Jodie Gosling MP: speeches

Speeches

• 19 Jun 2025 · Incontinence · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley (Sonia Kumar) on securing today’s important debate. I have recently become the chair of the APPG for bladder and bowel continence care, and there is much to be done. As someone with a background in early years, I am sure that any parent of a young child will confirm that we are probably the people who talk about wee and poo the most in this world. They tell us vital health information—from the earliest days of having a baby, it is crucial. Bladder function is one of the signs of good health, and maintaining that through adulthood leads to the prevention of incontinence. The importance of talking about wee and poo cannot be overstated. As any three-year-old will tell you, that is because it is funny. Wee and poo is the funniest topic in nursery classrooms up and down the country—and it is funny, right up until the point that it is not. When wee and poo stop being funny, it is devastating. It impacts on people’s mental and physical health, their dignity and their very independence. In some cases, it can prove fatal. It is also entirely preventable. Sadly, poo and wee is not funny for around 14 million people who have continence and incontinence issues. That figure alone hides some of the issues of dealing with the enormous range of health conditions in the field of continence. The figure of 14 million is based on data gathered in 2018, and no recent data is available. Continence status data is not recorded as standard on entering the NHS. The scale of the problem is simply unquantifiable. The NICE guidelines have not been reviewed, and the findings of the 2017 report “Excellence in Continence Care” have not been fully implemented. We need a stronger mandate and a greater focus on training for incontinence needs across midwifery, dementia, cancer care and health visiting teams—literally from cradle to grave—and we need to provide that care in our communities to avoid the need for crisis interventions in A&E. Today, I will highlight just a couple of the complications from failing to provide a robust continence service. Despite spending a large amount of my time surrounded by, and occasionally covered in, poo and wee, I did not arrive in Parliament intending to take on this role. I have been made aware for many years of the woeful lack of help for those with continence issues, the poverty caused by buying continence products, and the rationing of four pads a day. I have faced the frustration of parents who had no continence service in Warwickshire at all until May 2024. I have been aware of the trauma faced by parents, especially those whose children have special educational needs and disabilities, attending A&E with their child’s constipation, which had reached agonising and dangerous levels. It was, however, Elissa and Ivan’s story that motivated me to take on my role, and campaign for more humane, systemic changes to prevent the worst impact of continence issues. So many simple things can be done to protect the dignity and independence, and improve the quality of life, of these 14 million people. When Ivan arrived at A&E, he was screaming and in pain. His stomach was distended and he was severely underweight for his age. He had spent months in pain, attending A&E around four times a week. He was discharged without treatment, but Elissa did not leave. She did not accept the shocking assessment from consultants that disabled children just scream. She pushed back and, with sheer luck, one of Ivan’s other consultants happened to see them and gave instructions for an X-ray. On the final day, they evacuated nearly 2 kg of stool from a 10 kg three-year-old child. Elissa believes that that day saved Ivan’s life. Others have not been so lucky. In 2019, 19 people with learning difficulties died from constipation when under continence care. Out of all the deaths of people with learning difficulties, more than a quarter were also suffering from constipation and bowel issues that would be worthy of note. Unsurprisingly, we do not even hold the data for the wider population on these issues. Continence and constipation issues are increasing in our younger population at a worrying rate, with a strong correlation between constipation, continence issues and neurodiversity. One in four of our children who start school is not yet ready to use a toilet independently, and on average, 2.4 hours of learning time is lost every day in supporting children going to the toilet. Toileting issues, even in nursery, cause embarrassment and anxiety, which often leads to functional constipation, damaging the bowel and causing lifelong continence issues. Getting it right from the start is hugely important. Children with continence issues are often excluded from school activities and parents are required to take time off work. Consequently, ERIC, a charity that specialises in supporting children with continence issues, whose representatives are, coincidentally, here today to celebrate and draw attention to World Continence Week, note that in the 1980s, 83% of babies were out of nappies by 18 months. New research identifies the benefits of children who start potty training earlier and are out of nappies by 30 months, but the health visiting team numbers are at a disgraceful all-time low. That is a national shame, as are the outdated NICE guidelines. The message is not getting through, and parents simply do not know where to turn for the right support, especially in places like Warwickshire where continence care was simply unavailable. Hospital admissions for childhood continence issues and constipation have increased by 60% in over a decade, with 44,000 children admitted this year alone. The decimation of health visitor numbers and school nurses, and the demolition of institutions such as Sure Start, leave carers and families without the infrastructure and support needed to train children to toilet independently, and for constipation to be recognised before it becomes life-threatening. Increased data collection is essential, and the NICE guidelines need to be heavily reviewed and mandated in healthcare so that we can make savings in crisis teams. If we intend to move care to the community, and move from crisis to prevention, continence care has to be a central focus of that mission.

• 12 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Yesterday I hosted an event for 70 leading experts ahead of World Continence Week. This included campaigners for the Bins for Boys campaign, which aims to ensure that everybody has the dignity of being able to dispose of items like stoma bags, catheters and pads. One of my guests was Pete Reed OBE, a three-time gold medallist and retired lieutenant commander who is now a patient advocate. He highlighted the fact that we do not have suitable bins in our male toilets. Could the Leader of the House please support the campaign to ensure that bins are available for the dignity of our guests?

• 19 Mar 2025 · Supported Internship Provision · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with my hon. Friend that, with success rates moving from 5% to a dramatic 60%, the model could be applied more widely to the 1 million NEETs, or to people re-entering the workforce or retraining. In January, I had the pleasure of meeting five supported interns at Nuneaton’s branch of Asda, and their job coaches from the brilliant North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire college. The exciting thing about supported internships is that the interns learn by doing: they have a chance to develop new professional and personal skills while working alongside employees in a real employment setting. The combination of meaningful experiences of the world of work and a study programme creates great opportunities for interns to develop marketable skills in preparation for paid work, by providing access to in-work qualifications such as health and hygiene certificates. We know that paid employment brings young people financial independence, builds their confidence and self-esteem, and provides them with opportunities to gain new friendships and to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing. There are also wider benefits to our community, including broader economic growth and the promotion of diversity and inclusion in all workplaces. The benefits to interns of taking part in these schemes are numerous. Ethan, one of the students I met at Asda, told me that the internship had helped with his anxiety and with talking to new people, both staff and customers. Adrian, who is also on the scheme, said that he finds it much easier to talk to people and, importantly, feels able to approach people for help, not only when he is on the placement but as part of his everyday life. The structured environment, alongside ongoing support, allows interns to acquire and practise essential organisational skills that they will need to join the workforce. Leo told me that his timekeeping and attendance had improved since he started at Asda, and that he was happier—an outcome commonly reported by the thousands of students on the scheme, and one shared by their parents, who we know have worked incredibly hard to fight for their children’s EHCPs through a tricky system, just to ensure that their children had access to a suitable education and that their needs were met. Supported internships give parents a vital break from caring to take time for themselves and do the millions of other things that they have to do, while still playing a supportive role and having a say in their children’s future. In 2013, Social Value Lab found that parents of interns reported increased peace of mind that their child was better prepared for the future, and that their child found it easier to handle change and was more resilient in the workforce. Supported internships were also found to improve family relationships as a whole—happier children and happier parents. The same Social Value Lab report demonstrated that DFN Project SEARCH, a supported internship provider, creates considerable social value of £3.80 for every £1 spent on the scheme. For me, the most meaningful outcome was that the interns reported having a sense of purpose. That speaks to the broken system that we heard about yesterday, wherein disabled people are written off and those who want to seek employment are locked out of contributing to the world of work. Importantly, Asda as a provider also saw huge benefits in hosting the interns. The staff culture on the shop floor embraced and welcomed the interns, and the scheme made the management re-evaluate the accessibility of its hiring process, which is an insurmountable barrier to most people with disabilities trying to enter employment. How on earth can we get people working if the first step to employment is an insurmountable barrier? With yesterday’s announcement on pathways to work, and the Government’s aim to get people working, the timing of this debate could not be more pertinent. We all know that young people want to work and want independence, but some require specialist support to transition into employment. Supported interns are the key to achieving this. They have been proven to succeed in getting young people back into employment. Will the Department for Education commit to continuing to invest in supported internship programmes and getting people back to work? Will the Minister give an update on the decision to extend the Internships Work consortium? The profound success of supported internships is reason enough to extend the criteria to young people without an EHCP, those with mental health conditions and those struggling with persistent absenteeism from school. Will the Minister commit to boosting supported internships further and widening the criteria for interns? We talk regularly and passionately about the damage done and the inherited SEND crisis, but a key issue is the lack of focus on outcomes and transitions to adulthood. As an early years SEND specialist, I have first-hand experience of the importance of early intervention, but I recognise that we cannot write off those the system has already failed. We need to support young disabled people as they leave school. For too many people with SEND, the support runs out after they graduate the classroom. We cannot prioritise educational provision without considering the educational and employment outcomes. Is the Department for Education working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that those outcomes are considered when addressing the SEND crisis? After seeing the success of the supported internships during my Asda visit, I will meet more supported interns at our local NHS hospital, to hear their experiences. I invite the Minister to join us—I believe the email is in her inbox. Finally, it is my honour to host the first parliament of young people with SEND on Monday, as part of National Supported Internship Day, when 70 young people who have taken part in the supported internship project will come to Westminster to discuss what matters to them. I hope it will mark a historic step towards greater inclusion, representation and advocacy for some of the most marginalised voices in our society. All interested colleagues are welcome to attend the parliament to promote inclusive policymaking. I thank the Minister for her time and all those who came to listen and contribute.

• 19 Mar 2025 · Supported Internship Provision · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. I will come to this later, but we were inspired by a visit to Asda and its supported interns. The supported internship scheme builds on the applicant’s interests and passions, and it provides them with flexibility to try different types of employment opportunities and build skills in a range of sectors with organisations such as the NHS, Asda, Amazon and Goldman Sachs.

• 5 Mar 2025 · Antisocial Behaviour and Illegal Bikes · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Tipton and Wednesbury (Antonia Bance) for organising this very important debate. I cannot overstate the nuisance and impact that these bikes have on the residents of Nuneaton. They are used to harass, bully and intimidate our residents, and—as we have already heard—for a vast amount of additional criminality. Such offences are often described as low-level crimes, but the impact on our community is massively underplayed. They are the same offenders over and over again, and Nuneaton residents like me are frustrated by the lack of action. Many tell me that they are bored with reporting and have no faith in the police’s ability to stop the behaviour. Seeing the same repeat offenders week on week, year on year completely undermines not only the residents’ voice but the hard work of our police forces in tackling this antisocial behaviour. One resident calls it “bike-o-mania Sunday”, as every week 10 or 15 bikes regularly gather. These bikes are dangerous, often illegal and unroadworthy, and are driven dangerously, recklessly and aggressively by unqualified riders. They are weaponised against the members of my community and across Nuneaton, with several areas—Galley Common, Camp Hill, Stockingford —seeing daily incidents. One resident walking down the Black Track was literally rammed off the path, having to throw her pushchair and drag her dog away when a bike missed her by inches. The damage and disruption caused by these bikes is unacceptable and often the price is paid by the residents, as long-term persistent exposure to that antisocial behaviour and bullying has an enormous impact on their mental health. Many residents have told me they do not want to go out into our beautiful green spaces and enjoy the sunshine in spring. One resident is too nervous to leave her home. To add insult to injury, many of the bikes are uninsured and untraceable, and the costly price of repairing damage is felt by hardworking families. One stood with a police officer watching as a bike rode over the top of his car. My greatest fear is that somebody will get seriously hurt. There have already been many accidents and numerous near-misses. Following concerns about safety risks and the additional risk of pursuit, guidance was given not to chase children who were not wearing helmets. The result has not been an improvement in safety. I welcome the new powers, measures and intelligence to be used by our police to tackle this scourge on our communities.

• 25 Feb 2025 · SEND Education Support · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk Coastal (Jenny Riddell-Carpenter) and congratulate her on securing this debate. I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, and to my partner’s interests. Given the time limit, I will focus on one case in my constituency, out of so many. It is not new, but a decade-long issue on which we have been fighting for one child. We tried to submit this child’s assessment when she was three years of age, but it was unsuccessful. Only following an Ofsted intervention at Warwickshire county council did she finally get a diagnosis of autism, six years later. No directives were made for other special needs. She is now in secondary school and, eight years on, she is still awaiting diagnosis of and support for ADHD and other complex needs. Her mum constantly has to fight, and has engaged proactively with every intervention she has been offered, such as early help. When her mum last inquired to find out how long they would have to wait, she was told the waiting list is still measured in years, not in months or weeks. After first displaying diagnosable traits at three, there is every chance that this child may leave her education without fully understanding her needs. The impact on the family has been profound, and the impact on the mental health of this child has been traumatic. Her mother found a notebook detailing her suicide plans when she was in year 6. After sleepless nights worrying, she finally got a mental health assessment weeks later and was told that she did not present a risk as she had not identified the tree or rope she would use to hang herself. This is disgusting and a complete failure. No family should have to go through this.

• 6 Jan 2025 · NHS Backlog · Hansard source

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  Nuneaton, too, has record high levels of people on NHS waiting lists—over 17,000. Staff tell me that they are burnt out and demoralised. Patients are suffering as a result: long waits on trolleys in corridors, lengthy waits in ambulances, and stagnation at GP surgeries where they simply cannot get the appointments they need. Since 2021, the hospital has seen 1,500 staff absences due to mental health issues, with many leaving the profession. Leaders at our George Eliot hospital really value their staff, but they are struggling to cope with ever-increasing demand and to remain resilient with sudden increases in demand, such as flu outbreaks over Christmas, leading to yearly chaos that costs lives, longer waiting times for patients, cancelled appointments, and a decline in the quality of care. Nationally, we have fewer hospital beds and scanners per capita than most other European countries. Our buildings are crumbling, and our computer system is outdated. Our hard-working NHS staff deserve better. They deserve a Government who will respect and value them and invest in them. The failures of the past carry a considerable human cost, but they also impact on family finances and have wider economic impacts on our communities. One particular case, a nurse from Arbury in Nuneaton who works for our brilliant George Eliot hospital, clearly demonstrates the damage that can be done. They were in their mid-40s, fit, active, working and economically stable when they were diagnosed with a spinal condition that compresses the nerves in their legs, causing pain. A simple procedure could solve it very quickly and easily with the right referrals, but they had to wait 12 months for a referral just to speak over the phone to the neurosurgeon. The doctor recommended surgery, but the patient has been left in limbo, unable to get a follow-up appointment or any information about when surgery will actually take place. This is a simple procedure for a condition that has devastated her life over a number of years. Living in constant pain, she can no longer stand for more than five minutes and has been forced to withdraw from her vital role in the NHS—another vacancy, another specialist unit short-staffed. That is just one example from the 17,000 among my constituents, many of whom do not make it to the end of those waiting lists. I have stood by the graves of people in my constituency who had been waiting for treatment that could have stopped them ending up there. There are people whose lives are on hold and families who are suffering grief. There is waiting and more suffering. It is a crisis of political failure, a crisis of underfunding and a crisis of neglect. I fully support the Government’s actions to address it.