Grandparents Plus produces a regular ebulletin of relevant news and information for stakeholders.
You can read the most recent issue below. Past issues are also available to download.
To subscribe to the ebulletin please email us at info@grandparentsplus.org.uk
May 2011 NEWS from Grandparents Plus
Too old to care? Kinship Care Conference and Campaign Launch – 29 June
Places are already filling up at our conference next month. To download a programme and to book go to www.grandparentsplus.org.uk/conferences-and-seminars. An early bird booking fee of just £20 is available until 7 June. Speakers include Children and Families minister, Tim Loughton MP, and representatives from Grandparents Plus, Carers UK, BAAF, Family Rights Group, the Grandparents Association, the Standing Commission on Carers and local authority practitioners. On the day we will be launching our new campaign on older carers who are raising children in the absence of parents, with some new research and a campaign film.
Blog spot
We’ve started a new blog on our website. You can read the latest one here and post a comment. We’ll be inviting guest bloggers on to the site in the coming weeks so if you have something to say about family policy, kinship care, our ageing society or the intergenerational nature of family life then get in touch.
New EU research study launched with challenge on Family Friendly Britain
Grandparents Plus has recently secured funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to carry out a ground-breaking study of grandparenting in Europe. You can read the press release here. Working with the Institute of Gerontology at Kings College London and with the Beth Johnson Foundation, we will be building on the scoping study, Grandparenting in Europe, we published last year which found that a number of EU countries (Germany, Hungary, Portugal) are way ahead of the UK in terms of the recognition they give to the grandparenting role, with periods of paid leave and transferable leave in place to support grandparents as they care for children. We want to see similar ideas explored here. The government has just launched its Modern Workplaces consultation which sets out ideas for how parents can share parental leave but stops short of considering grandparents and the wider family. One very welcome development is the proposal to extend the right to request flexible working to all. This will significantly benefit older workers including many grandparents who are juggling work and care. This is a major step forward and should be welcomed.
Women’s pensions protest forces government re-think
We’ve been supporting the Age UK campaign to highlight the impact of state pension age changes on a particular generation of women who are being forced to work longer than originally planned. This is because the government is proposing to bring forward the increase in state pension age to 66 by 2020, six years earlier than originally planned. While we accept that state pension age has to rise for everyone, this group is particularly unfairly disadvantaged by the changes. It’s good to hear this month that the Government is going to re-think the proposals after a mass protest by women in Westminster.
Coming up…
13 June 2011 – we’ll be heading to Newcastle for a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Network event where we will bring together carers with professionals working in family and friends care. The day will include sessions on benefits, legal advice and practical advice and support. It will include 6 different local family and friends care support groups. To find out more contact Alison.blaxland@grandparentsplus.org.uk.
29 June 2011 – Too old to care? Kinship care conference 2011 (see above)
14 July 2011 – As part of our Kinship Care Spotlight Seminar Series we are linking up with Action for Prisoners’ Families to hold a seminar in parliament to explore the impact of parental imprisonment on families. We are grateful to Helen Grant MP for hosting this event for us. Places are limited. To book a place contact ben.wheatley@grandparentsplus.org.uk.
As always if you want to find out more about our work, please do get in touch.
