Top PDF Children and equality : equality evidence relating to children and young people in England

We also know that infants under the age of 1 are more likely to be victims of homicide than any other age group. While one child aged under 16 died as a result of cruelty or violence each week in England and Wales in 2008/09, two-thirds of them were aged under five. 6 Evidence also shows that younger children (those under 8) are less likely to be consulted or involved in decision making. 7 Anecdotal evidence indicates that some professionals consider young children incapable of engaging in discussions leading to decisions about their lives, an attitude which denies them their say when many of them are in fact able to do so. Some welfare reforms introduced via the Welfare Reform Bill Act 2012 will also have a disproportionate effect on children and young people. Research produced by the Children’s Society has shown that 75% of people affected by the benefit cap to be imposed under s96 of the Act will be children - 210,000 children in all – and that children are nine times more likely than adults to be affected. 8

Incorporating the term ‘participation’ into the UK government’s policy on expanding higher education is strategic because this term is closely linked to human rights agendas. The term ‘participation’ is loaded and trades on the assumption that increasing numbers is synonymous with better forms of participation. The literatures on human rights, and children’s rights in particular, have addressed the concept of participation in a more general context. This paper draws on this previous work in order to expand the concept of participation specifically in relation to education. Roger Hart developed a model of young people’s participation related to citizenship and decision-making (based on earlier work by Arnstein) using a ladder to signify different levels of participation and non-participation (Hart, 1992). Each ascending rung corresponds to an increasing level of participation beginning with ‘manipulation’. Those who are manipulated are seen simply as being used to support the causes of others and one step up sees young people used to support a cause (e.g. b y use of images) but having no direct involvement in it (‘decoration’). The third rung of ‘Tokenism’ goes little further and in this case young people are presented as if they have a voice and yet they do not (for example, being asked to sit on a committee for the sake of appearing democratic). Further up the ladder, Hart identifies five hierarchical ways in which young people can participate more meaningfully in decisions affecting them. At the top level 8 children initiate shared decisions with adults allowing them maximum involvement in decisions affecting their lives. Although the model was developed with reference to children’s citizenship it serves to illustrate that there are many different levels at which young people might participate in their education too and simply looking at numbers enrolled in different stages of education may give a false impression of progress towards democratic ideals. It is proposed that in order maximise the potential of formal education processes to expand young peopl e’s capabilities it is vital that attention is focussed on developing more meaningful participation of young people.

The other less common disorders assessed on the survey include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), eating disorders, and other types of disorder, including tics. The survey sample was too small to examine some of these other disorders each in detail. For this reason, they were grouped together for the purposes of the current analyses. ASD include a number of disorders characterised by severe impairment in social interaction, communication, and the presence of stereotyped behaviours, interests, and activities. Symptoms include: language problems; difficulty relating to other people; unusual forms of play; difficulty with changes in routine, and repetitive movements or behaviour patterns.

Certain groups of children are more likely than others to have a behavioural disorder. Boys remain more likely than girls, and rates peaked in 11 to 16 year olds and were lowest in those aged 17 to 19. Caution, however, is needed with interpretation of the tail off in rates in this older age group. A diagnosis of behavioural disorder ideally needs evidence of impairment in different settings: and valid reports of this are easier to achieve with parent and/or teacher reports. Teacher reports were not obtained for any 17 to 19 year olds on the survey, and about half of 17 to 19 year olds did not have a responding parent. Given non-compliance is an aspect of behavioural disorder, it is likely that survey non-response will also be higher in this group. Another feature of this analysis also impacts on the ability to compare 5 to 16 year old participants with those aged 17 to 19: prevalence in the younger group was uprated with a small adjustment factor (1.06) that took account of the fact that some in this age group did not have a teacher report. Adjustment factors – their rationale, calculation, and impact – are discussed more fully in the Survey Design and Methods Report.

These terms are both used to indicate a number of disorders characterised by severe impairment in social interaction, communication, and the presence of stereotyped behaviours, interests, and activities. ‘Pervasive developmental disorder’ (PDD) is used in the ICD classificatory system, but was replaced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) with ASD, the term used most in this report. The category as used here consists mostly of ICD-10 classifications of autism and Asperger’s syndrome, but also some cases of other pervasive developmental disorders. Symptoms include: language problems, difficulty relating to other people, unusual forms of play, difficulty with changes in routine, and repetitive movements or behaviour patterns.

The clinical raters used information from the SDQ and DAWBA to assess whether each child showed evidence of a mental disorder. The SDQ is a brief behavioural screening questionnaire comprising positive and negative attributes about the child. The DAWBA uses structured questions which ask about symptoms relevant to each disorder type. Some of these questions asked whether the child had displayed these symptoms within a given reference period (for example, the last 4 weeks) or before a certain age (known as the age of onset) based on the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. In addition to these structured questions, the DAWBA also uses semi-structured

Life-course research focusing on childhood disability remains scarce (Powell, 2003; Watson, 2012). However, the few existing studies suggest that individuals who experi- ence childhood disability are likely to lag behind across a number of psycho-social dimensions in adulthood (Janus, 2009; Wells et al., 2003). Our study provides large-scale evidence for a process that disability scholars have previously referred to as ‘psycho- emotional disablism’ (Connors and Stalker, 2007; Thomas, 1999), which may be a criti- cal mechanism leading to adverse outcomes among disabled people (Link and Phelan, 2001). By demonstrating that there are specific disability-related bullying risks, we pro- vide additional support for earlier claims that disability should be considered as a factor contributing to the production and reproduction of stratification in its own right, indepen- dently of factors such as socio-economic status (Jenkins, 1991). By providing repre- sentative evidence on the victimisation of disabled children and young people, we underline the importance of furthering understanding of the victimisation of this group and draw attention to the school context as another site of reproduction of disability- related inequality. Overall, our study emphasises the importance of incorporating the role of bullying into future studies focusing on the outcomes of childhood disability and within theoretical accounts on the ways disabilities are constructed.

referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders. Symptoms include language problems; difficulty relating to other people; unusual forms of play; difficulty with changes in routine; and repetitive movements or behaviour patterns. Autism and Asperger’s syndrome are the most widely known form of PDD, and account for most cases. They are persistent, developmental conditions, often first recognised in early childhood (Landa et al., 2008), and estimated to be present in one in every hundred adults in England (Brugha et al., 2016). While ASD in adulthood is under researched, the condition is thought to have a major impact throughout the life course. For example, the higher rate of suicide in adults with ASD has started to get recognition (Pelton and Cassidy, 2017).

While this survey and others show that rates of smoking, drinking and drug use in young people are in decline (NHS Digital, 2018), these still remain important issues. Even relatively low levels of alcohol consumption in young adulthood are now known to have potentially lifelong consequences for health (Deanfield et al., 2017). The widespread use of e-cigarettes is relatively new and their use is increasing (NHS Digital, 2017). The findings in this report indicate that children under sixteen were more likely to have tried e-cigarettes than combustible tobacco. The longer-time implications of this have yet to emerge, however there is some evidence that e- cigarette use increases the risk that young people will subsequently go on to use combustible tobacco cigarettes (Byrne et al., 2018; McNeill et al., 2018).

I am pleased that noble Lords accepted the Government’s amendments on Report. That means that today’s debate is, I hope, starting from a strong position. The Bill already ensures that: young offenders, their parents and professionals working with them can request an assessment for an EHC plan and those assessments can now start in custody; EHC plans will provide up-to-date, current information on entry to custody, owing to the requirement for local authorities to maintain the EHC plans of those under 18 who are not in education, employment or training for any reason; both home local authorities and relevant NHS health service commissioners are under a duty to use their best endeavours to arrange the education and health provision set out in an EHC plan for children and young people in custody; EHC plans must be kept by the home local authority while a young offender is detained and must be reviewed and maintained again immediately on release; and both youth offending teams and relevant custodial institutions are required to co-operate with the local authority.

The impetus to hold a national review of services to disabled children sprang from a commitment made in the Scottish Parliament in March 2010, during a debate on the Public Services Reform Bill. The review was to start in May and deliver a report to Parliament by Christmas 2010. There were three main partners - the Scottish Government, COSLA and fSDC - plus a steering group comprising 24 local authority, health services, voluntary sector and academic representatives. The group was (and is) ably chaired by Harriet Dempster, former Director of Social Work Services for the Highland Council. Its aim was to “assess the current state of services for disabled children in order to begin the process of real change” (Scottish Government, 2011a:1). Delays in agreeing terms of reference meant that the group did not meet and work did not begin until September 2010. Thus the real time scale for the review was very short, with implications for its ability to consult with disabled children. A report and action plan was completed by Christmas although publication was delayed until February to give COSLA time to seek approval from its members. The steering group was reconvened, with some changes in membership, in August 2011 for a further seven months, with a remit to “provide direction, and oversight to the Scottish Government and partners in the implementation of the actions and principles in the National Review of Services for Disabled Children” (Scottish Government 2011b). At this point, the Chair made consulting with disabled children a priority, setting up a working group to take this forward with the aim of seeking children‟s views about aspects of the action plan and any missing items important to children. This work is on-going at the time of writing.

The research sought to identify the extent to which organisations allocated specific resources, such as staffing, premises and training and transport costs, to support children and young people’s participation. Tables 13a and 13b show that approximately three-quarters of both statutory and voluntary organisations (74% and 76% respectively) provided some dedicated staff time, ranging from several full-time workers to a small number of hours per week or month. Approximately six in ten statutory and voluntary organisations (60% and 57% respectively) cover the costs of training and events, while over half of respondents in both sectors said their organisation made premises available to children and young people and met transport and other costs of children and young people involved in decision-making. The least frequently provided form of support, of those asked about, was a budget controlled by young people involved in participation work. However, three in ten voluntary organisations said that children and young people had such a budget, compared to fewer than two in ten in the statutory sector.

Monitoring advocacy provision, the quality of individual advocacy support and how advocacy impacts on children, is essential. Currently monitoring is done by individual advocacy providers for internal and/or contract purposes. Local authorities also complete annual returns about children’s complaints (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2009). Nonetheless, very few large scale studies of advocacy have been carried out. (Oliver, Knight et al. 2006). To date there are no agreements about what aspects of advocacy should be monitored, whether there is a need for longitudinal studies, or what are the most useful monitoring instruments to be used.

2.56. Because the duty requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between women and men, it requires more than an acceptance of the status quo. For example, a gender analysis of enrolment on courses in further education might show that more men than women access engineering and IT courses. The reasons for this will be complex and varied. If a college wishes to challenge gender inequalities and facilitate women's access to technical qualifications, then it may decide to take action which could potentially increase applications from women. For example the college could take positive action by targeting women with relevant information or offering help with childcare. In this way, women's choices will not be constrained by lack of information or obstacles such as caring responsibilities. It is also usually the case that men are under-represented in the caring professions, such as nursing or childcare. As good practice, public authorities should consider existing research and examples of good practice to assist them in analysing the reasons for this and taking steps to address it, such as actively promoting the advantages of work in this area to boys in school.

Driven by these public concerns for the integration and national identity of British Muslims, this study sought to determine whether they identified with the nation. As alluded to by Cameron, a shared national identity is thought to promote social solidarity and cohesion (Jelen 2011). According to social theorists like Deutsch (1964), national identity is fostered by equality; however, immigrants, including those in Bradford, are commonly disadvantaged members of society. For example, 60% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi households in the UK live in poverty, compared to 20% of White British households (Modood 2006). In Bradford, the Muslim community is particularly disadvantaged in the areas of education and employment. According to the 2001 Census, more than half (50.7%) of all Muslim adults in Bradford had no educational or vocational qualifications, and nearly a third (30.3%) of all Muslim adults had never worked or were long-term unemployed (Office for National Statistics 2001c). The 2001 Home Office inquiry into the urban rioting also highlighted the Muslims' low level of

The rationale behind the pilot project was to challenge stereotypical views of men and women, as a more equal gender mix among childcare providers can ensure that children are cared for in an atmosphere of gender equal- ity, and also to show children that men, as well as women, can be caring. It was also hoped that the pres- ence of male childcare workers would also benefit staff and parents, as well as contributing to equality in the workplace. Ultimately it was hoped that the children exposed to nurturing male role models in this context would develop attitudes about male and female behav- iour which would carry over into their adult life. This has widespread implications for all household and domestic tasks and can potentially help to facilitate a more equal redistribution of these tasks between women and men. Children, and thus, in the long term, society, will benefit from more men working in child- care, as they will see that both men and women take responsibility for caring and will no longer be bound by traditional gender stereotypes.

 2009 General Social Survey (GSS), Cycle 23 on Victimization – Main and Incident Files: This survey asked Canadians about their experiences with and perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system in 2009. As with the 2008 GSS, the target population was Canadians aged 15 and over residing outside institutions in the provinces and territories. The survey included people living on reserves, but excluded residents of some remote regions in Nunavut.

assessments, detailing consultations and monitoring for any adverse impact by policies and initiatives on the promotion of race equality. The NHS is committed to reducing inequalities in health, meeting the needs of individuals and protecting human rights through the World Class Commissioning initiative and the NHS constitution. The Department of Health’s Operating Framework 2009/10, states that “where there is substantial or good evidence of health inequalities arising from discrimination or disadvantage, we will review the Vital Signs at a national level by socioeconomic group, ethnicity and other dimensions in order to consider any trends relating to equality or inequalities”. We conducted audits of all NHS trusts’ websites in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and supplemented this with a more rigorous and special data collection exercise in September 2008. Although a web audit is not a definitive test to demonstrate that trusts are meeting their publication obligations, we consider that web publication is a reasonable test that race equality schemes are being made easily accessible.

2.40 Our Special Education Needs strategy, an integral part of our overall educational strategy, aims to develop skills for key workers in education to help deliver a service which focuses on inclusivity for pupils of all ages. This includes supporting parents and carers, developing the knowledge and skills of key workers, and placing duties on schools to increase physical accessibility to school premises.The Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill, currently before Parliament, will place a statutory requirement on schools and colleges to ensure that pupils with disabilities and special needs are treated no less favourably than their peers.The £220m of increased funding for the Schools Access Initiative over the next three years reflects this principle. From April, £82 million from the Standards Fund is earmarked to improve provision for children with special educational needs.

When the children and young people from Amplify were asked what they would buy with £1,000 the answers were most frequently an iPhone, an Xbox, new shoes, branded clothes and holidays. Some children and young people asked for more money so they could buy cars, houses and even completely change their lifestyle so they could live like a footballer. Some young people also got very excited about owning an island. The main answers formed the option list for a similar question in the survey together with a follow up question on how owning these items would make them feel.