Electronic copies of Faculty of Social Sciences policy documents. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/25965 2026-09-25T08:37:48Z 2026-09-25T08:37:48Z Clark, Helen Murray, Alison Murray, Pamela Lubrano, Mary Veale, Viki Silberfield, Carolyn Griggs, Gerald Cooke, Karen Brown, Fraser Woolley, Helen Coleman, Neil Follett, Michael Hodgson, Anna Hill, Becky Warrington, Decca http://hdl.handle.net/1893/37708 2025-12-11T01:09:10Z 2024-10-05T00:00:00Z

Title: A Plan for Play: An Eye View Series Report Author(s): Clark, Helen; Murray, Alison; Murray, Pamela; Lubrano, Mary; Veale, Viki; Silberfield, Carolyn; Griggs, Gerald; Cooke, Karen; Brown, Fraser; Woolley, Helen; Coleman, Neil; Follett, Michael; Hodgson, Anna; Hill, Becky; Warrington, Decca Abstract: There is a simple, inexpensive and joyful way to address many of the major challenges facing society and its children; addressing the alarming mental health crisis and obesity epidemic and helping to prepare children for an ever-changing work force. The solution that is all too often overlooked and neglected is - play. The right to play is so important that it is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Research documents its importance to every aspect of child health, development and wellbeing. Yet many children have little or no access to high quality play opportunities. Play provision should be considered in relation to every aspect of children’s lives – the design of their neighbourhoods, as well as within the services they access, such as child care centres, schools, hospitals, recreation facilities, parks and adventure playgrounds. Play cannot be relegated to the places and context that adults decide are appropriate It should be woven into the fabric of every aspect of children’s lives and the communities they are part of. Equitable access to play means reducing the insidious gradient of inequity that impacts children’s lives even before they are born and continues across their lifespan. Schools are one important venue to ensure equitable access to play. For some children, it will be the only opportunity they have for this nourishing and necessary activity. Play comprises a quarter of the school year, yet teachers and support staff receive no proper training or support to ensure that children in their care– our society’s future – have fulfilling play time. We know that early life experiences set the stage for the future, and that early intervention saves unquantifiable and unnecessary suffering and costs later on – for children, families and society as a whole. We owe it to children and ourselves both now and tomorrow, to make a plan for play that sees every child in every place playing every day. This report makes that case.

2024-10-05T00:00:00Z Graham, Hannah Armstrong, Sarah McNeill, Fergus Schinkel, Marguerite Jardine, Cara Weaver, Beth Morrison, Katrina http://hdl.handle.net/1893/37687 2025-12-10T01:09:30Z 2024-11-08T00:00:00Z

Title: Written evidence submission on early release of prisoners and the prison population for the Scottish Parliament Criminal Justice Committee - November (2024) Author(s): Graham, Hannah; Armstrong, Sarah; McNeill, Fergus; Schinkel, Marguerite; Jardine, Cara; Weaver, Beth; Morrison, Katrina Abstract: Written evidence submission to the Scottish Parliament Criminal Justice Committee by academics from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR): Dr Hannah Graham at the University of Stirling; Prof Sarah Armstrong, Prof Fergus McNeill, and Dr Marguerite Schinkel at the University of Glasgow; Dr Cara Jardine and Prof Beth Weaver at the University of Strathclyde; and Dr Katrina Morrison at Edinburgh Napier University. Our submission covers proposals for release of short-term prisoners, proposals for release of long-term prisoners, as well as making points about prison conditions, risk, rehabilitation, reintegration, and decarceration efforts in Scotland. Our evidence submission has been included in Scottish Parliament Committee meeting papers (Paper 3) for the meeting on Wednesday 13th November 2024. This is being considered ahead of and in anticipation of the Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill being laid before Scottish Parliament at some point in November 2024.

2024-11-08T00:00:00Z Rushton, Elizabeth Aldous, Suzy Christie, Beth King, Betsy Leask, Kirsten Ramjan, Claire http://hdl.handle.net/1893/37501 2025-10-15T00:25:55Z 2025-04-29T00:00:00Z

Title: National Framework for Learning for Sustainability in Initial Teacher Education Author(s): Rushton, Elizabeth; Aldous, Suzy; Christie, Beth; King, Betsy; Leask, Kirsten; Ramjan, Claire Abstract: Introduction: Since the 1980s there has been an international movement towards an ethos of learning that weaves opportunities for children and young people to enhance and develop the values, skills, knowledge, and attributes needed to thrive in a socially, economically, and ecologically uncertain world and as-yet-unknown futures. Such education has emerged as pivotal to the universal vision to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity that came out of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) created to bring this vision to life, SDG 4.7 in particular aims for all children and young people to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.

2025-04-29T00:00:00Z Clark, Helen Revel, Edwina Royal, Phil Wright, Paul Teakle, Ashlee McIlwrath, Barbara Bradshaw, Beth Purvey, Caroline McLeod, Catherine Williams, Chris Norman, Amanda Murray, Alison Fitzgerald, Damien Mackay, Estelle Musgrave, Jackie http://hdl.handle.net/1893/36718 2025-03-08T01:25:52Z 2023-02-17T00:00:00Z

Title: The Health And Wellbeing Of Children In The Early Years Author(s): Clark, Helen; Revel, Edwina; Royal, Phil; Wright, Paul; Teakle, Ashlee; McIlwrath, Barbara; Bradshaw, Beth; Purvey, Caroline; McLeod, Catherine; Williams, Chris; Norman, Amanda; Murray, Alison; Fitzgerald, Damien; Mackay, Estelle; Musgrave, Jackie Abstract: Giving children the best start in life is by far the most effective way to address health inequalities in the long term. The wisest investment we can make to achieve the goal of a healthier population is during the first 1001 critical days of a child’s life. Good nutrition and safe environments supported by nurturing early relationships are the essential components of children’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. The importance of this age-range is acknowledged by the World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative and in England, both the NHS Long Term Plan and Public Health England’s 2016 guidance on ‘Giving every child the best start in life’. Covid-19 is having a continuing impact on babies born before and during the pandemic and children in the early years. The impact has been unequal for children, with a disproportionate number of BAME families, those living with poverty and children with SEND facing the greatest challenges. Parents and carers had less face-to-face interaction with health professionals and early years settings and studies reported families found it harder to stay active and access healthy food choices. In the UK, 14% of families with children experienced food insecurity during the first six months of the pandemic as opposed to 11.5% beforehand. There are now widespread and burgeoning concerns that Covid-19 has exacerbated nutritional problems linked to food insecurity including obesity, under-nourishment, nutrient deficiencies and mental health problems such as anxiety, low self-worth, and depression. Children have been subjected to violence and abuse at home as a corollary of lockdown whether as direct recipients or helpless observers. We are now reeling in the aftermath of such challenges as children’s emotional well-being and education faltered, instead of thriving. Children need to be put at the heart of any recovery plans to ensure Covid-19 is not the legacy of their future outcomes. It is probable that the true impact of the pandemic may not become clear for many years. Schools are already reporting an increasing number of their pupils requiring extra support with language and communication and personal social and emotional development. Early years settings were the one constant in the lives of young children providing a stable and safe space during Covid-19. They continue to play a central role in supporting parents, carers and young children in establishing lifelong healthy eating habits. Good quality early education has a positive impact on young children’s development and safe, excellent childcare enables parents and carers to work, while their children have the opportunity to interact with other children and be enriched by new challenges and experiences within a safe space. Nursery settings support children’s care and development from birth to five years and are a vital source of information, guidance and support for parents, carers and families. Early years providers continued to provide this support throughout the pandemic yet Covid-19 has impacted greatly on early years providers with over 2000 settings closing between January and May 2021. Staff from early years settings are at the forefront of providing support for our youngest children yet it is a resource that remains underfunded. There is a clear need to ensure training requirements for the early years’ workforce supports them to achieve the requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Children, families and the early years’ work force need to be at the heart of a national strategy to ensure children can enter adulthood with improved health and wellbeing outcomes. The recommendations that form this report highlight that we are already falling short of meeting children’s minimum requirements for nutrition, immunisation, education and emotional support

2023-02-17T00:00:00Z