More individuals with mental health challenges are being sent far from home for in-patient treatment, despite government pledges to end this practice by 2021. Experts warn that these long-distance placements can lead to prolonged and less effective stays in mental health facilities.

Data from the NHS reveals that while the number of out-of-area placements nearly halved between 2018-19 and 2022-23, it surged by 25% in 2023-24. The government has acknowledged the issue, referring to it as a "broken system" that needs addressing.

Out-of-area placements occur when local beds are unavailable, forcing patients to receive care far from their support networks. This situation can hinder recovery, as patients may struggle to maintain connections with family and friends. In recent years, the use of these placements has increased, despite efforts to reduce them.

The financial burden on the NHS has been significant, with £164 million spent on out-of-area placements in 2023-24, a 43% increase from the previous year. Health professionals emphasise the need for better local support systems and improved community services to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and ensure patients receive care closer to home.

Balancing full-time work and childcare during the summer holidays is particularly challenging for parents in Guernsey, especially for those with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller is campaigning for more support, highlighting the struggles faced by these families.

Parents of SEND children often find it difficult to secure appropriate childcare, even when they can afford it. Marc Winn, a parent of a six-year-old daughter with autism, shared that the lack of suitable care options prevents many parents from working and leads to financial hardship. He describes this situation as a "poverty trap" that forces parents to give up their careers.

Kazantseva-Miller emphasises that providing more childcare support, though costly, is a valuable investment. She encourages participation in the States of Guernsey's work survey to help shape future childcare strategies. The initiative aims to work with childcare providers and encourage employers to offer flexible working arrangements.

Louise Leale, CEO of the Youth Commission for Guernsey and Alderney, noted that rising costs have led to price increases for their summer club, Playscheme. However, they strive to keep prices affordable, with some support available for low-income families.

For the first time, the adult social care sector has united to develop a workforce strategy for adult social care in England. Spearheaded by Skills for Care, this strategy outlines immediate and long-term actions to address workforce challenges.

At a launch event on July 18th, co-Chairs Oonagh Smyth, CEO of Skills for Care, and Sir David Pearson, Director of Adult Social Care in Nottinghamshire, presented the strategy's key points and future steps. The recommendations focus on three areas: attracting and retaining staff, improving training and career development, and transforming the care landscape. To attract and retain social care staff, the strategy emphasises better pay and working conditions. Economic analysts modelled various pay increase scenarios, suggesting even modest pay increases could significantly boost recruitment and retention.

The strategy also calls for a 10-year attraction plan focusing on younger people and men, who are underrepresented in the sector. Improving training and career development is another crucial aspect. The strategy advocates for a three-year funding commitment to provide social workers with new skills, particularly in dementia care. It also aims to revive apprenticeships and invest in training for occupational therapists and nurses.

The final recommendation is to ensure these plans are implemented. Skills for Care suggests publishing a report every five years to assess workforce needs and establish a central body to oversee the strategy's execution.

New Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has pledged to prioritise education and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The Labour government plans to recruit 6,500 new teachers to enhance life opportunities for children.

Phillipson aims to reform the SEND system, promising more support for children with special needs and their families. The Department for Education (DfE) will restructure, placing SEND and Alternative Provision under the Schools Group, which should improve inclusion in mainstream schools. Recognising the significant challenges in the education sector, including child poverty, financial pressures, high workloads, and strained care services, Phillipson has committed to expanding early years education, raising standards, and reforming the curriculum and assessment.

Immediate plans include recruiting new teachers, developing a comprehensive post-16 education strategy, collaborating with local governments to support children in care, and creating better training and employment pathways by empowering communities.

Advocacy organisations support Phillipson’s commitments but urge greater involvement in policy changes. The co-directors of Special Needs Jungle emphasised the need to prioritise SEND, improve accountability, ensure early intervention, protect legal education rights, secure funding, and value the voices of parents and children. They also called for a national recruitment drive and re-evaluation of the SEND Change Programme.

New Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has pledged to revamp mental health services with significant resource allocation and reforms now that he has won the general election. Alongside Labour’s newest member, Dr. Dan Poulter MP, Starmer emphasised a commitment to mental health improvement.

Dr. Poulter, a psychiatrist and former Conservative health minister, defected from the Tory Party, criticising its handling of the NHS under Rishi Sunak. He stated the health service was no longer a priority for the Conservatives, leading to frontline strain and declining patient care. Poulter believes only a Labour government can rectify these issues and has vowed to support Starmer and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting on NHS policy.

Starmer celebrated Dr. Poulter's defection, calling it a significant boost for Labour's NHS plans. He cited NHS data showing over 120,000 children faced waiting times exceeding six months for mental health support in 2022-23, branding these delays a societal disgrace.

Labour’s strategy includes reforming the Mental Health Act, hiring 8,500 specialised mental health staff, and providing mental health support in schools and communities, funded by closing tax loopholes.

Keir Starmer proclaimed the "sunlight of hope" is shining again in Britain following Labour's resounding election win, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Starmer is set to become prime minister after Rishi Sunak conceded, with Labour expected to secure over 410 seats compared to the Conservatives' 115.

Starmer, speaking at Royal Festival Hall in London, expressed relief and optimism, emphasizing a renewed opportunity for the country. The Conservatives faced their worst election performance, with key figures like Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Grant Shapps losing their seats. Labour also made significant gains in Scotland and from the SNP, while the Liberal Democrats increased their seats to 70.

Reform UK saw a rise, winning at least four seats, with Nigel Farage becoming an MP. The Greens also won four seats. Notably, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn won in Islington North as an independent, and pro-Palestine independents had surprising victories.

Sunak acknowledged the defeat, emphasising the peaceful transfer of power. Labour's triumph is seen as a beacon of hope for progressive movements globally. The party reclaimed significant regions from the Conservatives, marking a major turnaround since Starmer took leadership. Labour is poised to implement substantial changes, with a focus on workers' rights, energy generation, and improved trading relations, while addressing critical issues like the NHS and prison system.

Students at St Michael's Church of England High School in Rowley Regis, West Midlands, are walking more than 40 laps of their school field to raise awareness for the need of increased mental health support in schools nationwide. The school also aims to raise £12,000 to launch its own mental health early intervention hub.

Around 20 students will walk a total of 208km (129 miles), symbolising the distance from their school to parliament, while the rest of the school will complete four laps of the field. A student of St Michael's Church of England High School has expressed excitement about the "unusual" challenge and the opportunity to raise funds for the hub.

Kerry Whitehouse, the school's senior mental health lead, emphasised the importance of the hub, citing that mental health services are currently overwhelmed. She referenced an NHS survey from last year indicating that one in five children and young people in England have a probable mental health disorder. "Young people are reaching crisis point before they can get that support," Whitehouse noted.

The school runs several initiatives to support students' mental health, including the Matrix Project, which facilitates discussions among boys aged 11 to 14 about mental health issues. Students as a collective have all highlighted the benefits of these projects, stating they help normalise conversations about mental health.

People with learning disabilities in Cornwall have been given extra support to encourage them to vote. On Saturday 15^th June 2024, a workshop was held in Truro to explain the voting process and the available support.

Organized by a group of disability stakeholders in the county, the event aimed to ensure the UK's 1.5 million adults with learning disabilities can have their say. Angie Emrys-Jones from Cornwall Downs Syndrome Support emphasized the importance of understanding the reasonable adjustments available for voting. "It's crucial that people with a learning disability know that accommodations can be made. You can have someone accompany you into the voting booth, make the mark for you, or read out the list of candidates to help you better understand the options. There’s lots of help available, and it is your right to vote."

The event also saw participation from groups such as Time2Shine and Disability Cornwall. Marie Whitehurst from Disability Cornwall praised the workshop's impact, stating, "I think it's been really successful today. People who didn't know much about voting or its importance, or even how to vote, now have that knowledge."

The workshop underscored the commitment to making the voting process accessible and understandable for everyone, ensuring that people with learning disabilities are empowered to exercise their right to vote and participate fully in the democratic process.

A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) reveals a £3.5 billion increase in school spending over the past decade due to rising special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support. The current funding system doesn't adequately address the growing number of pupils with education, health, and care plans (EHCPs).

Since 2016, the proportion of children with EHC plans in schools has increased from 2.8% to 4.3%, a 50% rise. Although the high-needs budget is only 15% of total school spending, the £3.5 billion increase since 2015 has taken up nearly half of the overall rise in school spending. The IFS stresses the need for more effective and financially sustainable ways to meet these needs.

This spending surge is largely due to a near-doubling in pupils with autistic spectrum disorders, speech and language needs, and social, emotional, and mental health needs, straining school budgets. The rise accelerated during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, with about 95,000 more pupils receiving EHC plans in 2022/23 compared to three years earlier. This increase is more notable among less disadvantaged pupils, as schools and local authorities ration support to control costs.

Appeals to SEND tribunals, mainly about EHC plans, have nearly tripled to over 14,000 per year, with a 98% success rate, indicating many initially denied families and children qualify for support. However, disadvantaged children, who may lack resources to appeal, often remain without needed support.

A coalition of epilepsy charities and organisations have developed a new toolkit to enhance social support for individuals with epilepsy. Funded by the Scottish government, this toolkit aims to improve the quality of life for people diagnosed with epilepsy by expanding social support services across the UK.

Epilepsy, a common and serious neurological condition, affects around 626,000 people in the UK. It is prevalent among individuals with learning disabilities, with about a third experiencing frequent seizures. People with epilepsy often face co-morbidities such as high cholesterol, type 1 diabetes, osteoporosis, and migraines. Mental health issues, sleep difficulties, and cognitive impairments are also more common in this group.

Those with epilepsy often struggle to find and maintain employment, with higher incidence rates in deprived areas. Social support significantly enhances the quality of life and wellbeing for people with epilepsy. This support includes resources, knowledge, and skill development to help individuals manage their condition effectively. Key types of social support include peer support meetings, epilepsy self-management courses, one-to-one support, and counselling services.

Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director of The Scottish Government, emphasised the importance of a supportive environment combined with appropriate clinical care to improve outcomes for people with epilepsy. He stated that the toolkit provides guidance for health leaders on commissioning essential social support services, promoting a holistic approach to epilepsy care and encouraging collaboration between Health Boards, Local Authorities, and third-sector providers.