Behaviour Management

Poor pupil behaviour in schools has come under the spotlight this past week, following the publication of a  new report by behaviour expert, Tom Bennett. He spent several months meeting classroom teachers and leaders from a variety of schools, trying to identify successful strategies used to tackle disruptive behaviour; he concluded that poor behaviour in schools is not being taken seriously and the extent of the problem has been underestimated by Ofsted. 

His suggestion for funding to provide internal inclusion units to deal with troubled pupils has been widely welcomed. The report also includes case studies of behaviour management practices in improved schools, now rated outstanding. The government has responded to the report by setting out a number of measures to take forward.

In the news ... Care Homes

This week, a Panorama investigation found that care firms have cancelled contracts with 95 UK councils, due to a shortfall in funding for the services they are expected to deliver. Many home care companies say their biggest problem is recruitment and retention of carers, which has had a knock-on effect with bed-blocking in hospitals; more than 6,500 elderly people are stuck in an acute hospital bed despite being well enough to leave. With demand growing, it is estimated that at least two million more carers will be needed by 2025 in England alone, in both in-home care and care homes. 

The Panorama episode aired on this topic can be viewed online. This video gives an overview of the upcoming changes to the social care common inspection framework coming into play in April and the future of social care inspections is discussed here.

International Day of Happiness! :0)