It has been a rollercoaster of national events that impinge upon on children and young people (CYP) and their social health… from surges in knife crime, to innocent postmasters whose family lives were torn apart (for what), to schools crises revelations of ‘Calming Rooms’ and widespread teaching assistant stand-ins due to teacher shortage crises. The fundamental units of Society, namely Families, seem to be at jeopardy. Interpersonal relations, respect, and solidarity seem to be going haywire. Is acceleration and advances in technology and economics – pumping in funds – the real answer? Do we look out for each other anymore, trustworthily? Or is sly avarice creeping in to dominate the hapless and never quenched in its ravenous hunger, vying for advantage and dominance by hook or by crook? Is the world turning topsy-turvy, the ill-resourced holding up the well-resourced, and is the proverbial fig tree beginning to shrivel from the roots up? Mayhem and quiet desperation – among glossy brochures and ‘QI with AI’ albeit more often misused – than thankfully and benevolently deployed to deliver a better QoL & QALYs for all ? Are the more agile brains turning more selfishly astute, wolfish, rather than making life calmer, more peaceable and healthy?
