“Successful grassroots lobbying and campaigning with Square Peg will have a significant impact in how the response to the attendance crisis unfolds and we all have a part to play, together.”
Ellie Costello, Executive Director
Changemaking from grassroots
Lobbying is designed to democratically influence decision makers on key issues affecting our lives both locally (in our communities) and nationally (in the Houses of Parliament and Government Departments in Whitehall).
We can do this in two ways, direct and indirect lobbying through specific, targeted campaigns on key issues.
Individual action is extremely important to leverage change. Citizen, civic and constituency efforts result in courageous conversations, influencing policy and informing agenda. Making connections, nurturing networks and co-ordinating effort means the problem shared is a problem halved.
We are passionate about participatory politics, restoring trust, integrity in processes and authentic consensus-led forged solutions.
We can always do better. Together.
Baroness Bennett referencing Square Peg in the House of Lords, 2024
Wins & Changemaking
2024
Adoption UK support our call for Mental Health school absence code
Place2Be support our call for a Mental Health school absence code
Centre for Mental Health support our call for a Mental Health school absence code
2023
Called by House of Commons Education Select Committee to give evidence to the Inquiry on Attendance for Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Children; Telegraph report quadrupling of fines in 12 months in advance of the session
National Children’s Bureau Special Education Consortium tell the Committee fines don’t work
The Independent newspaper reported here
Special Education Consortium confirm support of Square Peg’s call for an Attendance Code of Practice
Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition support Square Peg’s call for a Mental Health & Wellbeing registration code. Quoted in their published report
MIND support Square Peg’s call for a Mental Health & Wellbeing registration code
Education Select Committee recommend Government introduce a mental health registration code
Transform Justice support our call to end truancy laws
Our Executive Director is appointed Parliamentary Vice Co-Chair for the Special Education Consortium (part of the National Children’s Bureau family)
2022
The Department for Education endorsed and recommended our call for a Support First approach to school non-attendance, which we campaigned for during the Schools Bill and was recommended by Sir Phillip Hunt and Baroness Natalie Bennett, recorded in Hansard
During the same debate, Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab) supported our call for an Attendance Code of Practice, tabled by Lord Philip Hunt and Lord Jim Knight
The Department for Education begin adopting the term “barriers to school attendance”, as suggested by our families as the best way to describe attendance difficulties (moving away from stigmatising language of ‘youth delinquency’ and ‘school refusal’); it is now incorporated into their guidance and thinking
The intersection of mental health and special education needs and disabilities as multiple disadvantage and impact on attendance is now widely accepted (as recorded in Hansard) and via our policy influencing memberships with the Special Education Consortium (Council for Disabled Children) and the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition (Centre for Mental Health)
Since our launch in 2019, there is now a greater awareness of the numbers of families being fined and prosecuted for non attendance and the impact of criminalising vulnerable families
Briefings & Policy Influencing
June 2024, we joined Place2Be’s roundtable on school attendance, contributing to their report, School for All: Solutions for School Attendance
May 2024, we contributed to the drafting of the Centre for Mental Health report on school attendance
April 2024, joint briefing to Vicky Ford MP with Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and Mind on Mental Health school absence code
January 2024, we published our 12 Recommendations
June 2023, Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition Inquiry on Behaviour & Mental Health in Schools, full report published, where we are quoted on page 21 & 75.
June 2022, launch 3 Asks campaign with Not Fine In School
August 2020, Young Minds open letter to Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP
The School’s Bill
This was a far reaching Bill that arrived in the House of Lords early in 2022; we focussed on Part III and IV of the Bill in March 2022 and began lobbying in earnest from April.
Baroness Bennett raises concerns around lack of join up between child and adolescent mental health and impact on attendance. Suggests Government consult with SP and NFIS
Partner with Not Fine in School NFIS to track lobbying and gather responses
Launch 3 Asks campaign with Not Fine In School
Featured in the Independent, Schools Week
Work with Peers on all sides of the House - Conservative, Lib Dem, Labour, Independent, Cross Bench, gaining advice from Just For Kids Law to table amendments put forward by Noble Lords
Square Peg in Parliament
Find out when our organisation and our work has been mentioned in Westminster and recorded in Hansard:
2024
22nd Feb - Pupil Mental Health, Wellbeing & Development debate
2022
23rd May - Schools Bill
20th June - Schools Bill
22nd June - Schools Bill
18th July - Schools Bill
Inquiries and Consultations submissions
Department for Education Fines & Pupil Registrations Consultation (July 2022)
Department for Education Attendance Consultation (Feb 2022)
Covid Inquiry on Services (Sept 2021)
Department for Education Behaviour Consultation (June 2021)
The Social Care Inquiry (Aug 2021)
CAMHS Inquiry (Feb 2021)
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