Into the Unknown - Children's Journeys Through the Asylum Process

This week the Children's Society published a report Into the Unknown, on the experiences of unaccompanied children seeking asylum on arrival in the UK. THe report is critical of the UK Border agency, with the Children's Society maintaining that the UKBA fails to ensure that children fully understand the process they are entered into and that children who may already be traumatised, having fled from violence, have to contend with a culture of disbelief. Many children reported that when being interviewed by the UKBA, there was no responsible adult to act on tehir behalf, and that interpreters often lacked the specific regional dialect or language to do the job properly. The Children's Society concludes that better training is essential for interpreters involved in this work and that an independent feedback and complaints system needs to be established to keep children fully informed of the process of their claim.

Incarceration, but no treatment, for children

Johnson, M. (2012). It's time to treat drug addicted children as adults. Guardian, 17.1.12. Mark Johnson's article expresses concerns over the situation in which drug addicted children can be sent to secure units for committing addiction fueled crimes, yet secure units do not cannot pursue a remedial detox course with there residents, but merely manage addition via methodone. Nowhere in the UK is there residential drug treatment available to under 18's.
For more information on children and young people in prisons see Bromley briefings prison factfile., 2011 from the Prison Reform Trust.

Poverty in the UK

The new UK Government has published its State of the nation report: poverty, worklessness and welfare dependency in the UK (2010), Cabinet Office.
Scottish executive have also published on poverty this week. Growing up in Scotland is a longitudinal study funded by the Scottish govenment and carried out by the Scottish Centre for Social Research:
Growing up in Scotland: the circumstances of persistently poor children summary report.
Further information on the Growing up in Scotland study and further research findings can be found at the Growing Up in Scotland website

Sexualisation of young people

Papadopoulos, L. (2010) Sexualisation of young people review. Published by the home office. Papadopoulos examines the current state of affairs folowing a review of literature, media and research with those working with and foryoung people, and makes recommendations.

New E-documents

Speight, S. et al. (2010). Families experiencing multiple disadvantage: their use of and views on childcare provision. National Centre for Social Research.
Silvestra, A. (2009). Young people, knives and guns: a comprehensive review, analysis and critique of gun and knife crime strategies. Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.
Stanley, N. et al. (2010). Children and families experiencing domestic violence: police and childrens' social services' responses. NSPCC.
Loureiro, T. & Fellow, L. (2009). Child and family impact assessments in court: implications for policy and practice. Families Outside.
Centre for Social Justice. (2010). Green paper on the family. Centre for Social Justice.
Ministry of Justice. Reducing re-offending: supporting families, creating better futures.
Esley, S. (2010). "Advocacy makes you feel brave": advocacy support for children and young people in Scotland. Scottish Parliament.

In Children and Young People Now this week.

The 12-18th January issue of Children and Young People Now (Jordanhill Serials 362.7) carries articles on a fathers' support group and  family drug courts. The Child Right section focuses on protection from forced marriage and age assessments for unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

Recent e-documents

Risky behaviour and social activites (2009), research report from the Department for Children Schools and Families.
Provision of mental health services to care leavers (2009), published by NFER and the Local Government Association.
Increasing the number of care leavers in 'settled, safe accomodation' (2009), by the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services.
Children's care monitor 2009 Children on the state of social care in England, reported by the Children's rights Director for England.
Children talking to Childline about sexual abuse (2009). Childline case Notes, NSPCC.
The chance of a lifetime: preventing early conduct problems and reducing crime (2009), Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.
Family life: the significance of family to homeless young people (2009). J Monford, Centrepoint.

Child Mental Health

Following the independent review of CAMHS sevices, the final report of which was published in November 2008, the Westminster government have published a response paper, Keeping Children and Young People in Mind.