Children and young people’s mental health issues are rising; demand for services is exceeding capacity. In order to thrive, young people need to be supported throughout their lives, not just at crisis point. Read the Child of the North APPG’s new report: www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/app/uploads/...

As @emmalewellmp.bsky.social states, now is the “chance to turn the tide” on child and adolescent mental health. Read why coordinated action with a prevention focus is needed to tackle poor mental health in the new Child of the North APPG report: www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/app/uploads/...

🙋 WEBINAR - Join us on 16 July @ 12pm to learn more about our upcoming Equitable Access to Play report, including how you can submit a contribution. Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/webinar-eq... The webinar will be hosted by the co-editors of the report and there will be time for Q&A. #Play

Yesterday, we were proud to be in Parliament to launch the latest report from the Child of the North APPG: ‘Building a Preventative Mental Health System for Children and Young People’. www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/app/uploads/...

THREAD Children and young people’s mental health is at crisis, with services overwhelmed and families struggling. Nearly 1 in 5 primary school children now have a probable mental health disorder and 385,000 children are still waiting for support www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/childrens-me...

Congratulations @teesvalleyed.bsky.social on winning a Silver Pearson National Teaching Award for 'School or College Partnership of the Year' for the PLACE project. PLACE is built on partnership with us and many others, and we are delighted to see this recognition. #TeachingAwards

📢Call for contributions An upcoming Child of the North report on equitable access to play is looking for input from across the North of England. Deadline: 31st August 2026 Find out more here⬇️ www.n8research.org.uk/what-we-do/r... #ChildOfTheNorth #YHARC #HealthResearch #CAER

Our 12-part report series ‘A country that works for all children and young people’ provides evidence-based plans to help policymakers address problems of inequity. Last year, we published report updates and toolkits for practitioners. #ChildrenFirst recap 📚 www.n8research.org.uk/what-we-do/r...

Call for contributions. In partnership with the @cfyounglives.bsky.social we are inviting contributions to a new report, and would like to hear from anyone who is involved in supporting children and young people’s play. Learn more👇 We'd love to hear from you. DL 31 Aug. Please share!

“This cannot be treated simply as a labour market issue – it is also a health equity issue” Academic Co-Director @lukemunford.bsky.social comments on the new Young people and work report, which shows that nearly 1 million young people in the UK are NEET. www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/hen-academic...

Shelley is part of a team mapping how agencies collaborate to prevent and respond to missing children and young people. If you work in this space, you're invited to contribute via a 25-minute online survey (DL 3 July) and/or via a workshop in Liverpool on 20 May, or London on 12 June. Learn more 👇

A reminder that the UK government is seeking views through a open consultation on proposals for SEND reform. The consultation window closes on 18 May, 11:59pm. Learn more and make sure your voice is heard by following the link below. consult.education.gov.uk/send-strateg...

Last week, academics from @officialuom.bsky.social, @merseycarenhs.bsky.social, and @liverpooluni.bsky.social presented evidence in Parliament to the Child of the North APPG, informing their next report on children's mental health and wellbeing. @marykfoymp.bsky.social 1/2

Two major government publications released on 23 February – the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper and the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group (NDTFG) Report – draw heavily on the evidence syntheses and analyses produced by @childofthenorth.bsky.social Learn more 👇

Pleased to see Child of the North & @cfyounglives.bsky.social analyses cited in the new independent report on supporting neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream settings. You can access our reports via the N8 Research Partnership's website: www.n8research.org.uk/research-foc...

On the day the Government published its white paper on SEND reforms - policymakers, researchers, clinicians and frontline practitioners gathered in Manchester to demonstrate how connected data can turn ambition into reality. @childofthenorth.bsky.social @departmentforedu.bsky.social

Proud to see Child of the North’s evidence shaping national SEND reform. Yesterday's event highlights how connected data can deliver the change children need. With a strong call from our Whitehall colleagues for more collaboration, we look forward to next steps. #SEND #CotN

That's a wrap on the Data Showcase. Thank you to everyone who brought expertise, evidence, and commitment to improving outcomes for children with SEND. Next: we're co-producing a report for the government based on today's discussions. #CotN #SEND

An insightful session underway at the @childofthenorth.bsky.social Data Showcase on HMG policy priorities, highlighting how important collaboration is, and developing communities of practice.    #CotN #SEND

A rich session showcasing data assets from across the North — #BeeWell, Born in Bradford, BaBi and C‑GULL — and how they can inform work on SEND and children’s outcomes.   #CotN #SEND Web links in thread👇🧵 @beewelluk.bsky.social @arc-yharc.bsky.social @livunichil.bsky.social

Representatives from the NIHR HDRCs and ARCs, and the Vulnerabilities & Policing Futures Research Centre highlight examples of safe, legal and ethical data linkage for earlier identification and better support for children and young people with SEND. #CotN #SEND

Keynote: Professor Marianne van den Bree discusses how connected data can help us understand the experiences of people across services and over time.   #CotN #SEND

Opening the Child of the North Data Showcase with Professor Mark Mon‑Williams, Baroness Anne Longfield CBE and Haroon Chowdry, setting out why SEND and connected data need to be considered together.   #CotN #SEND

How can connected data support better outcomes for children and young people with SEND? We’re in Manchester to share evidence on what’s possible when services safely link data. #CotN #SEND

Tomorrow, we're bringing health, education, local government, research and voluntary sector colleagues together to discuss SEND and the power of connected data. We look forward to examining real evidence, learning from current practice and jointly shaping what should happen next. #CotN #SEND

This #ChildrensMentalHeathWeek, the theme is ‘This is My Place’.   All Children deserve to be supported where they live, yet children in the North face high rates of poverty and generally poorer health. 1/2

Almost one in four North East households are unable to afford adequate food and are suffering serious physical and mental health consequences as a result. www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2581379... @thenorthernecho.bsky.social

In a new article in @bmj.com, @healthequitynorth.bsky.social Academic Co-Directors @profkepickett.bsky.social and David Taylor-Robinson respond to the new child poverty strategy, calling on Government to place clear targets in order to tackle the child poverty crisis. 🔗 www.bmj.com/content/392/...

📣 Final call! Academics, data scientists, service experts, the deadline to apply to attend is tomorrow, end of day (midnight). Join policy teams and scientists from across Whitehall to explore how connected data can address the SEND crisis. Complete the short survey: n8cir.org.uk/training-and...

Submit your expression of interest to attend by Fri 30 Jan. Join us to reinforce the North of England's ability and willingness to work with central government to build a country that works for all children and young people. n8cir.org.uk/training-and... #SEND

Poverty is deepening. 🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning. People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people. This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.

Can you contribute relevant expertise, projects, data assets or insights? Join Whitehall policy teams and scientists to discuss Areas of Research Interest for SEND. Apply by Fri 30 January. Learn more: https://n8cir.org.uk/training-and-events/child-of-the-north-showcase/

🫵 Call for Expressions of Interest We are seeking individuals and teams who wish to participate in this workshop focused on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and the power of connected data. EOI deadline is 30 Jan. Learn more and apply at: n8cir.org.uk/training-and...

Today the government is introducing legislation to abolish the two-child limit. More than any other, this policy has driven children into poverty and cut them off from opportunity. Removing it is the right thing to do – supporting future generations and giving all children a fair start in life.

This a welcome step towards tackling childhood obesity 👏🏼 Our Hungry for Change report, with lead author @mariabryant.bsky.social, shows how poverty fuels obesity rates and food insecurity - with families in the North bearing these pressures most acutely. www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/app/uploads/...

The Government’s decision to end the two-child cap and measures in the new Child Poverty Strategy reflect policies we have been long been pushing for. We will always advocate for the Children of the North and put pressure on policymakers to be more ambitious in order to end the cycle of poverty.

Getting our research in front of those with the power to make positive impacts is crucial. Thank you to all politicians who have worked with us to improve the lives of children in the North. Find out more about our engagement: www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/child-of-the...

We welcome the removal of the two-child cap and the new Child Poverty Strategy. Our reports have highlighted the inequalities in the UK, disproportionately impacting children and young people, and laid out the changes needed to break the poverty cycle. www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/child-of-the...

“Whilst today’s strategy, coupled with the impending removal of the two-child benefit cap, is a significant step in the right direction, we urge the Government to go further: invest in education across the whole school system, tackle regional inequalities head-on."

Children are being pulled into the youth justice system because their early health, education and care needs are not being addressed, according to a new Child of the North report edited by @vp-centre.bsky.social researchers. Read more 👇 vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/news/childre...

This roundtable report is a must-read following the lift of the two-child cap - whilst the removal of the cap is a huge step forward, more must be done to address child poverty

For our final report update in our #ChildrenFirst campaign we evidence the economic and social value of arts-based interventions. Creative arts must not be marginalised at a time when children need them most. Learn more: www.n8research.org.uk/research-foc... Cont. in comments 👇

The two-child cap has for too long penalised children. Ending this will not only help struggling families, but offers long-term social and economic benefits. @alexisdarby.bsky.social explains how arguments used to defend the cap fail against the evidence: www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/blog-why-scr...

The end of the two-child cap, announced in the Budget, marks a significant reversal of welfare policy – an essential change. @alexisdarby.bsky.social's blog addresses misconceptions and outlines the benefits for our economy and those most vulnerable: www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/blog-why-scr...

Ending the two-child cap shows advocacy works. This change will ease poverty for 500,000 children, but systemic issues persist. We’ll push for a coordinated strategy to tackle child poverty and health inequalities. www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/statements-f...

For families who have struggled under the two-child restriction, today’s #Budget announcement offers them the chance to build a life free from poverty and deprivation. Child of the North APPG Chair @emmalewellmp.bsky.social issued a statement on the news www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/statements-f...

For our 11th and penultimate report update in our #ChildrenFirst campaign we highlight how urgent change is needed to address underlying childhood vulnerabilities, to create Safer Streets, reduce crime and meet the government’s Opportunity Mission for children and young people. A thread 👇

The first years of life are critical to a child's lifelong health, educational attainment and life opportunities. We must maintain a relentless focus on prevention and that means from birth onwards. Important work from @childofthenorth.bsky.social n8research.org.uk/one-in-three-c…

We urgently need a whole system response to address the multifaceted root causes of school absence. Our latest analysis highlights a persisting attendance crisis, with inequalities related to poverty and disadvantage becoming entrenched. Read on for insights and recommendations 👇 #ChildrenFirst

CEO of @alderheycharity.org, Fiona Ashcroft, spoke on BBC Radio as we join 100+ charities urging the government to scrap the two-child limit in the upcoming budget. For too long, children have been left behind, and now child poverty is at a record high. It’s time the Chancellor #PutChildrenFirst.