Beyond Westminster

Beyond Westminster: Why Fathers Matter

About 1.1 million children are growing up without a father in the UK today. The absence of men in their children's lives, especially boys, is the subject of the fatherlessness discussion. No matter if they are present or not, fathers are essential to children, and when fathers are actively involved in their life, it has a beneficial impact on the wellbeing of the children and the relationships within the family. Our podcast explores what this phenomenon means for these children and the rest of us, as well as what we can do to address it.
 
Guests 
Host : Cristina Odone, CSJ Head of Family
Marlon
Lord Tony Sewell CBE
Gareth Davis, Conservative MP for Grantham and Stamford
Harriet Sergeant, Author
Sonia Shaljean, Founder and Managing Director for Lads Need Dads

Beyond Westminster: Does Britain make anything anymore and does it really matter?

The UK has a productivity puzzle and is struggling to achieve growth. Both the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer have made kick-starting the British economy their principal priority. Yet according to most indicators UK growth is sluggish, productivity outside of financial services is poor and real wages have barely moved since the 2008 Great Recession . This podcast discusses the need for a new industrial strategy to enhance manufacturing and boost employment in order to revive British industry and bring back growth.
Guests:Gavin Rice ,Director of Policy at CSJ (Host) Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and StockbridgeBhavina Bharkhada, Make UK Christopher Nieper, CEO of David Nieper

Beyond Westminster: No Honour in Abuse

Domestic abuse affects more than 2 million women men and their children. It is both a public health crisis – affecting mental and physical health – and a crime. The sad reality is that still only one in five victims report abuse, and there are few prosecutions of this crime: treating this only as a criminal  justice issue, therefore, fails to challenge the perpetrators and support their victims’ (and children’s) recovery to normal living. This podcast dives deep into why the Government needs to tackle domestic abuse as a public health issue. It also covers how the health service can identify and support those suffering from domestic abuse and play their part in tackling this issue.
 
** Please note that this podcast shares stories and examples of domestic abuse which some listeners may find distressing.
 
Guests
Cristina Odone - CSJ Head of Family
Alexandra Galvin - CSJ Researcher
Yehudis Fletcher  - Co-founder of Nahamu charity

Beyond Westminster: What is the Government’s plan to bring financial education into the 2020s?

Too many adults continue to lack the basic skills which underpin financial capability. Around nine million working-age adults in England have low literacy or numeracy, with five million lacking both. One in two were found to be unable to pass a financial literacy test run by the OECD, which placed the UK well below international comparators France, Norway and Canada. This podcast will discuss the importance of financial education and what we can do to improve the financial literacy across the UK.
 
Guests
Joe Shalam - Director of Policy at CSJ (Host) Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP - Minister of State for Skills John Pears - UK CEO at LowellSteve Korris - Delivery Director at Mybnk charity  Carolyn Griffith - Senior Researcher at CSJ

Beyond Westminster: Illegal Money Lending

What are some of the wider social consequences of the cost of living crisis that maybe aren't receiving as much attention as they should? One really important issue is illegal money lending. Charities have reported a worrying rise in people turning to lenders who act without license, and often pose as friends to exploit vulnerable and desperate people.
In this podcast we look at the scale of illegal money lending, the methods used by loan sharks to exploit their prey, and who is falling victim in today’s economic environment. We also hear directly from those working in some of our most disadvantaged communities to learn how people on low incomes are experiencing the cost of living crisis.
 
Guests
Helen Eden, Community Link
Joe Shalam, Policy Director at the CSJ
Matt Greenwood, Acting Head of Debt at the CSJ

Beyond Westminster: The Lost Children of Lockdown

Severe absence has spread through our school system like wildfire. CSJ research shows that nearly 800 schools have an entire class-worth of so called ‘ghost children’. These issues are complex; there is no simple explanation as to why children stop attending schools. This podcast will unpack some of the causes of severe school absence by speaking to a mother whose children stopped attending school and will show what is possible when an expert practitioner intervenes.
 
Guests
Gavin Rice, Director of Policy at CSJ
Amy, School-Home Support Practitioner
Brenda, Mother of children who were severely absent from school
Alice Wilcock, Head of Education Policy at CSJ