News story: One of the largest mental health trials launches in schools

Hundreds of children and young people will learn how to use a range of innovative techniques to promote good mental health through one of the largest studies in the world of its kind.

To mark Children’s Mental Health Week (4-10 February), the Education Secretary Damian Hinds announces that up to 370 schools in England will take part in a series of trials testing different approaches to supporting young people’s mental health.

Children will benefit from mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises to help them regulate their emotions, alongside pupil sessions with mental health experts. The study will run until 2021 and aims to give schools new, robust evidence about what works best for their students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Mr Hinds also confirmed the nine areas across the country that will trial new high-quality mental health assessments for young people entering care, helping them get the support they need to meet their individual needs at a time when they are more vulnerable.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children, while potentially making others worse.

Schools and teachers don’t have all the answers, nor could they, but we know they can play a special role which is why we have launched one of the biggest mental health trials in schools. These trials are key to improving our understanding of how practical, simple advice can help young people cope with the pressures they face.

To support this, we’re introducing compulsory health education in all schools, within which children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, wellbeing and happiness right from the start of primary school.

We are rolling out significant additional resources to schools to improve mental health provision at an earlier stage through the Government’s Green Paper proposals, including awareness of ‘mental health first aid’ techniques and teams of trained mental health staff to work with and in schools.

Led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in partnership with University College London, the school study is now in its second wave and recruiting more primary and secondary schools to join.

The trials are designed to explore the impact of different approaches at school, in recognition of the significant time children spend at school and the important role teachers can play in recognising changes in pupils’ behaviour or mood.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

I want to see all children and young people have the opportunity to flourish – and protecting their mental health is vital to this.

I’m incredibly excited by this initiative, which will help young people better understand their mental health and identify when they need to ask for help sooner.

To explore what works in schools to support young people’s mental wellbeing, the trials will test five different approaches. These include:

  • Two approaches focused on increasing awareness in secondary schools through short information sessions either led by a specialist instructor or by trained teachers. These include a set of tools to increase understanding of mental health and mental disorders among both pupils and teachers.
  • Three approaches in primary and secondary schools that focus on lighter-touch approaches such as exercises drawn from mindfulness practice, breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques and recognising the importance of support networks including among their own peers.

The mental health assessment pilots, also run by the Anna Freud Centre, will look at providing improved mental health assessments for children entering the care system. Currently an estimated half of all children in care meet the criteria for a possible mental health disorder, compared to one in ten children outside the care system, so these pilots – backed by £1 million announced last year – will identify the mental health and broader wellbeing needs of these children, including whether a referral to a more specialist service is needed.

The areas include two of the Government’s Opportunity Areas Doncaster and the North Yorkshire Coast, where the programme will examine which professionals should be involved in the assessment and develop best practice that ensures every child’s individual needs are at the centre of the process.

Dr Jessica Deighton from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families said:

We know schools have a strong commitment to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing but have had little clear guidance about the best ways to approach this. We want children and young people, parents and teachers to be confident that mental health in schools has an absolutely robust evidence base.

This world leading research which, we at the Anna Freud Centre are proud to be leading, will provide that and has the potential to transform mental health promotion in schools across England. We also need to better identify the mental health needs of the most vulnerable children in society, particularly children in the care system, and an improved mental health framework will greatly help.

The announcements build on the Government’s wider investment in support for children’s mental health in schools, including bringing in specialist support teams with the mental health trailblazers programme, to ensure every young person is given the tools to thrive despite challenges they may face growing up.

Catherine Roche, Place2Be CEO said:

We welcome these trials in continuing to build an evidence base of effective ways to make a real difference to children’s mental health. We know from Place2Be’s work in schools across the UK the importance of working not only with children and young people, but in partnership with teachers, parents, and the wider community to promote mental health and life-long resilience.

Action for Children’s director of policy and campaigns, Imran Hussain, said:

Every day our frontline services see children and teenagers struggling to get to grips with how they fit into the increasingly complex modern world – contending with things like intense pressure at school, bullying or problems at home, all while being bombarded by social media.

It’s really encouraging to see the Government taking action to tackle the children’s mental health crisis by trialling different approaches in schools. We know from our own school programmes how vital it is to step in early with support to stop problems in their tracks. Crucially, services like these can lessen the anxiety, pain and anguish that some teens go through, but also reduce their need for intensive support further down the line.




Government response: Government response to Nissan manufacturing update

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“Nissan’s announcement is a blow to the sector and the region, as this was to be a further significant expansion of the site and the workforce. The company has confirmed that no jobs will be lost. They have reiterated today their commitment to the UK by continuing to manufacture in Sunderland the current Qashqai, Leaf and Juke models and the new Qashqai model from 2020.

“The UK automotive industry is a vital sector for the British economy which draws on our combination of rich automotive heritage and cutting edge innovation. Its role in providing high skilled well paid jobs, innovative R&D and investment is why we are determined to build on these strengths to make the UK a leader in the next generation of autonomous and electric vehicles through the Automotive Sector Deal, as part of our modern Industrial Strategy.”

Published 3 February 2019




News story: Design for new product safety marking

Today (2 February 2019) the government has published the design for the UK marking for certain products to be sold in the UK, which would replace the CE marking in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

The CE marking is placed on specific products including toys, machinery and electrical equipment to show that they are compliant with the relevant EU regulatory requirements. In most cases the CE marking can be applied to products tested by the manufacturer. For some products, there is a legal requirement for the product to be assessed by a third-party assessment body (usually a ‘Notified Body’) to confirm they meet relevant regulatory requirements.

In a ‘no-deal’ scenario, the EU will stop recognising the competency of UK-based Notified Bodies to assess products for the EU market. Therefore, manufacturers using UK-based Notified Bodies to assess products against the requirements of EU law will no longer be able to apply the CE marking.

The government intends to reclassify UK Notified Bodies as UK Approved Bodies. These bodies will be eligible to assess products against relevant UK requirements and issue the UK marking to compliant products.

In most cases, manufacturers would not need to use the UK marking immediately in the event of the UK exiting the EU without a deal. Manufacturers will be able, for a period of time, to continue to use the CE marking when placing their products on the UK market if their product meets the relevant EU requirements. This would include products that have had any necessary third-party assessment carried out by an EU-recognised body. The government would consult businesses before taking a decision on when this period would end.

Products being exported to the EU which currently require the CE marking will continue to require the CE marking to demonstrate compliance with the relevant EU regulatory requirements.

Delivering a deal with the EU remains the government’s top priority. The government is accelerating no-deal preparations to ensure the country is prepared for every eventuality, as it is the responsible thing to do and will continue to publish guidance to business and citizens to ensure they can make informed preparations.




News story: Free speech to be protected at university

New guidance that will protect lawful free speech and empower students and universities has been unveiled by ten leading organisations today (2 February), to ensure campuses still remain a forum for open and robust enquiry.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has collaborated with leading organisations from across the sector to develop new guidance to be used by all institutions and student unions, demonstrating the sector’s commitment to upholding freedom of expression.

This guidance is the first time that legal rights and obligations around free speech have been defined so coherently, empowering institutions, student unions and individuals to stand up for free speech and creating a structure for them to work together. It clarifies the limited occasions where free speech can lawfully be limited, allowing it to flourish for current and future generations of students.

Sector leaders agreed to create new guidance during a Department for Education free speech summit in May 2018, which has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with input from the National Union of Students, Universities UK, Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office for Students, Independent HE, Guild HE, Commission for Countering Extremism and Home Office.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said:

Free speech is a value integral to the independence and innovation that embodies the higher education sector in the UK, fuelling academic thought and challenging injustice. This guidance is a symbol of the commitment from across the sector to protecting freedom of speech.

The guidance provides a clear framework for institutions and student unions to work within, and provides additional clarity on the contentious issue of hate speech. It also sets out a clear benchmark of good practice around how these organisations can work together to facilitate and uphold free speech, alongside other requirements such as the Prevent Duty, which requires higher education institutions to safeguard staff and students from being drawn into terrorism.

I want to thank the EHRC and all the contributing organisations for their collaboration to make this vital feat possible.

David Isaac, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:

The free expression and exchange of different views without persecution or interference goes straight to the heart of our democracy and is a vital part of higher education. Holding open, challenging debates rather than silencing the views of those we don’t agree with helps to build tolerance and address prejudice and discrimination. Our guidance makes clear that freedom of speech in higher education should be upheld at every opportunity and should only be limited where there are genuine safety concerns or it constitutes unlawful behaviour.

Sir Michael Barber, Chair of the Office for Students, said:

I welcome this important and timely guidance. Freedom of speech is one of our most cherished values, and our higher education system should be at the forefront of its promotion and protection. A key part of a quality higher education experience should be that students confront and debate opinions and ways of thinking which may be different to their own. This guidance ensures that universities and student unions are clear on their responsibilities, allowing them to ensure that our higher education system remains a place where passionate but civil debate thrives.

Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive at Universities UK, said:

Universities are absolutely committed to promoting and protecting free speech. Universities host thousands of events each year – among a student population of more than two million – and the vast majority of these pass without incident.

Although there is little evidence of a systematic problem of free speech in universities, there is a legal duty on the higher education sector to secure free speech within the law and it is important that universities continually review their approaches.

This new guidance provides a useful tool that will help universities balance the numerous requirements placed upon them, including student safeguarding responsibilities, and supports their significant efforts to uphold freedom of speech.

NUS Vice President Higher Education, Amatey Doku said:

The Joint Committee on Human Rights in Parliament found that there was no widespread problem with freedom of expression at universities, and issues such as regulatory complexity or bureaucracy and reported self-censorship arising from the Prevent Duty were as much of a concern as the small minority of cases repeatedly cited in the media.

Students’ unions are required to ensure freedom of expression is upheld within the law: they are adept at doing so and support many thousands of events each year. However, as the guidance rightly notes, the right to freedom of expression is not absolute and that students’ unions and universities must balance that right with other legal duties. We were pleased to input into the drafting process in order to help identify where confusion can arise and to dispel some of the common myths around students’ union activity.

We hope that this guidance is read not only by universities and students’ unions but by anyone looking to understand or comment on freedom of expression in higher education – so that the future debate is informed and balanced, and ceases to be characterised by both misconception and exaggeration.

Dr David Llewellyn, Chair of GuildHE and Vice Chancellor, Harper Adams University said:

Higher education institutions are champions of free speech, places where ideas and views – even those that some might find offensive – can be rigorously discussed and challenged. Our staff, and others contributing to our educational and research activities, must be able to freely consider contentious issues.

We also have to be able to work with students to develop their ability to critically analyse what is being said, weigh up different arguments and contribute to the debate. That is why we welcome this new guidance, which will provide greater clarity on the rights and obligations for freedom of expression, particularly in areas such as the balance between our commitment to free speech and legislation to prevent radicalisation.

Alex Proudfoot, Chief Executive of IHE said:

Free speech is an essential ingredient of our sector and our civil society, but the average independent university bears little resemblance to the hyped-up image of higher education as a battleground for identity politics. Our members are too focused on providing a professional learning environment which support students from different backgrounds make the most of their abilities, and have yet to see any issues with freedom of expression.

This is a complex area of law for our members. While all institutions who register with the Office for Students have a duty to protect freedom of speech, those without public grant funding are subject to a different legislative framework, and they will welcome this comprehensive and accessible how-to guide on managing their legal responsibilities.

This timely guidance should help independent universities and colleges to navigate the existing bureaucracy, balancing any perceived risks to freedom of expression with their responsibilities under Prevent. At a time when the burden of regulation is rising, it is all the more important that any rules in this area be rigorously tested to ensure proportionality to the small and low-risk institutions in our membership.

Security Minister, Ben Wallace, said:

Free speech is vitally important to our democracy, and universities and students unions should continue to be an environment where people can discuss and share different viewpoints. “The Prevent duty is part and parcel of the wider safeguarding obligations all of us have towards people particularly vulnerable to grooming.

We welcome this document, which will support the higher education sector to think about the various issues they need to consider as they work to promote free speech.

Helen Stephenson CBE, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission for England and Wales, said:

Registered charities, particularly those with educational purposes such as students’ unions, can play a vital role in providing space for discussion and debate. We are pleased that this guidance will support trustees in their decision-making, making it easier for trustees to understand how they can ensure emotive subjects can be discussed and debated in an open, accessible environment.

We hope this guidance will help trustees make good, balanced decisions in order to bolster the positive impact their charities have on society.




Press release: UK welcomes formation of new Government in Lebanon

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Minister of State for the Middle East, Alistair Burt MP, said:

I congratulate President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri and welcome the announcement of the formation of Lebanon’s new government. This is an important moment for Lebanon.

The new government will have the increasingly important task of protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and stability, including through implementing the policy of disassociation from regional conflicts, and abiding by the provisions of all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, including 1559 and 1701. The United Kingdom will continue to support these goals, including strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces in its role as Lebanon’s sole and legitimate defender.

This is a very important time for the Lebanese economy, and we look forward to rapid progress being made on the commitments made at the CEDRE Conference in Paris on 6 April last year. The UK-Lebanon Business and Investment forum in London on December 12 was an important moment in demonstrating Lebanon’s commitment to delivering key economic reforms, and now is the time for action.

The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting Lebanon, particularly in the fields of security, education and economic growth, as well as by providing support to its most vulnerable.

Published 1 February 2019