And, in part two…

• Lib Dems call for mental health support to be included in Ofsted Inspections
• Moran: SEND funding crisis a moral failure of Government
• Welsh Lib Dems: Embrace Green Tech to Tackle Climate Change
• Lib Dems lead Eating Disorder Campaign in Parliament

Lib Dems call for mental health support to be included in Ofsted Inspections

The Liberal Democrats have written to the Chief Inspector of Ofsted to urge her to include assessments of mental health support in schools in Ofsted Inspections.

The Liberal Democrat lead on Mental Health, Claire Tyler, has written to the Chief Inspector as the new draft Ofsted framework does not include assessment of the work that schools and colleges do in promoting or supporting the mental health of students.

The Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, Judith Jolly, and Liberal Democrats Lords Spokesperson on Education, Mike Storey have also signed the letter.

Commenting on the letter, Baroness Tyler said:

Teachers are often among the first to notice the signs that a pupil may be developing a mental health problem. Considering this and the fact the Tories are refusing to fund mental health support properly, it is important to assess schools on how they support children and young people’s wellbeing.

The Ofsted inspection framework has a significant influence on school priorities. Liberal Democrats are clear that by strengthening the framework, school leaders will be more likely to prioritise plans to improve the mental health support for pupils.

The Liberal Democrats have always taken the lead in championing mental health. The mental health of children and young people must be a key area of concern for schools and therefore I urge Ofsted to recognise and assess the role of schools in supporting young people’s mental health.

Moran: SEND funding crisis a moral failure of Government

Responding to today’s report by IPPR North, revealing that the Government has cut SEND funding per pupil by 17% over the last four years, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:

It is one of the first duties of Government to support our most vulnerable children, and today’s report shows the Conservatives are clearly failing.

SEND funding is an investment in a child’s future, helping someone with a learning difficulty or disability secure a higher paid job, security and independence in later life.

Yet these children have been at the forefront of the schools funding crisis, with teaching assistants and other support staff often the first things to be cut.

It’s time we demanded better of this Government. That’s why Liberal Democrats would invest millions more in Education, Health and Care Plans, freeing up money in the high needs budget to provide in-school support for children with less complex needs.

Welsh Lib Dems: Embrace Green Tech to Tackle Climate Change

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has called on the UK Government to wholeheartedly embrace innovative green technology to prevent catastrophic climate change. The comments come ahead of a visit to Cardiff University’s energy positive SOLCER House.

Jane Dodds will be joined by Welsh Lib Dem housing spokesperson Cllr Joe Carter, lead candidate for South Wales West Sheila Kingston-Jones and Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Architecture.

SOLCER House exports more energy to the national grid than it uses and can be built within the normal budget for social housing. It clearly illustrates the potential of energy positive housing to provide an affordable and effective method of tackling climate change and fuel poverty.

The vital importance of tackling climate change and the role of green technology in this fight will be key themes of Jane’s keynote speech to Welsh Liberal Democrat Spring Conference on Saturday.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds commented:

I’m grateful to the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University for allowing us to visit the SOLCER House.

We know that tackling climate charge is one of humanity’s most urgent priorities and that fully embracing green technology is essential if we are to succeed.

SOLCER House is a fantastic example of the innovative technology that already exists and the transformative potential of further technological developments. I urge the UK and Welsh Governments to do all they can to support future innovation.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson Cllr Joe Carter said:

Just a couple of years ago the UK Government was dropping the requirement for new homes to be zero carbon because it was supposedly too expensive. SOLCER House is proof of how wrong the government was.

SOLCER House is energy positive, meaning it exports more energy to the national grid than it uses. Crucially, it can be built within the normal budget for social housing.

This is a clear blueprint for the future of housing in Wales, housing that makes an invaluable contribution to alleviating fuel poverty and tackling climate change.

Lead Candidate for South Wales West Sheila Kinston-Jones added:

It’s hugely encouraging to see fantastic projects like this in South West Wales and I look forward to seeing energy positive homes across our region in the near future.

I want South West Wales to be a hotspot for innovation like this and at the forefront of efforts to prevent climate change.

Lib Dems lead Eating Disorder Campaign in Parliament

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP, and activist Hope Virgo have joined forces in Parliament to improve how we diagnose and treat eating disorders in this country.

MPs from different parties joined them yesterday in Parliament in calling for GPs to ‘dump the scales’ when it comes to diagnosing eating disorders.

The #DumpTheScales campaign was started by Hope Virgo, a survivor of anorexia, after she was told she “wasn’t thin enough” to receive treatment for her illness.

Following Hope Virgo’s visit to Parliament, Wera Hobhouse said:

To judge an eating disorder simply by BMI is not good enough. People are dying because eating disorders aren’t given enough attention.

GPs are often the first medical professional an individual with an eating disorder will approach for help. With Tories refusing to fund mental health support properly, it is vital GPs do not turn people away because their BMI is ‘too high’ to receive treatment.

Liberal Democrats demand better for the millions of people suffering from an eating disorder. Liberal Democrats will ensure that when you need help, help is there with a penny in the pound on Income Tax to give our health services the funding it really needs, including increasing investment in mental health.

Hope Virgo said:

It was brilliant to see so many MPs come together to show support for tackling eating disorders, and my campaign to Dump The Scales. The support is great, and now we need to translate it into action.

More awareness around this issue is vital to make long term change happen and to help save lives.

Eating disorders take over lives completely. We need to change this now, and end the injustices suffered by people with eating disorders.