Teenage depression no longer on the increase

The overall level of teenage mental health problems is no longer on the increase and may even be in decline, according to new research published by the Nuffield Foundation.

There was no rise in the level of emotional problems such as anxiety and depression amongst 11-15 year olds between 1999 and 2004. In the same period there was a slight decrease in the level of conduct problems such as lying and disobedience. This follows a 25 year period in which the rate of all these problems had risen dramatically (from 1974 to 1999).

Fair trials abroad - new research

Fair Trials International, an organisation defending the rights of those facing charges abroad, has published new research into the provision of consular assistance to people facing criminal charges abroad.

Consular assistance is a vital public service. For those outside their own country, detained hundreds of miles from home, unable to speak the local language, ignorant of the local legal system and with no idea of who to turn to for help, consular assistance provides a lifeline.

New family court reporting rules are unclear and will put privacy of vulnerable children at risk

New legislation to relax the restrictions on media reporting of family court cases lacks sufficient clarity about what can be reported and could put the privacy of vulnerable children at risk, according to a new briefing paper published by the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Oxford, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Northern Ireland's affirmative action programme for fair employment shows success

A study by a research team from the University of Oxford has found a direct association between the programme and improvements in fair employment, both for Catholics and Protestants.

Since 1989, Northern Ireland's affirmative action programme has used legal enforcement measures that aim to ensure that both communities in Northern Ireland - Catholics and Protestants - are ensured ‘fair participation’ in employment.

New resources for teaching deaf children

Specialist resources aimed at improving literacy amongst deaf children are now available online and are already proving popular with teachers.

The resources have been developed by Professor Terezinha Nunes from the University of Oxford and supported by the Nuffield Foundation and the National Deaf Children’s Society.

Learning to read and write is more difficult for deaf children because letters represent sounds and they do not make the subtle discriminations between speech-sounds required for using an alphabet.

Should social workers be expected to ‘do it all’?

Social workers in England have more responsibility and a wider remit than many of their continental European counterparts, according to a new report published by the Thomas Coram Research Unit at the Institute of Education, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Social workers in England have responsibility for all aspects of case management and direct contact with families, but in much of continental Europe these responsibilities are split between several different highly-trained professionals.

Childcare funding must double to achieve high quality

Daycare Trust, the National Childcare Campaign, will this week publish ground-breaking new research supported by the Nuffield Foundation defining high quality childcare and setting out how much it will cost to fund its roll-out across England.

Report calls for new system for freeing prisoners in England and Wales and new sentences for ‘dangerous offenders’

A new report from JUSTICE has called for a new system for freeing prisoners in England and Wales, to replace the current Parole Board.

The Parole Board currently decides whether and when to free all prisoners serving life sentences and those serving ‘dangerous offenders’ sentences, as well as some prisoners serving fixed-term sentences for older offences.

When Couples Part - new review on relationship breakdown

Research and practice organisation One Plus One has published a major review of the international research literature on the impact of relationship breakdown on the physical and psychological health of adults and children.

The review also examines the consequences for parenting, parent-child relationships and child wellbeing.

Visit the One Plus One website for more information about the review, or download the Executive Summary:

Promising start for new Family Drug and Alcohol Court

The new model Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) has the potential to improve outcomes for children by tackling the substance misuse of parents at an early stage of care proceedings, according to an independent report published today. 

Under the FDAC system, parents are getting immediate access to substance misuse services. Families are also benefiting from the court’s assistance in addressing other issues affecting their ability to parent, such as housing, domestic violence and financial hardship.