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Generations divided over Government’s role in parenting
PARENTS in the
North West believe that children need to be emotionally tough to
cope with the pressures they face today, and want support to help
their children learn to cope with life, according to a major report
launched by NCH, the children’s charity. Younger parents in
particular feel the Government should do more to help them bring up
their children, although older generations disagree. Whilst most
parents think children need to be ‘emotionally tough’ to get
by in today’s world they are divided on how much support they want
with developing this, with many feeling they could be perceived as a
bad parent for needing help.
NCH questioned nearly 1,200 adults about their attitudes to
parenting support initiatives that could help to develop social
skills and qualities such as confidence and resilience in children.
The research also included focus groups held with parents in London,
Liverpool and Manchester, including some who had received such
support through their local Sure Start Children’s Centre.
From results in the North West and across the UK, the charity found:-
* 71% of people agree that children need to be emotionally tough to
get by in today’s world, especially parents with children under the
age of 5 (77%)
* Parents are divided
on whether the Government should do more to help them bring up
children- 51% agree, 38% disagree
* There were
differences seen between generations with greater need for
Government support felt amongst 18-24 yr olds (80%) than people aged
65 and over (33%)
* Worryingly some
felt there was a stigma attached to accessing parenting support -
53% felt people could be put off attending classes for fear of being
labelled a ‘bad parent’, including 2/3rds of those aged 18-24
yr and 62% of poorer parents.
The ‘Growing Strong: Attitudes to building resilience in the
early years’ report continues NCH’s Growing Strong campaign,
which urges the government and services to take the emotional
wellbeing of children throughout the UK more seriously, and take
urgent steps to improve it. The survey shows that parents
overwhelmingly see the need for the Growing Strong campaign, seeing
emotional wellbeing as the key to success and happiness in life for
their children.
The report found overwhelming support for plans to introduce more
Sure Start Children’s Centres and their equivalent in communities,
moving away from being solely aimed at the most disadvantaged
families to provision for all by 2010. A staggering 89% of
respondents said services offering advice on parenting and
schooling, healthcare clinics and playgrounds would useful, with 90%
arguing that they should made available to all, not just the well
off or those with particular problems.
Other findings of the report included:-
* 74% felt that parents would benefit from more information on
developing self-confidence in their children
* Parents recognise
that their child’s emotional and social development is the bedrock
for their overall ‘wellbeing’, considering it in terms of school
readiness, good social skills and confidence
Paul Moore, NCH Strategic Director for Children’s Services North
commented:- “These findings are a clear wake up call. Today’s
parents desperately need support to improve the emotional wellbeing
of their children and help them make the most of life’s
opportunities. Parents have overwhelmingly told us that they
want more information and support with parenting, but that it needs
to be given in a way that respects that it is first and foremost
their responsibility. Parents want a supportive Government, not a
nanny state!
But most importantly we need to address the reasons why those most
in need might be put off accessing help. It’s essential to break
down those barriers and develop a positive culture, where accessing
advice is not seen as a sign of deficiency but an opportunity to
help your child achieve their full potential.”
NCH has also revealed the best pieces of parenting advice, as
selected by a poll of parents and some prominent celebrity mums and
dads. Sharing parenting advice, Ashes to Ashes star Keeley Hawes
reveals:- “The most valuable advice I could pass on as a
parent would be, RELAX! Enjoy your kids because childhood doesn't
last forever. I think parents these days feel very conscious of
doing 'The right thing' The only "Right thing' is what
works for you and your family.”
Dermot Murnaghan is also supporting NCH, he said:- “Being a
parent is the most important job we ever do, I have four children
and as they are growing up – my role as a dad is constantly
changing. The best advice on parenting I was ever given is to
remember the importance of sharing, it’s especially relevant in
larger families! And I don’t just mean sharing toys and sweets, I
mean sharing experiences, events, emotions and even just time all
together. The more you share as a family unit the more support and
encouragement each child gets from his or her brothers and sisters,
as well as from their parents.
Where did I get this advice – my mother!”
The charity is calling for:-
The Government to encourage Sure Start Children’s Centres and
equivalent services to develop emotional wellbeing programmes
* Local authorities to ensure that every prospective and new parent
is aware of local support services available, especially amongst 1st
time parents
* Parents who use
Sure Start Children’s Centres and equivalent services to be used as
advocates within their local and cultural communities
* This would address
the stigma some parents perceive as being attached to attending them
and communicate concepts about emotional wellbeing in an accessible
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Small business survey shows steady progress in the North West
THE most
representative survey of the UK small business sector has revealed
that nearly half of those questioned were producing new products and
services, the highest level since the survey began in 2003.
The 2006/07 Annual Small Business Survey also revealed 65% of small
businesses with employees had ambitions to grow for the coming
years, representing a 9 percentage point increase on the previous
year.
Key findings for the North West include:-
* 12% of businesses in the North West were women-led
(compared to 14% in the UK);
* 39% of businesses in the North West were 'growers' - i.e.
they reported recent employment growth or were planning employment
growth (compared to 36% in the UK).
The survey confirmed what ministers recently discovered when they
met over 600 small business owners around the country.
Releasing the survey, Business Minister Shriti Vadera said:-
"The positive findings - of businesses intending to grow and
introducing innovation - are indicators of a healthy enterprise
environment, but the survey also highlights continuing challenges.
We recognise that regulation is a key business concern and this is
why we are driving through one of the most ambitious programmes to
ease the burden of regulation on business launched by any
government."
The survey also showed that women continue to be significantly
under-represented in enterprise, with only 14% of small businesses
with employees led by women.
Shriti Vadera said:- "Getting more women into business is a
challenge, not just for gender equality but for national economic
success. We would have 700,000 more businesses if proportionally as
many British women as American women started businesses. We
will unveil an enterprise white paper next month to help unlock the
talents of more people, make growing a business easier and narrow
the productivity gap between Britain and the US."
Key findings from the Annual Small Business Survey produced by the
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform include:-
* There was a 16 percentage point increase in the proportion of SMEs
with employees engaged in innovation of products and services (48%
compared with 32% in 2005).
* 65% of SMEs were planning to grow over the next 2 to 3 years (up
from 56%). 1 in 5 SMEs had taken on more employees in the 12 months
prior to the survey while 1 in 7 had reduced the size of their
workforce.
* More than half of SME employers (60%) had funded or arranged staff
training or development over 12 months prior to the survey. In 2005,
that figure was 41%.
* The vast majority of SMEs with employees were led by men; only 14%
were led by women or by a management team mostly comprised of women.
Female led SMEs with employees tended to be smaller than average.
* When asked to suggest the biggest obstacle to success, SMEs named
competition as the greatest barrier (15%); regulation (14%);
taxation including VAT, PAYE, NI and business rates (12%); the
economy (10%); and cash flow (10%). For the most part, the obstacles
cited and their rankings are comparable with those reported in 2005.
Key North West Regional Results - All figures relate to businesses
with employees.
In general, key findings for the North West were very similar to
those for the UK. There were three main areas where the North West
was significantly different to the UK:
* 80% of businesses in the North West who sought finance in the 12
months preceding the survey, had no problems obtaining it from the
first source they tried (compared to 75% in the UK).
The rest of the key findings for the North West were not
significantly different to the findings for the UK:
* 66% of businesses in the North West aspire to grow in the next 2-3
years (compared to 65% in the UK);
* 61% of businesses in the North West had funded or arranged
training in the previous 12 months (compared to 60% in the UK);
* 47% of businesses in the North West introduced a new or
significantly improved product or service in the past year (compared
to 48% in the UK);
* 22% of businesses in the North West sell outside the UK (compared
to 24% in the UK);
* 14% of businesses in the North West said regulations were the
biggest obstacle to their success (compared to 14% in the UK).
Letters to the editor:- "Teddy boys in the North-West"
"MY name is Haleam Muhashash and
I'm in my final year of study at the University of Liverpool reading
History.
I'm writing my
dissertation on the Teddy boys in the North-West area, however I'm
really struggling to find any former Teds to interview.
So I was just seeing if you have
any contacts which may direct towards them or a possible way which
may help me find them.
Any information will be
massively appreciated." haleam007@hotmail.com
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