Latest news with #RachelDeSouza
The Guardian
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK grooming gangs inquiry ‘must confront uncomfortable truths'
The national inquiry into grooming gangs 'must be fearless in confronting uncomfortable truths' after too many girls 'were failed by the very institutions charged with their protection', the victims' commissioner for England and Wales has said. The government confirmed on Monday that it would set up a statutory inquiry and accept all 12 recommendations of Lady Casey's rapid review of the issue. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told the Commons: 'We cannot and must not shy away from these findings.' The victims' commissioner, Helen Newlove, said: 'This inquiry must be fearless in confronting uncomfortable truths. 'Too many girls were failed by the very institutions charged with their protection. This is our chance to lift the stone, expose those failures, and ensure they are never repeated. 'Victims must remain at the heart of this work. Sharing experiences of child sexual abuse is deeply personal and often retraumatising. Thousands came forward to the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse – often for the first time – yet years on, too little has changed. We must not repeat those mistakes.' The children's commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, said the girls at the heart of this scandal 'have been failed by every professional in their lives'. She added: 'They, and the institutions that were intended to protect them, ignored their voices and sidelined their experiences. They must be held accountable for turning a blind eye to a sustained campaign of violence against young girls by predatory men. 'This is a source of national shame – I've been clear nothing can be off the table in pursuing justice for the victims.' In the House of Commons on Monday, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said the announcement of the inquiry was 'another U-turn' by the government and an 'extraordinary failure of leadership'. She said: 'After months of pressure the prime minister has finally accepted our calls for a full statutory national inquiry into the grooming gangs. 'I welcome that we have finally reached this point. This is a victory for the survivors who have been calling for this for years.' The Metropolitan police deputy assistant commissioner Helen Millichap, who is also the director of the national centre for violence against women and girls and public protection, said Casey's report included several recommendations with implications for policing that would now be considered. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'We are sorry to all those who have experienced child sexual abuse and exploitation,' she said. 'The pain, trauma, and long-lasting impact experienced by victims and survivors is immeasurable. 'We recognise that for too long, your voices went unheard, and opportunities to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities were missed.' Nazir Afzal, the chief crown prosecutor for the north-west from 2011 to 2015, questioned the efficacy of national inquiries. He told BBC Radio 4: 'Only criminal investigations can bring real accountability. That's what needs to happen. Not just for those who offended, but also those who stood by and didn't do what they were meant to do. 'Unfortunately my experience with national inquiries is that they take for ever and don't deliver accountability.'
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK government urged to introduce GCSE in Ukrainian for child refugees
The children's commissioner has joined Kyiv in lobbying the UK government to introduce a new GCSE in Ukrainian to help child refugees cope with the 'immense upheaval' of fleeing war in their country. In December, the Guardian revealed that Ukraine was 'deeply concerned' to discover many Ukrainian teenagers are being pressed into learning Russian in British schools because no GSCE in Ukrainian is available. Since then Ukraine's education minister, Oksen Lisovyi, has met the UK education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to underline his government's fear that being taught Russian is retraumatising Ukrainian teenagers who have fled Vladimir Putin's invasion. Vitalii, now 18, who fled to London from Ukraine in April 2022, said: 'Why should I study Russian – I'm Ukrainian and I want to show it. The language is paramount for all us.' Since the meeting with Lisovyi, Phillipson confirmed on Instagram this week that she has written to exam boards urging them to reintroduce an exam that was scrapped in 1995 owing to a lack of demand. The Department for Education (DfE) has also set up a working group to help implement the move. One of the exam boards, AQA, said it was carefully considering reintroducing the qualification. But education sector insiders are sceptical about the practicalities of the move. It has also emerged the children's commissioner, Rachel de Souza, has been urging the government to reintroduce a GCSE in Ukrainain. She intervened after visiting St Mary's, a network of 13 Ukrainian language schools in the UK, founded at the trust's headquarters in west London. De Souza said: 'I've seen for myself the great work St Mary's Ukrainian School is doing with the children who attend. It has become a sanctuary for families, helping displaced children reach their goals and aspirations in spite of the immense upheaval they've experienced.' De Souza said she was encouraged by the DfE's decision to take up the issue with exam boards. She said: 'I have long called for the DfE to consider making qualifications available in Ukrainian for these children, who rightly want an opportunity to feel proud of their culture and their language, so I am really pleased to see this. 'Ukrainian children living here in the UK are the future of their country and will play a vital role in its recovery, so we must match their level of ambition and make sure they receive all the support possible to thrive in their education.' An AQA spokesperson said: 'We've every sympathy with Ukrainian students who, through no fault of their own, find themselves many miles from home and want to gain formal accreditation of their language. 'As an education charity, we stand ready to do what we can to support Ukrainian students. We have received a letter from the education secretary about developing a GCSE in the Ukrainian language and are considering it carefully.' But an education industry source said: 'Realistically it takes two years to develop a qualification, it takes another two years to teach it. So a GCSE is not going to help students who are currently here who have fled Ukraine.' St Mary's has proposed becoming a hub for both GCSE and A-level qualifications in Ukrainian. In a letter to Phillipson, Ukraine's ministry of education backed this suggestion. It said: 'Establishing a Ukrainian GCSE centre will provide these children with opportunities to take Ukrainian GCSE and A-level exams, supporting their educational and professional goals.' It also pointed out that demand for the qualification has soared owing to the number of children that have fled to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. It said: 'As of now, the number of potential students of Ukrainian descent interested in pursuing Ukrainian GCSE is at an all-time high: about 27,000 displaced Ukrainian children and around 7,000 diaspora children.' It added: 'Maintaining proficiency in Ukrainian is crucial for displaced children's transition back to Ukraine, especially as many families may decide to reunite when it is safe.' A DfE spokesperson said: 'This government has set out our decisive support for our Ukrainian friends. That's why we have, last week, asked exam boards to consider introducing a Ukrainian GCSE – giving these young people the chance to celebrate their heritage and their native language.'
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ten worrying signs you're putting your phone before your child – and how your screen obsession affects your kids
ARE you glued to your phone at mealtimes, is your child having to repeat themselves before you listen to them, are you checking your device before giving your little one a cuddle in the morning? You are not alone. Dame Rachel de Souza, the children 's commissioner for England has criticised the ever-growing number of parents who spend too much time glued to their mobile phones - and said that we need to look at our own behaviour if we want to protect our children from smartphone usage. 'As adults we are ourselves dopamine-addicted, stuck in a cycle of scrolling yet we still have no idea of what our children are seeing,' she wrote last month. Are you present and engaged with your child, or is your smartphone becoming an obstacle? Take our quiz, devised by parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi who wrote How to Unplug Your Child, to find out if you are putting your phone before your offspring. How much do you use yours? 1. You're at your child's birthday party and they're about to blow out the candles. What are you doing? A. Trying to get that perfect photo for Instagram, while shouting: 'Wait, do it again', until you get the right shot. B. Filming the moment and watching through your screen – although you do realise that you should be more present. C. Clapping, cheering and singing 'Happy Birthday' without a phone in sight. You'll probably take a few snaps of the party, but you think it's more important to take part in the celebration. 2. Your child asks you to tuck them in, but you're in the middle of scrolling through a viral video. What happens next? A. You tell them: 'One second' and they eventually fall asleep waiting. B. You delay going into their room while you finish the video, but then head in a bit grouchy for having to stop. Your child is annoyed at having had to wait. Bedtime is spoiled. C. You press pause and put your phone down to focus on their bedtime routine. The video was hilarious, but it'll still be there later. 3. You're waiting to collect your child at the school gates. They run towards you, excited to share news about their day. What's your reaction? A. You barely look up from your phone and say: 'Hang on, let me just finish this message.' B. You give them a quick hug and half-listen while 'just answering a quick email'. C. You put your phone away when they approach the gates, greet them enthusiastically and show interest in their tale asking: 'What happened next?' 4. It's tea time and you're eating with your kids at the table. Where's your phone? A. Right there with you, obviously. You eat with one hand and use your phone with the other, while your child watches YouTube. B. On the table 'just in case'. You keep looking at it longingly out of the corner of your eye when chatting to your child. It's distracting even when it's not being used. C. In another room. Meals are a great opportunity to chat and catch up with your little one about their day. 5. Your child wants to ask you a question. What's the usual sequence of events? A. Your partner shouts to get your attention as you've been so engrossed in your phone that you have not heard your child call your name. B. Your child literally puts their head between you and your phone to ask the question. C. Your child asks once and you answer - with a follow up question to continue the conversation. 6. Your child proudly shows you a drawing, Lego creation, or handmade craft. How do you respond? A. Say: 'Oh that's nice', without looking up from your phone. B. Take a quick picture of it to share with friends, but forget to praise their work directly. C. Put your phone aside, ask about what they created and how and why they made it. 7. You've agreed to play a family board game, but halfway through, you hear message notifications and feel the urge to check your phone. What happens? A. You sneakily look at it, then get sucked into scrolling and miss your turn. Several times. Your child needs to tell you to play your move and gets annoyed. B. You check your phone 'just for a second', but do so more than once and seem a bit distracted. C. You stay fully engaged, even if that Monopoly game feels like it's lasting forever. 8. It's sports day and your child is competing in a few events. What are you doing? A. Posting a live play-by-play to your WhatsApp group instead of cheering. You barely look up for their races. B. Watching, sort of, while sneakily checking your phone for work messages. C. Shouting their name and celebrating their efforts at the finish line with a big hug – whether they came first or last. 9. You're on holiday, surrounded by beautiful scenery. The rest of the family wants to explore a hidden trail. What do you do? A. Stay behind to upload beach photos to Instagram. B. Go along, but keep stopping to take pictures for your social feed. C. Leave your phone behind – or at least on silent in your bag – and immerse yourself in the adventure together. 10. Your child complains they're bored on a Sunday afternoon. What's your solution? A. Hand them a phone or tablet so they'll leave you alone to look at yours. B. Suggest something fun, but keep checking your messages while they play. C. Brainstorm a creative activity together, like building a fort or baking cookies, and put your phone away. What your answers mean 3 Parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi shares her advice, based on your answers: Mostly As: The Screen-Obsessed Parent Your phone is clearly in charge of your parenting and, more seriously, of you. Do you really want to miss out on your little one's childhood because you were too busy viewing celebs ' social posts? You're also setting a poor example, as kids naturally copy their parents' behaviour. So if you're constantly glued to your phone, chances are they eventually will be, too. And it'll be harder to set boundaries. Now's the time to pledge to cut down the screen interference. Are there parts of your day that you can commit to keeping screen-free? Maybe the hour before and after school, during meals and at the kids' bedtimes? Write your new rules down and stick with them. Ask others in the family to keep you accountable. Putting your phone out of sight and silencing all but essential notifications will cut the urge to scroll. Mostly Bs: The Distracted Parent You have good intentions, but your phone just keeps creeping in, preventing you from being fully 'present' with your child. You're aware of the problem, but can't ignore that urge to scroll. It's like an itch that needs scratching. Find ways to reduce the importance of your phone in your life. Keep notifications turned off, or switch to allow phone calls only when you're spending quality time with your child, or during specific parts of the day/week. Screen-free Sundays work for some families. Leave your phone plugged in, out of reach to reduce temptation. If you have an essential task to do, such as checking work messages, explain to your child that Mummy or Daddy has to do this, but won't be long. Then put your phone away immediately – no sneaking a look at Facebook or football scores. Mostly Cs: The Present Parent You've nailed the parenting and technology juggle, using gadgets when it suits you and adds something to your lives, rather than allowing them to take over family life. You're also setting a healthy example to your child. Ofcom's 2022 report highlights the role of parents in shaping children's digital habits and the impact of parental modelling. If you, the grown-up, are setting your phone aside and not in its thrall, you are helping your child to be less reliant on phones. It is worth remembering that even if you're doing a good job here, other family members, and people they see around them a lot may still be using their phones too much in front of your youngster. Make sure where possible these loved ones follow your lead when it comes to careful phone use and are aware of how they might be influencing your child. Keep up the great work and enjoy those precious moments with your child – they're fleeting after all, although it seems you've already realised that for yourself. HOW COULD MY PHONE USAGE HARM MY CHILD? Parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi said: 'Talking to parents, the most common concern is their child's screen use, but the reality is parents are often just as glued to gadgets as kids – sometimes more so – and that's pretty harmful too. 'If you seem more interested in your favourite influencer or chatting to online friends, than you are in your children, they might well feel rejected. "They could start behaving badly as a way to get your attention. "Other potential harms of excessive smartphone use include hampering your parent-child bond, and your little one ending up with poor social skills; you're teaching them that when someone tries to talk to you it's okay to ignore them. You're also being a poor role model about screen use which won't set them up well for their teens and beyond." SMARTPHONES RULING YOUR HOME? HOW TO DIAL DOWN USAGE… By Liat Hughes Joshi CATEGORISE phone activities into 'essential', 'enjoyable' and 'pointless'. The first can stay, the second if they're not getting in the way of real life, and the third get ditched. SET yourself and the household rules and keep each other accountable. CONSIDER powering down during particular times of the day or week such as meal times, when watching films, or Sundays. SET up a phone bin or charging station and encourage all family members to leave gadgets there in evenings, especially when they go to bed. GO back to an alarm clock, read offline and remove your phone from the bedroom. Avoid grabbing your device first thing when you wake up. SWITCH to phone calls only mode for certain periods. Look at apps which limit access to non-essential phone functions, such as the Freedom app. WRITE a reminder not to reach for your phone - it could be a post-it stuck on your device.
