Surprises galore in 2015 general election

"Labour's election supremo Douglas Alexander has lost his seat to a 20-year-old university student standing for the SNP."

"In the first high-profile Labour casualty of the night in Scotland, the Shadow Foreign Secretary lost to Mhairi Black in Paisley and Renfrewshire."

"Ms Black, a third year politics student at Glasgow university, will become the youngest MP since 1667 after the sensational result."

"She turned Mr Alexander's majority of more than 16,000 into a 5,684 lead for her party, with almost 51 per cent of the vote..."

"Mr Alexander, who was Labour's election coordinator, conceded the results were pointing to a "difficult night" for his party."

"Scotland has chosen to oppose this Conservative government but not place that trust in the Labour Party," he said. "It will be our responsibility to re-win that trust in the months and years ahead."

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/mhairi-black-20yearold-student-becomes-youngest-mp-since-1667-as-labours-douglas-alexander-loses-to-snp-10234215.html

Father of Mikaeel Kular says report is `not real`

From the Courier:

"Tragic Mikaeel Kular’ father has criticised a case review into the death of his three-year-old son for leaving "unanswered questions".Zahid Saeed, 31, revealed he still thinks about Mikaeel every day and wants to ensure no one has to endure a similar ordeal.An independent significant case review into Mikaeel’s death said it "could not have been predicted".

"Mikaeel died two days after being beaten by his mother Rosdeep Adekoya, 34, at the family’s flat in Edinburgh in January last year. She then wrapped his body in a duvet and buried him in a suitcase in woods behind her sister’s house in Kirkcaldy. Adekoya then returned home to Edinburgh and reported her son missing, sparking a huge search."

"Mr Saeed told The Courier: "No one is God but the social work departments could have done more to save Mikaeel."The report is not real. It gives no real answers to what actually happened."The review was launched after Adekoya admitted culpable homicide in July last year."

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotland/no-real-answers-father-feels-let-down-by-mikaeel-kular-case-review-1.867014s-staff-snoop-into.html　

 

From the Daily Mail:
"A summary of the review, published (21 April 2015) concluded that Adekoya's behaviour towards her son was 'unprecedented and out of character' and that the killing 'could not have been predicted', even though a number of concerns had been raised and the toddler had spent time in care."

"Between February 2012 and July 2012, Fife social work and NHS Fife health visiting services carried out a number of joint home visits after concerns were twice raised. Mikaeel, referred to in the report as MK, was taken into care in July 2012 after Adekoya left (him) and her other children unattended."

"He remained with foster carers until August 2013, while social workers were waiting for a Children's Hearing before returning the boy to his mother. The report published today noted that while waiting for the hearing, contact arrangements were not increased. "

"The review team felt that this should have been undertaken and used as an opportunity to test out and monitor his mother's ability to manage her parenting responsibilities. After Mikaeel was returned to his mother, the family was visited five times by Fife social workers and twice by the Edinburgh health visitors..."

"The report identified examples of good practice but also identified 13 areas for future learning and action for NHS Fife, Fife social work services and other organisations including the Scottish Government..."

" 'The report does make a number of recommendations around the sharing and management of information. We're keen to support this in whatever way we can."

"The full report is not being published as it contains detailed, personal and private information, although a summary has been released."

"Professor Scott McLean, NHS Fife executive lead for children's services, said: 'NHS Fife accepts today's independent report findings in full."

 "'The report highlights that professionals communicated well with each other and worked collaboratively to care for Mikaeel and his family."

"A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'The sudden, un-natural death of any child is a tragedy and the untimely death of Mikaeel Kular continues to reverberate across Scotland and in particular, the communities in Fife and Edinburgh where he lived..."

" 'We accept the recommendation directed at the Scottish Government and we will consider the implications of the report very carefully."

" 'We are currently consulting on guidance and secondary legislation accompanying the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act which will help meet the recommendation."

" 'We have worked, and will continue to work with, partners and through parliament to strengthen how statutory agencies and children's services work together to identify and respond early to concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing, including most recently through the Children & Young People (Scotland) Act.' "

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3049106/Killing-Mikaeel-Kular-mother-not-predicted-social-workers-despite-youngster-spending-time-care-concerns-repeatedly-raised.html

Voices from the Gasfields : It started with just ONE well

Published on 1 May 2015.

"This is the film the UK & Australian Governments do NOT want you to see! Documenting the accounts of families living with the hydrocarbon industry as a neighbour, this hour long documentary is shocking, as it reveals the day to day pollution these people live with – pollution of water, air, light and sound, some of the basic human requirements needed to survive. The blind eye that the authorities and the hydrocarbon industry turn to these families living conditions, and the complete disregard to the environmental damage done to the bush by this, is truly disgraceful ...."

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Nudging children with mindfulness training

　
From Neil Henderson

"Youngsters at Tanshall Primary School are among the first pupils in Scotland to have gained a unique new qualification.

For the group of classmates have just completed an eight-week ‘mindfulness’ course which has given the children the ability to cope with a multitude of different situations."

"Entitled the .b programme, it helps to increase the children’s well-being and learning, has already been endorsed by Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and was conducted by teacher Christine Carson, who is currently also studying for a masters degree in the subject at Aberdeen University."

"Our world is becoming more complex everyday with rapid change impacting on all our lives, the question is are our young people psychologically prepared not just to survive but, to thrive in such a fast changing world," said Christine."

"The ‘.b programme’, which the pupils have recently completed, has been developed as a programme for the pupils to explore for themselves how the mind operates."

"Through Christine’s experiential teaching the children learned skills that allowed them (to) approach situations through training their minds. ..."

"And while the Tanshall pupils are among the first in Scotland to benefit from the course, the concept of mindfulness is already used by the NHS as an alternative to medication in the treatment of anxiety and depression."

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/what-s-on/leisure-time/tanshall-kids-open-up-their-minds-to-a-new-way-of-learning-1-3744322

Notice how ideas about learning and wellbeing are converging in the classroom so that schools are becoming more and more therapeutic environments. There have been a few warnings:
(P)sychiatrists have now sounded a warning that as well as bringing benefits, mindfulness meditation can have troubling side-effects. Evidence is also emerging of underqualified teachers presenting themselves as mindfulness experts, including through the NHS.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/25/mental-health-meditation
Jeannie Georges recognises an ulterior motive for bringing `mindfulness` into the classroom:

Because children enter school with beliefs and values they have learned at home, there is an emphasis on `cleaning the slate,` emptying the child`s mind before addressing their attitudes. Children are taught how to relax and clear their minds of their thoughts to achieve an altered state of consciousness. (mindfulness) In this way they become more receptive to unconscious processes, a skill they will carry into adulthood.

http://alicemooreuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/predicting-future-behaviour-in-curricula.html

It should be taken seriously:

"The Behavioural Insights Team – also known as the Nudge Unit – is now a social purpose company. It is partly owned by the Cabinet Office, employees and Nesta. For more information, please visit the Behavioural Insights Team’s website"

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/behavioural-insights-team

"The Behavioural Insights Team, often called the ‘Nudge Unit’, applies insights from academic research in behavioural economics and psychology to public policy and services."

"In addition to working with almost every government department, (they) work with local authorities, charities, NGOs, private sector partners and foreign government, developing proposals and testing them empirically across the full spectrum of government policy."

See their `Mindfulness in schools` campaign and expect to see more of this appearing in schools:

http://www.mindfulnessfoundation.org.uk/media-research/nudge-unit/

See also http://alicemooreuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/mindfulness-political-agenda.html

Child abuse victim speaks out against Children`s Panel boss

"A VICTIM of horrifying sex attacks at the hands of a Children’s Panel boss today opens his heart to the Record in a bid to expose Scotland’s secret shame of institutional child abuse."

"Dad-of-four John Stewart, 42, has waved his anonymity after winning a 14-year fight to see ... Daniel Ross - the very man who should have been protecting him as a vulnerable youngster in the 1980s - finally brought to justice."

"Ross, 62, who was also a special police constable, is facing jail after being found guilty of abusing his position as a Chairman of Glasgow’s Children’s Panel to groom youngsters for sickening sex attacks...."

"And John - who had his appendix removed as a 14-year-old after being sodomised by Ross and passed around his paedophile ring of friends - believes the case is the tip of a gruesome iceberg that goes to the heart of Scotland’s establishment."

"Ross was supposed to be protecting young people like me, but instead he was using his position to get his claws into vulnerable children."...He was found guilty of six sexual abuse charges at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday. Sentence was deferred and he was remanded in custody...."

"It is incredible how powerful people can protect themselves and how things can be covered up for years until someone is brave enough to stand up to them...."

"Survivors of historical child abuse have expressed concerns about the future of a long-awaited public inquiry after the Scottish Government postponed a key announcement on its chairperson earlier this month."

"Education secretary Angela Constance had been expected to name the chair and outline the remit of the inquiry in a statement to parliament last week. But the announcement has now been put off until after the general election, raising fears among campaigners that the scope of the inquiry is to be reduced."

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/childrens-panel-beast-abused-badly-5631775

Scottish survey of literacy

 
The Scottish Standing Literacy Commission published an interim progress report on the "Literacy Action Plan (LAP) on 12 September 2012, at a UN International Literacy Day celebration event in Edinburgh attended by HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, the UN’s Special Envoy for Literacy and Chair of the EU High Level Group on Literacy." [This should come as no surprise since  The United Nations is driving changes in education worldwide.]

According to the Scottish Government: "The interim report captured the wide range of good, more joined-up work that was going on – from early years through school and colleges to adult literacies – to improve literacy and close the attainment gap. Taken together, the available data and evidence point to a generally improving picture for literacy levels in Scotland from early years, through schools and colleges to adult learning... However, the stand-out issue, where more progress needs to be made, is the gap in attainment between the most and least disadvantaged young people. "

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00475485.pdf

As far as the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy is concerned, whose report was published on 29 April 2015, the gap in attainment has not altered.

"Across all stages assessed, the proportion of pupils who performed well or very well at the relevant curriculum level was slightly lower in 2014 than 2012. In P4, there was a five percentage point difference between the two surveys, as the proportion of pupils performing well or very well at the First Level decreased from 83 per cent in 2012 to 78 per cent in 2014."

"The smallest change was in P7, where the proportion of pupils performing well or very well at Second Level decreased from 90 per cent in 2012 to 88 per cent in 2014. As with the other stages, this change was statistically significant. There was a four percentage point change in S2 performance, down from 84 per cent in 2012 to 80 per cent in 2014."

"For all stages, the lower performance in 2014 was attributable to a decrease in pupils performing very well at their relevant curriculum level in 2014 compared to 2012."
 
http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00475898.pdf

It is not possible to read too much into this but there is certainly no evidence of any improvement in literacy. It is the opinion of Education Scotland that: "The aspiration that teachers of all subjects should help drive up literacy is a long way from being realised."

And they go on to say: "Although Curriculum for Excellence makes it clear that this objective should be a priority shared beyond English departments, schools are missing many opportunities to raise literacy standards in other subject areas." .

"The Education Scotland report acknowledges that young people now have more opportunities to improve their literacy in different areas of the curriculum and staff are aware they have a duty to promote this. But it adds: "Across all sectors, there are still too many missed opportunities to develop and extend children’s and young people’s literacy skills and deepen learning."

https://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=11007144

There is no thought that other changes in the curriculum might be making it difficult to improve literacy in the different areas, or how a maths teacher is supposed to help with essay writing.
 
See also  http://alicemooreuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/literacy-across-curriculum-for.html

Grandmother must stop harassing her daughter and paedophile husband

A multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) was set up in Devon (2011) in order that the various agencies with a responsibility to identify and assess risks to children could work together in one location.

The stated intent of the MASH is to improve the quality of information sharing and decision making at the earliest opportunity and to reduce the potential risk to children and young people. This was based on the premise that the value is in the collation of an intelligence assessment - gathered from information across health, education, the LA and the police - resulting in a better picture of the child and circumstances on which to inform decision making about further help and intervention. http://www.local.gov.uk/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=b769add1-d151-4f01-9df5-b00c883989d6&groupId=10180

 

So in place of Scottish Named Persons and their multi-agency teams, in Devon there is the MASH.

Here is one of the hub`s extraordinary decisions:

The grandmother of two girls made to sleep in a locked bedroom to protect them from their paedophile stepdad has been banned from contacting them.

She was summoned to her local police station, interviewed for more than an hour and ordered to sign a Police Information Notice after she alerted the Sunday Mirror to the situation last month.

Officers acted when the girls’ mother, who is married to the convicted paedophile, complained of harassment.

She now faces being prosecuted - and even jailed - if she contacts the paedophile or his wife, her daughter.

The grandmother said: "No one will listen to me. His rights seem more important than those of anyone else."

The quiz by Devon and Cornwall officers came days after the Sunday Mirror revealed the move by social services in the county to allow the paedophile to stay in the same house as his step children, on condition they sleep behind a locked door fitted with an alarm to prevent him abusing them.

The sick plan was backed by Devon Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, made up of police, probation officers and social workers.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gran-banned-contacting-daughter-who-5625834?ICID=FB_mirror_main

Assurances have been offered to parents amid fears about Named Person

"Assurances have been offered to parents amid fears about the controversial appointment of a ‘named person’ for every child in Scotland. Fife councillors called for greater clarity about the role to be introduced next August."

"Councillor Alice McGarry said parents feared these workers – health visitors and teachers – would "swoop in" on their children. Urging Fife Council to issue information to allay fears, the SNP councillor said: "There is a lot of scaremongering out there and it is important that the named person role is properly explained."

"Members of the council’s south west Fife area committee claimed that people were in the dark about the role intended to be a trusted point of contact."

"Conservative councillor Dave Dempsey said: "There is the idea there’s somebody out there getting told things about children that the parents are not and this person is somehow more important."

"Labour councillor Gavin Yates said government ministers were warned at an early stage by children’s organisations that greater clarity was needed."

"There is widespread opposition to the legislation, including from the Christian Institute Scotland which warned family life and privacy would be eroded and parents’ rights trampled on."

"Fife Council head of service Carrie Lindsay said: "For most children, the named person will never need to be involved in their care but for others this person will provide a point of contact that the child knows, can trust and will also have an overview and knowledge of them and their family context." [That is the problem.]

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/parents-given-assurances-over-named-person-roles-1.869088

For example, from Angus some of the information they want:

Being healthy

This includes full information about all aspects of a child`s health and development, relevant to their age and stage. Developmental milestones, major illnesses, hospital admissions, any impairments, disabilities, conditions affecting development and health. Health care, including nutrition, exercise, physical and mental health issues, sexual health, substance abuse.

Learning and Achieving

This includes cognitive development from birth, learning achievements and the skills and the interests which can be nurtured. How additional needs are supported. Achievements in leisure, hobbies, sport. Education and social development milestones need to be recorded. Personal learning plans and other educational records should provide evidence of what has been achieved and what supports are needed or being provided for. Is the child`s progress with formal education in line with expectations? Attention should also be given to further educational or training needs and potential employment opportunities for young people moving or who have moved towards semi - or full independence.

Confidence in Who I am

Child`s/young person`s temperament and characteristics. Nature and quality of early and current attachments. Emotional and behavioural development. Resilience, self esteem. Knows views are listened to. Ability to take pride in achievements. Confidence in managing challenges, opportunities, difficulties appropriate to the age and stage of development. Sense of identity which has an appreciation of ethnic and cultural background and is comfortable with gender, sexuality, religious belief. Skills in social presentation.

Being able to Communicate

This includes development of language and communication. Being in touch and communicating constructively with others. Ability to express thoughts, feelings and needs. What is the child`s/young person`s preferred language or method of communication. Are there particular people with whom the child communicates that you will need to involve? Are aids to communication required?

Learning to be responsible

Learning appropriate social skills and behaviour. Values; sense of right and wrong. Consideration for others. Ability to understand what is expected and act on it. How does the child respond to key influences on social and emotional development at different ages and stages e.g. collaborative play in early childhood, peer expectations at school and outside.

Becoming independent, looking after myself

The gradual acquisition of skills and confidence needed to move from dependence to independence. Early practical skills of feeding, dressing etc. Engaging with learning and other tasks, acquiring skills and competence in social problem solving, getting on well with others, moving to independent living skills and autonomy. What are the effects of any impairment or disability or of social circumstances and how might these be compensated for?

Enjoying family and friends

How is the child or young person responding to relationships that support, value, encourage and guide her or him; to family and wider social networks; opportunities to make and sustain lasting significant relationships; encouragement to develop skills in making friends, to take account of the feelings and needs of others and to behave responsibly. This links and overlaps with what a child or young person needs from those who look after them and the wider environment.

https://archive.angus.gov.uk/girfec/my-world-triangle.html

This does not cover the family and other associated adults from whom more information is required.

How is it possible to have a private life with this level of intrusiveness ?

Possible misconduct investigation

"Mr Vaz said in 1991 that Lord Janner had been the victim of a ‘wicked attack’ and campaigned for a change in the law to prevent any repeat. Mr Vaz, the Labour candidate for Leicester East, praised Lord Janner as a ‘great survivor’."

"Allegations against him were first made public in 1991 during the trial of Frank Beck, a manager of Leicester children’s homes accused of abusing more than 200 boys."

"Despite the controversy, Tony Blair elevated the backbench politician to the Lords as a life peer within months of Labour sweeping to power in 1997."

"Janner, it should be stressed, strongly denied the allegations against him – including claims of rape – when they surfaced nearly 25 years ago at the trial of Frank Beck, a care-home warden suspected of abusing scores of children in his care. Beck, a former Liberal councillor, was given five life sentences."

"One of the detectives who worked on the Frank Beck case was Mick Creedon, who is now Chief Constable of Derbyshire. Last year he made a sensational claim in The Times. He said there was ‘credible evidence’ against Janner and that he and his colleagues wanted to make an arrest but were prevented by ‘more senior people’ from doing so."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3042947/Labour-peer-ll-never-face-justice-Victims-despair-police-fury-law-chief-say-Greville-Janner-not-charged-Alzheimer-s.html#ixzz3YL28Xr8p

"The only serving policeman to have tried to arrest Lord Janner over allegations of child sex abuse faces a possible misconduct investigation."

"The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said yesterday that it would be interviewing Mick Creedon, chief constable of Derbyshire police, over his role as a detective sergeant when investigating the former Labour MP in 1991."

"The officer broke his 23-year silence over the case last year to tell The Times that he had wanted to arrest Lord Janner of Braunstone and search his addresses but had been stopped from doing so by senior officers."

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/article4427691.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2Police

Children`s panel chairman abused teenager

"A children’s panel chairman sexually abused a teenage boy before official meetings to decide the youngster's future."

 

"The victim wept as he told a jury how Daniel Ross attacked him at the panel's Glasgow headquarters in the early 1990s. The now father-of-four recalled how Ross "groomed" him and went on to abuse him again before vital hearings."

"Ross, who was also a special police constable, had by this time already preyed on another vulnerable boy he met through the children's panel and attacked a third young man."

"The 62-year-old escaped justice for decades until one victim said the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal brought back memories of his ordeal and he went to police."

"Ross, who is no longer involved with the panel system, denied the allegations at the High Court in Glasgow. But he was found  guilty of six sex charges after a week-long trial. Ross showed no emotion as he was remanded in custody pending sentencing next month."

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/319120-childrens-panel-boss-daniel-ross-abused-young-boy-before-meetings/

 

Paedophiles in positions of power gravitate towards children, particularly the vulnerable whose parents are not there to look out for them.

 

This is one of the reasons why a Named Person for every child in Scotland is such a bad idea.

 

Think about the power a Named Person and their associates will have to gather and manipulate data and to build a wedge between parent and child.  It is a system ripe for abuse.