor of the Exchequer will make his Budget speech on Wednesday 12th March at 12.30pm.
Treasury
Child Health Promotion Programme Guide
The Department of Health is issuing this Spring a guide for commissioners, providers and practitioners on the Child Health Promotion Programme. This will update the NSF Standard 1 and include new priorities such as obesity prevention, intensive intervention for the most at risk children and families and a greater emphasis on parenting support.
Children's workforce action plan
The DCSF will publish an action plan for the children's workforce in early 2008, as announced in the Children's Plan . It will also re-examine the remits and scope of the organizations undertaking sector skills council, workforce reform and in the longer term regulatory roles. It will explore the possibility of bringing some groups that are currently supported by other sector skills councils within the remit of the Children's Workforce Development Council.
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4. Events calendar - Forward look
Check here for upcoming events in the family and parenting world. Please let us know of your forthcoming events so we can include them.
5. Notice board
New FPI publication
'Hard to Reach families'
Engagement in the Voluntary and Community Sector
Published in January this year, this report looks at the difficulties in working with hard to reach families and the strategies to overcome them as well as the training and support needs of practitioners to assist this.
National Academy for Parenting Practitioners Training
The Academy is offering a series of course for practitioners over the next few months including a free one-day course to help participants communicate better with parents and carers and signpost them on to local sources of help and information; a generic Work with Parents course recognised by the City and Guilds (offered one day a week over 20 weeks) and a specialist training programme for Parenting Practitioners in the Youth Justice sector.=NAPP
International Attachment Network Discussion Day 23rd February 2008
The network is running a day of focus group type workshops on 23rd February and talks to explore how principles of social interaction from attachment theory and research might usefully be applied to the workplace. Chair of the network is the Family and Parenting Institute's Senior Research Fellow Helen Barrett.
International Attachement Network
Care Matters: Holding Children in Mind
A joint conference by the tavistock clinic and the British association for adoption & fostering
Clifford Chance (Canary Wharf) on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 February 2008
For all queries please contact: conferences@baaf.org.uk
New campaign workshops for parents in 2008
Six free workshops to help parents make every disabled child matter locallyEDCM
The British Heart Foundation
is demanding a complete ban on all forms of marketing of junk food to children. There is a petition to sign:End Child Poverty
Your support is vital to the Campaign to End Child Poverty, join us know in asking the Chancellor to make the next budget, a budget to end child poverty
Fatherhood Institute
Fathers Direct has been renamed the Fatherhood Institute. They have launched a new DAD information service, including a website for fathers, www.dad.info (live on 1 March).
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6. Consultations
The Home Office
are running three consultations relating to immigration and to forced marriage: 'Marriage visas: pre-entry English requirement for spouses'; 'Marriage to partners overseas' (deadline 27 February) and a 'Visitors consultation paper' (deadline 10 March).Home Office
There is also a consultation on
forced marriage
from the Ministry of Justice (deadline 14 March).Ministry of Justice
Childcare Act 2006: Future Approach to Fees and Subsidies
This consultation proposes a rise in registration fees for childcare providers with a cut in government subsidy, and a new fee band structure, with fees re-directed via local authorities to subsidise providers who most need it (deadline 20 February)DCSF
Department of Health Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act
consultation on the new vetting and barring service (deadline 20 February)Department of Health
Improving health, supporting justice consultation
on how health and social care services can be improved for people subject to the criminal justice system. This is a joint consultation between several departments (deadline 4 March)Department of Health
Suzie Peleg Information and Website Manager
www.familyandparenting.org
February 2008
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