Welcome to November's issue of the Family and Parenting Institute's newsletter – Family Focus. To subscribe to this newsletter click here

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1. News
2. Family Policy Digest
3. Horizon scan
4. Forward look
5. Notice board
6. Consultations

News

Families given a voice

Family members from across the country have been given the chance to have their say on the issues that matter to them most with the launch of a new online group called Family Voice, from the Family and Parenting Institute.

Family Voice was launched during FPI's annual Parents' Week (Monday 20 to Sunday 26 October). Hundreds of local events happened during Parents' Week including coffee mornings and information days.
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Parenting Fund

There will be a third round of the Parenting Fund - thanks to £16 million funding from Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Grants will be focused on 23 localities and money will be available for projects which promote social inclusion and improve access to services and support for less well-served communities.
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Social mobility

The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit's new report 'Getting On, Getting Ahead' reveals that there is evidence since 2000 which suggests social mobility may start to rise in future.
Cabinet Office

£25 billion annual cost of child poverty

As well as the extreme hardship felt by families, there is also a large financial cost of child poverty. New estimates suggest child poverty costs the UK £25 billion a year.
JRF

Family time

Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has said that the government's plans to extend the right to request flexible working to all parents with children aged 16 and under is to be reviewed because of the economic downturn, but he has also said that evidence shows flexible working can benefit employers during tougher economic times, particularly through reduced working hours
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A report from the Department for Children, Schools and Families found that half of parents feel that they do not spend enough time with their children. And fathers who work full time are particularly concerned that they do not spend enough time bonding with their daughters.
DCSF

Sex education

Primary school children are to have sex education lessons. Children as young as five will be taught about parts of the body and relationships, and seven year olds will have lessons which cover topics like puberty.
DCSF

Explorer scouts (14 to 16 year olds) can be given contraception by their scout leader, according to new guidance from the Scouting Association, which also says that scouts should be encouraged to talk to their parents or carers about sex and to resist the pressures to have early sex.
Scouting Association

Millennium cohort study

Less than two thirds of UK children are living with their married natural parents when they enter school the Millennium Cohort Study from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies revealed.
Centre for Longitudinal Studies

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Family Policy Digest

This month's digest has several pieces of research on young people's lives, in particular, their relationship with their parents, alongside a consultation on whether the voting age should be lowered to 16. It also has a review of health-led parenting interventions in pregnancy and the early years and research on what happens when looked-after children are reunited with their families.
More

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Horizon Scan

New publication

Our new publication 'Putting Sibling Relationships on the Map: a multidisciplinary perspective' will be launched at our conference – PC2008 which takes place on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November. The book is a compilation of the contributions at our siblings seminar earlier this year edited by Dr Martina Klett-Davies, research fellow at the Family and Parenting Institute. Full details will be available on our website soon.
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Projects for young people

Some £13 million will be spent by the Department for Children, Schools and Families on setting up Intensive Intervention Projects that will challenge and support youngsters in trouble in 20 areas across the country. The projects will be set up between 2008/09.
DCSF

Changes to benefits for lone parents

From 24 November 2008, lone parents whose youngest child is aged 12 or over, will no longer be eligible for Income Support, and will have to claim Jobseeker's Allowance instead.

This change will also apply to lone parents whose youngest child is aged 10 or over from 26 October 2009, and to lone parents whose youngest child is aged seven or over from 25 October 2010. The changes will not apply to parents who have children who are entitled to the middle-rate or highest-rate care component of Disability Living Allowance, who get Carer's Allowance, or who are fostering and have a foster child living with them.
DWP.

Advertising to children

All children's television channels must comply with the restrictions on HFSS advertising (High Fat, Sugar and Salt) to children under 16 by December 2008.
Ofcom

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Forward Look

Check here for upcoming events in the family and parenting world. Please let us know of your forthcoming events so we can include them.
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Notice board

PC 2008 conference

There are still a few places left at our international conference PC2008 – Getting it right for families? Contact events@familyandparenting.org quoting code LC20
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Parenting Fund

Voluntary organisations and charities can apply for a share of £16 million for parenting projects. The deadline for applications is 12 December. Projects will start in April 2009 and run for two years.
More

New websites

The Single Parent Action Network (SPAN) has launched a new social networking website for single parents called One Space. It offers information and advice to single parents from parenting experts and other parents.
www.onespace.org.uk

As part of the DCSF's Parent Know How the Family Matters Institute has launched a free website for dads which offers news, resources and practical parenting advice.
www.dadtalk.co.uk

Call for participants

A team of researchers from the University of Hull and the London School of Economics is looking for participants for its research into families' tendency to outsource traditionally male household chores, such as household and garden maintenance and repairs. London School of Economics

Unite/CPHVA conference

Focus on families – working together for children is the theme of Unite/CPHVA's one day conference on Saturday 22 November topics to be covered include responding to domestic abuse as a health issue and multimedia and effects on family life.
CPHVA

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Consultations

Consultation on implementing the extension of the right to request flexible working to parents of older children

The right to request flexible working will be extended to parents of children aged 16 and under. This consultation asks what more the Government can do to assist businesses, particularly small businesses, in implementing these flexible working arrangements.
Deadline: 18 November 2008
BERR

Video games consultation

As part of the Government's implementation of the Byron Review recommendations, on children and new media, the Department for Culture Media and Sport is seeking views from gamers, children, parents, the games industry, retailers and other stakeholders on the current classification system for video games.
Deadline: 20 November 2008
DCMS

A new way of handling parents' complaints about school issues

The consultation invites comments on handling parents' complaints to their child's school affecting their child, including those which concern bullying. The DCSF is asking for views on ways to improve: handling of complaints at school level; the place of mediation services to resolve disagreements early on; and possible new arrangements to consider complaints that cannot be resolved at school level.
Deadline: 21 November 2008.
DCSF

Consultation on Amendments to the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) Disciplinary Functions Regulations

This consultation seeks views on Government proposals relating to amendments to the GTCE Disciplinary Functions Regulations, to require employers to notify the GTCE of cases where an employer has ceased to use the services of a teacher registered with the Council, or might have ceased to use those services, had the teacher not ceased to provide them, for reasons of misconduct which do not raise issues relating to the safety and welfare of children and young people.
Deadline: 28 Nov 2008
DCSF

Comprehensive area assessment: proposals for assessing local authority services for children and young people

This consultation seeks views on proposals for assessing children's services and Ofsted's inspection of services for children in care and safeguarding as part of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA).
Deadline: 3 December 2008
Ofsted

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Emma Brennan Press & PR Officer
www.familyandparenting.org
November 2008
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Last updated: 7th November 2008 at 12:11:20