SPPC seeking poster proposals for Annual Conference

The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC) is seeking posters to present interesting projects ahead of its Annual Conference on 20 September. The deadline for proposals for posters is 21 August.

Early Years and Childcare

Research finds that an egg a day could help child growth

A study published in the journal Paediatrics has found that an egg a day might help undernourished young children grow to a healthy height. The findings were the result of a six-month study in Ecuador, where poor nutrition is a major cause of growth and development stunting. Researchers gave 80 (out of 160) children (aged six to nine months) an egg a day for six months and found that stunting was far less common in the treatment group by the end of the study.

Justice

Criminal Advice and Remittals to the Children’s Hearing System report published

The Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice has published a report which aims to provide evidence to inform Scotland’s Youth Justice Strategy for 2015 to 2020 by supporting the diversion from prosecution and custody of young people, including increasing cases that are remitted from the criminal courts to Children’s Hearings. The reported examines the types of offences and proceedings where criminal court request advice or remitted to Children’s Hearings and Children’s Hearings’ advice provided to criminal courts, and decisions on remittals from courts.

IRISS FM podcasts with Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice available

IRISS FM has released two new podcasts with the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ), Residential Care Workers and secure care staff. The podcasts discuss research carried out by the CYCJ in 2016 on offending, residential childcare and secure care.

Looked After and Accommodated Children

Charity launches new residential services in the Highlands

The Scottish children’s charity Aberlour has opened three new residential houses in the Highlands, as part of a drive that aims to protect vulnerable young people. The houses will be located in Inverness, Fort William and Tain and will provide a home environment to five children, aged between eight and 18. The houses have been opened in partnership with The Highland Council and are an extension of the charity’s Sycamore service which manages five houses in Fife.

Mental Health

ISD Scotland publishes latest mental health waiting times figures

Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland has published a quarterly update on mental health waiting times in Scotland. According to the figures, the number of children and young people seen by mental health services (CAMHS) within the target time has increased for the third consecutive quarter. Figures published by ISD Scotland show that 83.6% of people were seen within 18 weeks during the quarter ending 31 March 2017, up from 82.5% in the previous quarter. 4,333 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS in Scotland which is similar to the previous quarter (4,331) but a decrease from quarter ending March 2016 (4,496).

King’s Fund publishes mental health integration lessons (England)

A report highlighting how Vanguard sites in England are realising opportunities for the integration of physical and mental care has been published by the King’s Fund. The research, conducted in partnership with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, found that where new models of care have been used to remove the barriers between mental health and other parts of the health system, local professionals saw this as being highly valuable in improving care for patients and service users. Vanguard sites are communities across England where new integrated care models are being deployed and evaluated.

Other

New Health and Social Care Standards launched

Scotland’s new Health and Social Care Standards have been launched, with human rights at their core. The standards, which will be implemented on 1 April 2018, will apply to the NHS as well as services registered with the Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and set out the standard people should expect when using health or social care services. They are focused on improving people’s experience of care and are based on five outcomes:

  • I experience high quality care and support that is right for me
  • I am fully involved in all decisions about my care and support
  • I have confidence in the people who support and care for me
  • I have confidence in the organisation providing my care and support
  • I experience a high quality environment if the organisation provides the premises.

They are also underpinned by five principles: dignity and respect; compassion; be included; responsive care and support and wellbeing; which reflect the way that everyone should expect to be treated.

Care Inspectorate statistics available to everyone

The Care Inspectorate collects a wide range of statistical information about Scotland's care services. We have been looking at ways to make this information more accessible and useful to everyone and we have now published the following two sets of data:

  • Our Datastore, which provides information about the type and quality of care services in Scotland. It can provide information such as the number of care homes for older people in a particular area, or how many complaints have been upheld in the last year. This is updated on a monthly basis.
  • Our Statistical Summary Reports, which presents data on the number of registered care services, new registrations and cancellations, complaints about care services and quality theme grades all by care service type and or service sector. This is updated on a quarterly basis.

All content is available under the Open Government License, unless otherwise stated.

SSSC’s Ann McSorley to present modern apprenticeship research findings

The Scottish Social Services Council’s Learning and Development Manager Ann McSorley will present her research paper on modern apprenticeships (MAs) to the 18th International Conference on Human Resource Development in Lisbon on 9 June. Ann’s research paper explores the development of modern apprenticeships in Scotland and models of evaluating the experiences and characteristics of good practice. It identifies that while there is significant literature on apprenticeships, there is limited research on policy and practice relating to devolved nations within the UK and specifically in social services. The research paper proposes further studies to evaluate the experiences and characteristics of good practice in apprenticeships.

Carers Week (12 – 18 June 2017)

A range of events will take place to celebrate Carers Week during 12 – 18 June. This year the focus of the campaign is ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities’ which support carers to look after their loved ones well, while recognising that they are individuals with needs of their own.

Year of the Young People 2018 event

The Year of the Young People 2018 event, led by the Scottish Government, Young Scot, Children in Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, is now welcoming proposals for both new and existing events to develop a celebratory events programme. The programme will put young people at the centre of its development and delivery. EventScotland will manage proposals with a deadline for applications of Monday 12 June 2017 for events taking place 1 January – 31 December 2018.

General Election results

No party is able to form a majority at Westminster following the General Election on 8 June, as reported by the BBC. With one seat still to declare, the Conservatives are the largest party, winning 318 seats. Labour won 261 seats, 29 more than in 2015. In Scotland, the results were as follows:

  • SNP: 35
  • Conservative: 13
  • Labour: 7
  • Liberal Democrats: 4

Disclaimer
This weeklybulletin isproducedas an updateon the keyissues concerningchildren
and youngpeople.Each itemin the bulletin hasahyperlinked headlinethatwill take thereadertothe original source.
Wecollateitemsfromour parliamentaryandScottishGovernmentmonitoring coveringhealth and social care news fromthroughoutthe UK,current research andpolicydevelopment.Weuse avarietyofsources,includingalerts fromNewsdirect, CommunityCare, ChildrenYoungPeople Now andISDScotland.
Weaimto be representative rather than comprehensive, so we tryto cover onlythe mainScottish stories,alongwith somestories fromtherest of the UK. It shouldbenoted that these itemsare the works of others andareneitherauthorised nor endorsed bythe Care Inspectorate, with theexception of publicationswhich areidentifiedas Care Inspectorate publications.
It shouldalso benotedthatthe CareInspectoratehas no liabilityin respectofthe
content of external websiteswhich maybe signpostedonthis site.

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