Family Friendly Working

Family Friendly Working A site for working parents, parents who run businesses, & anyone looking for flexible work ideas. The site is packed with news, tips, advice & experiences.

Great Central Railway “Relaxed Running Days” Improve Accessibility for All Visitors Great Central Railway (GCR) is intro...
24/08/2026

Great Central Railway “Relaxed Running Days” Improve Accessibility for All Visitors

Great Central Railway (GCR) is introducing a new programme of Relaxed Running Days, designed to provide a calmer, more accessible heritage railway experience for visitors with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), sensory sensitivities, anxiety, and other additional needs.

The initiative will take advantage of the railway’s quieter midweek operating days to create a more predictable and supportive environment for visitors and their families.

Relaxed Running Days will feature reduced visitor numbers, a gentler pace throughout the day, dedicated quiet and relaxed carriages on steam services, and staff and volunteers who have received SEND awareness guidance to help ensure all visitors feel welcome and supported.

Visitors attending Relaxed Running Days will also be able to claim a free carer ticket per booking. To ensure the scheme is used appropriately, recognised proof of entitlement will be required when booking or travelling.

Find out more: https://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2026/07/26/great-central-railway-launches-new-relaxed-running-days-to-improve-accessibility-for-all-visitors/

Get water safe for summer RLSS UK’s advice when going for a swim on holiday is to: Choose lifeguarded locations where...
22/08/2026

Get water safe for summer

RLSS UK’s advice when going for a swim on holiday is to:

Choose lifeguarded locations wherever possible, where safety measures and supervision are in place.
Remember that swimming in open water is very different to in pools, as there can be hazards under the surface, currents that can pull you, and colder water temperatures can affect your ability to swim.
Check for warning flags and follow local safety signage.
Supervise children at all times near water and keep them within arm’s reach.
Wearing brightly coloured swimwear to improve visibility.
In an emergency, call 999 immediately (or 112 if in the EU). Ask for Fire and Rescue, or the Coastguard if you are at the coast. Stay out of the water yourself. Never enter the water to attempt a rescue, as you could also get into trouble.
Tell them to keep calm and float on their back to save energy. Throw something that floats, such as a plastic bottle, football, or rescue equipment (if available), for them to hold onto and stay afloat while help is on the way.

Learn more about how to stay safe around the water: https://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2026/07/29/get-water-safe-for-summer/

For many families, Summer means more restless nights. Higher temperatures and changes to daily routines can make it hard...
21/08/2026

For many families, Summer means more restless nights. Higher temperatures and changes to daily routines can make it harder for children to fall asleep or cause them to wake more frequently during the night. However, the foundation for a good night’s sleep is actually laid during the day. This is one of the key insights from an interview by Wickey with Nathalie Schittekatte, a certified baby and child sleep coach. According to Schittekatte, getting enough physical activity – preferably outdoors – helps improve children’s sleep quality.

Read the interview hereL

https://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2026/07/30/restless-summer-nights-child-sleep-coach-the-foundation-for-a-good-nights-sleep-is-built-during-the-day/

The government keeps banning children – when do we start banning the content? Are you facing challenges with phone use? ...
20/08/2026

The government keeps banning children – when do we start banning the content?

Are you facing challenges with phone use? Has your school banned phones?

As Section 36 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act comes into force, Ruth Sparkes of Quinly warns that restricting children’s access while leaving platforms unaccountable cannot be the answer to keeping children safe online

The school smartphone ban that became enforceable in law yesterday cannot be the answer to keeping children safe online while tech platforms face greater financial consequences for copyright infringement than for hosting child sexual abuse material or self-harm content, according to Ruth Sparkes, founder of safeguarding tool Quinly.

Sparkes, who has spent years as a PR advising schools in the aftermath of serious harm to children, is responding to both the enforcement of Section 36 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act and a University College London study published today which found blanket phone bans are “ineffective” and “overly simplistic” and risk making children less likely to report harm through what researchers call a “displacement effect.”

“Banning phones from schools doesn’t make the internet safer,” said Sparkes. “Children go home at three o’clock to exactly the same content, on a tablet or a laptop or a phone handed back at the door.”

Childcare Costs Force One in Four UK Parents Out of Work as Summer Pressures Mount As families across the UK face the do...
19/08/2026

Childcare Costs Force One in Four UK Parents Out of Work as Summer Pressures Mount

As families across the UK face the double burden of summer holiday childcare costs and persistent cost-of-living pressures, new analysis reveals that affordable childcare remains the single biggest barrier preventing mothers from entering or remaining in the workforce—with profound implications for the nation’s economic growth.

Recent data shows that childcare expenses are forcing nearly 25% of UK parents to either quit their jobs or abandon their education, whilst 46% of mothers who remain unemployed left the workforce due to childcare issues. For many families, the financial equation simply does not add up: 22% of parents report that childcare costs exceed half of their household income, making employment economically unviable.

Get the full story and more on family finance on Family Friendly Working
https://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2026/07/18/childcare-costs-force-one-in-four-uk-parents-out-of-work-as-summer-pressures-mount/

Half of UK Families Can’t Afford a Summer Holiday This Year, New Survey Reveals With the school gates set to close for s...
18/08/2026

Half of UK Families Can’t Afford a Summer Holiday This Year, New Survey Reveals

With the school gates set to close for summer in the coming weeks, a major new survey of UK by Park Christmas Savings has laid bare the financial reality facing families this year.
Almost Half of Families Can’t Afford to Go Away

The annual Junemas Park Christmas Savings Survey, which polled 3,000 of parents across the country, found that families are almost evenly split on whether they can afford to go away this summer at all, with many having already resorted to drastic measures — including 4 in 10 parents pulling children out of school in term time to go on holiday to keep costs down.

When asked directly whether they could afford a summer holiday this year, just 41% of parents said yes, with 42% saying they cannot afford a holiday, while a further 17% said they simply weren’t sure — meaning well over half of UK families are either ruling out a summer getaway altogether or facing real uncertainty over whether they can stretch to one.

Get the full story - search FFW for Summer Holiday or follow the link

https://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2026/07/16/half-of-uk-families-cant-afford-a-summer-holiday-this-year-new-survey-reveals/

Stressed, underpaid and uncertain: The reality of being a freelancer in the creative industry A new survey of 1,060 free...
17/08/2026

Stressed, underpaid and uncertain: The reality of being a freelancer in the creative industry

A new survey of 1,060 freelancers and self-employed reveals that over half (50.6%) of self-employed creatives or freelancers are reporting increased stress and anxiety compared to last year.

The survey, by The Accountancy Partnership, experts in tax and accounting for creative freelancers and self-employed, looks at why stress has increased for the majority of creatives this year.

Over half (50.2%) say that it’s due to clients cutting budgets, whereas over two-thirds (36.2%) blame the rise in household bills.

Additionally, over a quarter (26.4%) of creatives claim tax admin is hurting their business.

How does your reality match up to this? Find out more: https://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2026/07/09/stressed-underpaid-and-uncertain-the-reality-of-being-a-freelancer-in-the-creative-industry/

Meet Laura Smith: The Mum Of 3 Combining Mortgages, Protection And A Passion For Helping PeopleLaura Smith is the Founde...
16/08/2026

Meet Laura Smith: The Mum Of 3 Combining Mortgages, Protection And A Passion For Helping People

Laura Smith is the Founder and Director of Green Olive Mortgage Solutions. As a dedicated mortgage and protection adviser, she’s passionate about helping people navigate some of life’s biggest financial decisions with confidence and ease. Alongside running her business, Laura is a full-time working mum to three wonderful children, who inspire everything she does.

Follow the linkinbio to discover how Laura qualified and how she has grown her business

A parents guide to GCSE results day GCSE Results day is looming, and if you’re the parent or carer of a Year 11, there’s...
16/08/2026

A parents guide to GCSE results day

GCSE Results day is looming, and if you’re the parent or carer of a Year 11, there’s a good chance you’re more nervous than they are.

Thousands of teens across the country are about to go through a particularly stressful day, and how the day goes often comes down to the grown-up in the room.

So, we asked Andrew Wilson, chief executive of OAK Multi Academy Trust, for his advice on helping your teenager through it, whatever those grades turn out to be.

Follow the link or visit FFW and search GCSE to reach the article

https://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2026/08/16/a-parents-guide-to-gcse-results-day/

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