Displaying items by tag: pilot scheme

The Government is launching a major pilot scheme to explore the impact of restricting social media use among teenagers. Three hundred young people will take part, divided into groups experiencing different measures: complete bans on certain apps, overnight digital curfews, or limits of one hour per day. A fourth group will act as a control for comparison. The initiative aims to gather real-world evidence as ministers consider whether to introduce stronger regulations, including a potential ban on social media for under-16s, similar to proposals in other countries. Families involved will be interviewed to assess effects on sleep, mental health, schoolwork, and family life, while researchers will also study whether young people find ways to bypass restrictions. Alongside this, a larger independent study involving four thousand students will examine how reducing use of social media affects wellbeing and behaviour. While many support tighter controls to protect children, others argue that responsibility should also lie with technology companies to create safer platforms. The findings will help shape future policy decisions aimed at safeguarding young people in an increasingly digital world. See also

A pilot scheme in Essex, called CareRooms, would have patients waiting for discharge from hospital staying with local residents who have a spare room. Increasingly, hospitals are full of patients who have nowhere to go. NHS figures show that last year 2.2 million hospital ‘bed days’ in England were lost due to delayed transfers of care. NHS bodies and local authorities are in preliminary discussions on the project. Chief Medical Officer Dr Harry Thirkettle said that such patients would be transferred to residential homes because they either live alone, don’t have support, or have mobility issues. So someone with a leg fracture and unable to go up and down their stairs until that fracture is healed, could come and stay in ground-floor accommodation. Hosts would be paid for this service; they could earn up to £1,000 a month.