Hi everyone,

Last Monday, we had a discussion about the latest DHP survey results reported this week, which didn’t really surprise anyone. Still, everyone agreed it’s good to have those findings clearly laid out. It’s worth mentioning, though, that this survey was done a few years back. Despite that, it made a solid case for continuing DHP funding. Speaking of funding, we’ve learned from the budget update that the household fund will be around for another six months.

In the slides I’ll show you, there are some intriguing points from the DHP survey that could really help shape our local social policies.

Next Monday, we’re going to dive into the budget with the help of our own expert, Paul Howarth.

We also touched on the Resolution Foundation’s report about increasing mental health issues among young people. It sheds light on both the scale of the problem and its causes for those under 25. We noted that this isn’t just happening in the UK; we briefly looked at a similar situation in China, where the issue has led to a halt in reporting youth unemployment figures.

Liz Whitehead-Davies brought up how the poor state of SEND services and funding significantly impacts the situation of young people who are out of work and not in education or training.

The recording can be accessed from https://bit.ly/VNR240304.

We also have a WhatsApp group where you can stay connected and participate in further discussions. You can join us here: https://bit.ly/3Qjrkqe.

Please note that the handout contains additional slides covering other items of interest in the news and job adverts, which are provided in partnership with Business Smart (https://www.businesssmartsolutions.co.uk/).

We have launched a new subscription service for our CTR rewrite product. This lets you spread the cost over five years, providing steady service during this period. With the recent changes in welfare benefits and the upcoming election, this could be a helpful option for you. More information is available at https://bit.ly/CTRP23.