Archive for May 2025

In June, MPs will vote on proposals to reform disability and health related social security. If the reforms pass, the incomes of millions of sick and disabled people across the UK will be dramatically reduced. Evidence from across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland shows that disabled people already experience disproportionate harm with many forced to endure poverty and inequality.

The number of children and young people waiting for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) assessment has fallen slightly in the Western Health and Social Services Trust (WHSCT) area in the last quarter. However, the number has risen in comparison to this time last year.

Yes, graduates should be employable. And yes, some degrees deliver clearer financial returns than others. But higher education is also about developing individual potential, nurturing intellectual curiosity, and enabling people to make meaningful contributions to society beyond just income. If we ignore these dimensions, we risk undervaluing not just certain degrees, but the wider purpose of education itself.

Child advocates and union concerned as Northland’s social workers handle more cases than the national average. Insets: (Left) Chief Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad and PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.

Volunteers manning the Aces Care HelpLife. Aces Care has noticed an increase in the number of seniors calling over issues related to mental health.