December 2020 was loneliest month for children contacting Childline

THE NSPCC run service Childline can today reveal counselling sessions about loneliness peaked over the festive period last year, with the service delivering a record number of nearly 600, in December alone. From April 2020 to March 2021 there were 6,039 counselling sessions about loneliness, marking an all time high for a single year. This is an increase of 49% over the past 4 years.

The NSPCC has long highlighted that many children and young people struggle with loneliness and isolation. The data released today suggests that these feelings were exacerbated during the Pandemic, as Schools were closed, and they were forced to stay at home. Children shared with Childline's counsellors that these experiences were particularly acute over the festive period, as households were unable to mix.

The charity can also reveal that loneliness is particularly affecting younger children. In 2020/21, there was a 47% increase in counselling sessions with children aged 11 and under when compared to the year before.

Young people who contacted Childline about loneliness also talked about being unhappy, feeling unloved and generally low. Some described it as a dark experience that was overwhelming. As well as loneliness, the top reasons children turn to the service for support with their mental health include anxiety and stress, low mood, and depression.

Childline is staffed by 1,200 Childline volunteer counsellors and last month celebrated its 35th birthday.

Lisa, who contacted Childline in her darkest moments growing up said:- "When I was 13, I picked up the phone and I called Childline for the 1st time. I talked to the counsellor about how I was feeling and she really listened to me. I was so upset and I cried for ages. She told me how brave I was. It really helped and I felt so much better afterwards. I contacted Childline 4 times over the course of that week. They helped me go from feeling like a victim to being a survivor. I want that for other children too."

Christmas can be a very challenging time for children who suffer from abuse, neglect and are struggling with their mental health. Cut off from School and other support, it is vital they have somewhere to turn. The NSPCC is reaching out to the public to support the NSPCA  Here for Children Appeal  and make a donation, so Childline counsellors can answer a child's call for help this Christmas.

Childline supervisor Igor said:- "I know from the calls I receive at Christmas that pressures and dangers at home can reach crisis point. Without the chance to talk to someone who understands, these kinds of pressures can lead to children feeling incredibly low and isolated, increasing the risk of more serious mental health issues. The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day. If we can listen, there's so much we can do. In some cases, we can quite literally save their lives."

Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, as well as seeking support from Childline counsellors, young people accessed Childline online resources, information, and tools to support their mental health in ways and at times that were most convenient, and helpful to them. Childline saw huge increases in the number of young people using the website to access information, advice and resources.

Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder of Childline said:- "At Childline we know how painful Christmas can be for some children, particularly when the media is filled with pictures of families happily celebrating together, and they are feeling alone and unloved. A child once described it to us as like looking through a shop window where everything inside is warm and bright, and you are outside where it's cold and dark. The festive period can be especially difficult for children who are struggling with their mental health or are in homes that are unsafe. Given the impact of the Pandemic, it is no surprise that this year we've seen record numbers of children get in touch with us about loneliness. The lockdowns exacerbated these feelings for some young people, especially when Schools had to close, and they couldn't see the friends and family they loved and needed. Last Christmas was 1of the toughest in living memory, bringing with it great sadness and challenges for many children. So we need to remind them that Childline is still there for them, and that they can contact us by phone or online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year."

Onhe 21 December 2021, which is the longest night of the year, hundreds of people will walk 5k to support the NSPCC. On this night, landmarks ac tross the UK, including:- Ulverston's Hoad Monument in Cumbria, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and the Christmas Tree at Liverpool 1are also supporting the charity by lighting up and turning the NSPCC's trademark green colour. The people taking to the streets to walk and the landmarks lighting up green represent the hard working Childline counsellors who are there for children, offering a beacon of light in their darkest times. The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day. Children can contact Childline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When a child needs help, Childline can be a lifeline. When a child feels like they have nowhere else to turn to, it's vital that the NSPCC is here, ready to listen and support children across the UK.
 

THE foundations for the UK's economic recovery remain firm despite global supply challenges weighing on growth in the near term, according to the latest CBI economic forecast.

However, short term headwinds; including:- rising costs and shortages; have grown since the business group's previous forcast in June 2021. Longer term challenges, notably persistently poor productivity, underline the need for a booster for business investment to support sustainable growth.

The CBI is forecasting 6.9% growth in GDP over 2021 and 5.1% in 2022, revised down from 8.2% and 6.1% respectively. It should be noted that this largely reflects weaker than expected outturn data since our previous forecast. The business group's forecast expects supply chain frictions to largely dissipate by the middle of next year. Earlier in the Autumn, the Government formed the supply chain advisory group to grip these issues.

Overall, household spending remains the key driver of GDP growth, generating 90% of growth in 2022, and ⅔ in 2023. This is supported by a further improvement in real income, and households running down excess savings accumulated during the Pandemic.

The resilience of the UK's labour market has been a real success story, thanks largely to the Government's Job Retention Scheme, which helped stave off potentially large scale job losses. Continued employment growth over the next couple of years also supports household spending.

Business investment appetite has recovered somewhat and, spurred by continual economic growth, it rises briefly above its pre-Pandemic level at the end of 2022 (growing by 8.2% over the year as a whole). However, this recovery is short lived, with capital spending falling from mid-2023, as the super deduction comes to an end and the rise in corporation tax kicks in. As a result, business investment will continue to lag other advanced economies.

The recovery in exports is also expected to be lacklustre, following disappointing growth over this year so far.

The forecast predicts CPI inflation to peak at 5.2% in April next year. It is set to remain above the Bank of England's 2% target until Spring 2023, which will hit pay packets and offsets some of the positive underpins to consumer spending.

Tony Danker, CBI Director General, said:- "The challenge for January 1st is now very clear for the UK economy. Significant headwinds and rising costs of living threaten the extent of recovery and prospects for economic success. These hurdles for firms will provide a major test for Government; can they foster sustainable UK investment and growth? The UK's New Year resolution must be to give firms the confidence to go for growth. We should be raising our sights on the economy's potential and seizing the moment. "I know from speaking with firms of all sizes that they have an ambitious investment mindset, and are anxious to implement growth plans. But while intentions have thawed, we're coming up to a cliff-edge in 2023. The super-deduction is a welcome catalyst, but a 1 hit wonder isn't enough to make up for 4 decades of underperforming business investment. We must build on its success with targeted measures encouraging the scale of investment we need, particularly in green technologies. A booster for growth is needed to protect and build on our recovery. But this isn't just a challenge for Government. It's also up to businesses to step up and be part of the solution. Investment in technology and skills are among the most important steps firms can take now that will power productivity growth. Government has key levers at its disposal to back business: pro-investment and pro-innovation regulation to help build new markets, a competitive tax regime that incentivises business investment across the board and new market making interventions, for example on clean energy. Getting this mix right will pay dividends over the longer term, jumpstarting the UK's flatlining productivity and set us on course for a brighter new year."

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Economist, said:- "We expect a pretty firm economic recovery ahead, though understandably the emergence of Omicron poses another downside risk to our forecast. Ultimately this underscores the need for equitable distribution of Vaccines across the world; supporting lives, livelihoods and freeing our international travel sector, boosting trade too. The emphasis must be on testing and using all the tools at our disposal to keep as many global routes open as possible. Increasing exports is also a vital component of sustainable growth. Exporting companies are more productive, resilient and help create internationally competitive UK Regions. Let us be candid: UK exports are being outpaced by our global peers which, if allowed to continue, will negatively impact our economy in the long term. We must continue to address market access barriers globally while supporting all businesses to seek growth internationally. The export strategy is a positive step forward with the extension of the new Export Support Service, and a welcome focus on the UK's world-beating services sector. We now need to follow through on delivery. And there's more we can do at home, too. By matching our peers on R&D spending we can build on existing UK strengths in areas like life sciences, higher education and decarbonisation to become the science superpower we all want to see. But let's not forget the importance of normalising relations with the EU; who are our biggest and nearest trading partner; which will aid cooperation in a host of other areas."

Key forecast data:-

► Jobs and household spending…

→ Household spending is set to increase by 7.6% in 2022 and 3.1% in 2023 as real incomes recover, and employment growth strengthens.

→ Recovery in the labour market continues with early data indicating only a minimal impact on jobless numbers following the end of the Job Retention Scheme.

→ We expect a relatively short lived rise in jobless numbers at the end of this year, after which unemployment falls back steadily, ending our forecast (3.8%) at its pre-COVID level.

→ However, CPI inflation is expected to pick up further ahead, peaking at over 5.2% in April 2022; driven by a combination of base effects from 2020, rises in Ofgem's energy price cap, higher fuel prices and supply chain pressures. This will hit living standards, with real wages set to fall year on year for much of 2022.

► Long term outlook…

→ Business investment continues to recover over the coming year, rising briefly above its pre-Pandemic level by 2022. However, it then falls from mid 2023 and ends our forecast 3% below its pre-COVID level at the end of that year.

→ At the end of 2023, we expect GDP to still be 3% below its pre-COVID trend.

→ Poor productivity persists over our forecast: despite the recovery over the next few years, output per worker remains 17% below its pre-2008 trend at the end of 2023.

► Global outlook…