Young people and parents are set to benefit from extended mental health services in Hastings, backed by a £600,000 annual investment from the government’s Opportunity Area programme.

The funding will develop the advice and support services available for young people in Hastings to improve their emotional wellbeing at home, school or further education, the Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced during a visit to Sussex Coast College in Hastings yesterday (17 May) to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

Hastings is one of 12 Opportunity Areas identified as social mobility ‘coldspots’ which are receiving a share of £72million to raise aspirations and opportunities for the young people who live there.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

Young people in Hastings have told us mental health is one of their big concerns, and we know that it can have a real impact on their lives – that’s why the Opportunity Area programme is spending over £600,000 a year to improve training for school staff, increase access to local services and strengthen family relationships to boost wellbeing at home.

During Mental Health Awareness Week, it’s important to hear first-hand from the people running these important projects in Hastings and from the young people who benefit. The more we can improve the support that is in place for them, the more likely it is that they will grow up feeling confident and positive about their future.

The mental health investment includes:

• £100,000 per year to expand Hastings’ award-winning i-Rock service to five days a week from three as of September 2018. i-Rock offers a drop-in service for young people aged 14 to 25-years-old providing them with advice on emotional and mental wellbeing, employment, education and housing;

• Around £250,000 per year to develop an emotional wellbeing service for schoolchildren aged nine to 14 that will offer training and expert clinical advice to clusters of schools, as well as supporting groups or individual children who are suffering from anxiety, depression, anger issues or those that are at risk of self-harm or eating disorders;

• More than £250,000 per year to expand support for parents and carers in Hastings, including ‘Triple P – Positive Parenting Programme’, which aims to encourage parents to seek support where they need it and offers practical strategies to help foster healthy family relationships, preventing problems developing at home; and

• Working with schools and colleges to identify the best approaches being used to supporting their students’ mental health and resilience, to share locally for the maximum benefit.

Chief Executive of Triple P UK, Matt Buttery, said:

The Secretary of State is absolutely right to prioritise social mobility, and Opportunity Areas have real potential to transform life chances for children and young people. Triple P is an evidence-based parenting programme that delivers real and long-lasting benefits for children and families, and is a vital part of the jigsaw.

Triple P is working with a number of partners in the Hastings Opportunity Area to help families build healthy relationships and prevent problems developing, including in mental health. We look forward to continuing our work and expanding our offer so that all young people in the area, and indeed across the country, can achieve their full potential.

Confirming the funding during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Education Secretary was joined by Amber Rudd, MP for Hastings and Rye and met with young people who have benefitted from the i-Rock project, as well as school and college leaders and members of the Hastings Opportunity Area independent board to discuss the programme’s wider work.

The programme has been developed in partnership with local organisations and the additional funding builds on existing investment from Hastings and Rother Clinical Commissioning Group and East Sussex County Council.

Hastings Opportunity Area will focus on four strands of work: improving literacy, raising attainment in maths, broadening young people’s horizons and preparing them for the work, and improving mental health and resilience.

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

• Withdrawal Agreement – remaining issues
• Future relationship

Wednesday, 23 May 2018

• Withdrawal Agreement – remaining issues
• Northern Ireland/Ireland
• Future relationship

Thursday, 24 May 2018

• Withdrawal Agreement – remaining issues
• Future relationship

Neil Swift has been appointed as the Chief Executive of the SSRO, after a rigorous external selection process and agreement by the SSRO Board. He is currently the Interim Chief Executive of the SSRO. He joined the SSRO in April 2015 and was previously Chief Operating Officer.

The Chairman of the SSRO, George Jenkins OBE, said that:

This is a vital appointment for the SSRO. The new Chief Executive will drive forward our positive momentum, focusing on the delivery of our statutory functions and ensuring our independence, while engaging meaningfully with all our stakeholders. The Board and Neil share the same vision, and he demonstrated against tough competition that he meets the skills, knowledge and experience criteria we need. I would like to thank my fellow panel members for their significant contribution to the recruitment process, and for arriving at the best decision for the SSRO.

The shortlisting and interview panel comprised: George Jenkins OBE as the SSRO Chairman; Catherine Little, DG Finance at the Ministry of Defence; Paul Everitt, Chief Executive of ADS; and Marta Phillips, a non-executive Board member at the SSRO. Interviews were held at the SSRO offices on 1 May 2018 and the panel determined its recommended candidate at that time. The recruitment was undertaken by the SSRO, in conjunction with Odgers Berndtson, which approached potential applicants regarding the role and coordinated the exercise.

The SSRO was founded under the Defence Reform Act in 2014. It is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence.

Neil Swift said:

It is a privilege to be appointed Chief Executive, and I am grateful to the panel and Board for considering my application. The SSRO plays a key role in the regulation of non-competitive defence contracts, providing independent, objective and evidence-based advice, guidance and support. Working with and listening to its stakeholders the SSRO is well placed to support improvements in defence procurement. I intend to build on the
foundations that have been established as the regime further matures – ensuring the SSRO does its job and does it well.

For further information contact the SSRO on enquiries@ssro.gov.uk, or by telephone at 0203771 4777.

Sir John Kingman, the head of an independent review into the audit, accountant and actuary regulator the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), has today (Friday 19 May) announced details of the independent advisory group that will support the review.

The review aims to make the FRC the best in class for corporate governance and the advisory group brings together expertise from a range of sectors and backgrounds, with members including representatives from the investment community, senior business leaders, and leading figures in accountancy, governance and regulation.

Launched in April 2018, the review is assessing FRC’s governance, impact and powers, to ensure it is fit for the future, and is due for completion by the end of 2018.

In accordance with the review’s terms of reference, the advisory group will be responsible for scrutinising and challenging the review’s findings and recommendations, as well as advising on the direction of the review and sources of evidence.

The review will include a consultation, asking for views on the FRC’s role.

The advisory group will be comprised of:

• Lucinda Bell: Formerly CFO at British Land; Non-Executive Director and Audit Chair, Rotork plc
• Mark Burgess: Deputy Global Chief Investment Officer, and Chief Investment Officer EMEA, Columbia Threadneedle
• John Cridland: Chair, Transport for the North, leading the State Pension Age review; formerly Director-General, Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
• Dame Amelia Fawcett: Deputy Chair of Swedish investment firm Kinnevik; Non-Executive Board Member at HM Treasury, and Non-Executive Director at State Street Corporation (US); formerly Chair, Guardian Media Group
• Amelia Fletcher: Professor of Competition Policy, University of East Anglia; Non-Executive Director, Financial Conduct Authority, Payment Systems Regulator, and Competition and Markets Authority
• Simon Fraser: Chair of F&C Investment Trust and the Investor Forum; formerly Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity International Ltd
• Sir Peter Gershon: Chairman, National Grid plc. Formerly Chair, Tate & Lyle plc, and Chief Executive, Office of Government Commerce
• Teresa Graham: Chair, Salix Finance; Chair, HMRC Administrative Burdens Advisory Board; previously Deputy Chair of the government’s Better Regulation Commission (BRC), and a Partner at accounting firm Baker Tilly (now RSM)
• Dame Mary Keegan: Former chair, Accounting Standards Board; previously PWC’s first female audit partner; founding member, International Forum on Accountancy Development, and HM Treasury’s former Managing Director for Government Financial Management
• Nikhil Rathi: Chief Executive Officer, London Stock Exchange Plc at London Stock Exchange Group plc
• Anne Richards: Chief Executive Officer, M&G Investments

The successful community groups will receive up to £30,000 each to help support the vital work they do to educate young people about the dangers of carrying weapons.

Last year, hundreds of charities bid from an initial £765,000 worth of funding. By investing a further £1 million this year in early intervention initiatives the Home Office will provide critical support to local communities to help tackle knife crime.

This additional funding forms just one of over 60 measures announced in the Serious Violence Strategy which stresses the importance of early intervention to tackle the root causes of serious violence, backed with £40 million of Home Office funding.

Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability Victoria Atkins said:

I have seen the fantastic work charities have delivered with the community fund and I’m thrilled the next round will allow us to build on these successes.

Knife crime has devastating consequences for families and local communities and we are determined to provide necessary support for those most at risk.

Our Serious Violence Strategy places a new emphasis on early intervention and steering young people away from crime in the first place.

Already, 47 charities across the country have benefited from the Community Fund, including the London-based Ben Kinsella Trust and the Coventry-based Positive Youth Foundation.

CEO of the Positive Youth Foundation, Rashid Bhayat said:

Knife crime is a serious issue that the youth-work sector has been addressing sensitively for many years. Whilst not all areas have the same level of challenges, even one incident is one too many.

As an organisation, we are working very closely with young people, voluntary sector groups, the local authority and the police to ensure that young people in Coventry have a safe place to learn about the devastating consequences of carrying weapons.

The funding from the Home Office provided the opportunity to have these meaningful conversations. I would encourage organisations to apply to this funding round, as it will allow for much needed support and interventions for young people most at risk.

The Serious Violence Strategy recognises the importance of preventing often hard-to-reach young people from becoming involved in serious violence.

Alongside the strategy the Home Office launched #knifefree a communications campaign which helps share information on social media about the risk of carrying a knife, its effects and how to make the right decisions.

By investing in early intervention and education we will help give critical support for young people to provide them with the tools and opportunity they need to live violence-free lives.