Multi agency approach can tackle Post Covid School attendance falls

THE new Government must work to ensure that mainstream education is more able to meet the needs of a wider range of young people; particularly those with special educational needs; if School attendance rates are to return to pre-pandemic levels, a University of Manchester expert has argued.

In an article published by Policy@Manchester, Professor Caroline Bond highlights new research, commissioned by a local authority in the north-west of England and conducted via The University of Manchester's Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology, to develop good practice guidelines for improving School attendance rates.

The project included meetings with stakeholder groups which identified that:- "a lack of understanding of School attendance difficulties, for example, perceiving non-attendance as the pupil's choice or within the control of the family, meant that professionals could be slower to identify and intervene for pupils at risk."

Professor Bond continues:- "There were also different understandings reported about whether attendance difficulties constituted a special educational need, and were therefore the responsibility of the SEND co-ordinator, or whether they were the responsibility of an attendance lead, resulting in inconsistent practice and oversight between educational settings."

A stakeholder group supported by the research team produced a local authority guidance document with sections clarifying Schools' responsibilities for supporting attendance collaboratively with local authority attendance teams and national guidance, alongside a School training package:- "tackling misconceptions about roles and responsibilities whilst emphasising the importance of a graduated, evidence informed response at a whole school level."

The University of Manchester academic writes:- "As this guidance was developed and trialled, stakeholders reported positive changes; including:- changes to referral pathways, such as the addition of an attendance difficulty screening tool to referrals for the medical education service. Stakeholders also detailed a positive outcome; that initial changes at a local authority level were now beginning to permeate into School settings, as messages were being consistently reinforced by a range of professionals, and they felt they were beginning to see a shift in the understanding of attendance difficulties at the School level."

She adds:- "The working group / guidance has contributed to attendance at this local authority's Schools remaining amongst the highest in England."

Professor Bond reveals that stakeholder discussions within the project identified:- "both a lack of clarity about staff roles and responsibilities and a broad range of attitudes about the causes of emotionally based School absences, with some staff perceiving that children and families were responsible, and that punitive action such as fines would be the most effective solution."

She writes:- "Although awareness of the complexity of School non attendance is increasing, there is still a need for significant work in this area to address misconceptions. The Department for Education should encourage evidence-informed support at both a local and national level."

Looking to the policy options available to the incoming Government, Professor Bond argues that the Department for Education should ensure future guidance on tackling School absence:- "prioritises early intervention, acknowledges local reasons for School absences, and removes the onus from parental blame. It should encourage multi-agency local solutions, which take on board parental feedback and the experiences of teachers and local authority specialists."

'All present and correct? Alternative provision and School attendance' by Professor Caroline Bond is available to read on the Policy@Manchester website.

Farming Revealed To Be The UK's Most Dangerous Job

NEW figures show that farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK with 27 people losing their lives on farms in 2023/24.

In a sector that accounts for 1% of the working population, agriculture accounts for 20% of all deaths in the workplace. The figures, released today by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showed that, while the total number of people losing their lives on GB farms remained the same as the previous year, there was an increase in the number of farm workers killed in the workplace in 2023/24. A figure of 23, up from the 21 recorded in 2022/23. Nearly 40% of these workers were over the age of 65 years.

Tragically, 2 of the 4 members of the public killed were children. 1 child was killed by a moving vehicle and the other was killed by a collapsing wall.

The picture is similar in Northern Ireland, where:- 8 of the 17 of the reported workplace fatalities in:- 2023/2024 were in the farming sector (HSENI).

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), the charity behind the annual Farm Safety Week campaign believes that, in addition to the numbers of lives lost on farms every year, the industry needs to address the attitude to risk taking and poor safety behaviours that result in an additional 23,000 injuries to workers every year in GB alone.

According to NFU Mutual, there were a total of 937 farm accident claims recorded in the UK for 2023/24, an encouraging decrease on the figure of:- 1,021 in 2022/23.

Causes of the accidents included falls from height, trapped body parts and falling objects, all of which cost the rural insurer over £68 million.

Research carried out by the charity in September 2023 revealed that 88% of farmers in the UK believe that:- 'complacency' always having it done that way; is a major contributor to having a farm accident while 82% cite:- 'attitude' as the major contributor.

Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager explains:- "Farm safety is not just our problem, it's a worldwide problem. According to the International Labour Office (ILO) agriculture employs half of the world's labour force but remains 1 of the 3 most hazardous sectors of activity (along with construction and mining). The UK recorded a total of 35 farm related deaths over the past year including:- 2 children. 35 families and communities devastated by the loss of a loved one. We can't let this continue. 2024 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Farm Safety Foundation and those 10 years have passed quickly. While we are proud of what we have achieved, today's figures from HSE highlight that there is so much more to be done to address the risks and dangers farm workers face every day to put food on our plates. Attitudes and behaviours around farm safety are changing but the pace of change is slow; too slow for the families of those we have lost in the industry and too slow for the thousands of farmers suffering every day with long term ill-health or serious injuries as a result of their work. This year's Farm Safety Week offers an opportunity for a real reset of the way we approach farm safety and risk taking. We can not continue to tolerate poor safety behaviours, we can not assume that its somebody else's job to drive this change in culture, and we can not rely on luck when going about our daily tasks."

Sue Thompson, Head of Agriculture, Health and Safety Executive, said:- "It is fantastic to see Farm Safety Week shine a light on both the safety and health issues that affect farmers. It is important farmers remain healthy and safe as they carry out an incredibly important, but at times, difficult job. Sadly, the numbers of fatalities within the industry remain stubbornly high. All too often, the industry fails to properly manage health and safety risk in the workplace, resulting in serious and fatal injuries that could, and should, have been prevented. That children continue to be killed on Britain's farms is a source of tragedy and sadness and is totally unacceptable. Farmers must put the health and safety of themselves and others at the heart of what they do. Real change requires a significant shift in culture. We will keep working with vital agricultural industry partners such as the Farm Safety Foundation / Yellow Wellies, however the whole industry must take the lead in driving the cultural change that is so desperately needed."

Scottish farmer and NFU Mutual Chairman Jim McLaren MBE knows only too well the ever present dangers associated with the industry, having himself suffered a life-changing farm accident as a child. He commented:- "Over the last 10 years, the Farm Safety Foundation has worked tirelessly and with great success, to change mindsets and improve the approach to farm safety, particularly among the younger generation. But every single farm accident is a farm accident too many, and there is still so much more to do. Farm Safety Week is a great opportunity for our whole sector to pause and reflect, to remind ourselves that virtually every task we undertake on farm has the ability to kill or seriously injure us if we approach it in the wrong way or with undue haste, carelessness or bravado."

For more information on Farm Safety Week visit:- YellowWellies.Org or follow @yellowwelliesUK on Instagram/Facebook/X using the hashtag #FarmSafetyWeek