A Devon education "listening" event will take place on Wednesday 24th February, organised by Cllr Su Aves (St Sidwells and St James) of Devon’s Children’s Scrutiny Committee with Hannah Packham, the National Education Union (NEU)’s Regional Secretary. The discussion will bring together Devon teachers, school staff, parents, students and everyone with an interest in education to focus on priorities and aspirations for the county, both during and after the COVID pandemic.
After brief introductions from the panel, participants will be asked to break out into smaller groups by area...
Parents of 5-12 year old children from Devon who suffer from anxiety are being invited to join a research study looking at the best way to deliver treatment for child anxiety problems when there are social-distancing restrictions in place due to COVID-19.
The Co-CAT study (Child Anxiety Treatment in the context of COVID-19) is being led by Professor Cathy Creswell at the University of Oxford, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)/UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) COVID-19 Rapid Response Initiative. The study, being run locally by Devon Partnership Trust , will...
Concerns about child abuse have soared since national lockdown measures were first introduced, the NSPCC has found – with the average monthly number of referrals from the charity’s helpline on the issue increasing by over 100% in the South West.
The NSPCC has analysed its data from April to November and has found that the level of concern about emotional abuse, neglect, and physical abuse remain well above the pre-pandemic average.
Since April, the helpline has received 31,359 contacts from adults across the UK anxious about child abuse or neglect, referring half (50%)...
BARRISTERS at a Westcountry-based law service specialising in family and child law is supporting a new report that calls for parental breakdown to be moved away from a ‘justice’ response.
A 123-page report by the Family Solutions Group said that a legal response to parental disagreements over their children is inappropriate for many, and actively harmful for some.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who co-founded Children in the Middle® with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “The new report from the Family Solutions Group calls for a rethink of society’s...
Publishing house Panoma Press has announced the launch of a new children’s imprint, Panocub, which will focus on publishing important personal development and social themed books for children.
Since the independent publishing company was first launched in 2005 it has been committed to publishing books which have one purpose, to change lives. Having worked with hundreds of authors and negotiated sales and distribution relationships in over 50 countries, Panoma Press has become known for bringing important conversations to life through print, digital and audio. The publisher is also...
EXETER parents wishing to divorce or separate tend to keep their marriages and relationships going to cover specific holiday periods with their children according to family law experts.
Westcountry-based legal service, Children in the Middle® says this term can be a key for parents splitting-up, as it comes after the school holidays and, this year, months of home-schooling.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum a, who co-founded Children in the Middle® with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “During this longer break, people tend to try and keep it together for their...
A WESTCOUNTRY legal practice which specialises in child-focused family law says a youngster’s education and wellbeing is now more important than ever after the COVID-19 lockdown (September 2020).
It was recently revealed by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) that children from wealthier families were spending more time studying during the pandemic than poorer children.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who co-founded the legal service, Children in the Middle®, with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “Understandably, parents have had a lot to worry about...
JUDGE and family law expert Sarah Evans is heading-up a remote virtual Arbitration Service for divorcing or separating parents seeking legally-binding decisions about their children rather than going to court (August 2020).
Exeter-based Barrister Sarah, who helped found the Westcountry-based legal service, Children in the Middle®, is leading the service to offer people quick decisions with the same enforceability as a court order.
She explains: “Senior judges are urging people, especially during the current COVID-19 crisis, to seek alternatives to court and it can even be...
Local children are being urged to learn lifelong gas safety lessons this summer, while being in with a chance of winning a national competition.
Wales & West Utilities is calling upon local children to come up with something creative that raises awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) – known as the ‘silent killer’ because you can’t see it, smell it or taste it – ahead of the 30 September deadline.
The gas emergency and pipeline service, which runs the annual ‘Get Creative, Be Safe’ competition in Wales and the south west of England, is looking for...
Parents and guardians of babies under 12 months are advised not to cover their mouths with facemasks as it could cause breathing difficulties. While there have been no reports of ‘baby masks’ being sold in Devon, Torbay or Somerset, parents and guardians are urged not to buy them as they could harm their baby’s health.
The advice comes from Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service.
It follows reports that face masks for babies, also known as 'baby masks' or 'cute masks', are being sold in some parts of the country and online.
