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Psychologist Candice Odgers has studied adolescent mental health for 25 years. She fears the current debate around smartphones obscures some of the biggest issues facing teenagers – from the impact of Covid to the health of their adult caregivers.

A mum has said finding childcare for her son, who has additional needs, in the summer holidays causes “financial and emotional anxiety”. The charity Sense said there was a shortage of accessible holiday clubs in England.

Contact’s calls to reform a distressing application process for Personal Independent Payment (PIP) are recognised in a new report. The Timms review into PIP’s steering group has published its interim report, which ultimately finds that the disability benefit is “highly-valued” but “no longer fit-for-purpose”.

It has been a busy few months for Renegade Zoo, a band formed through a creative arts project for young adults with learning disabilities in Londonderry. A debut album showcasing their brand of alt-pop launched earlier this year, a summer performance at the Foyle Maritime Festival followed, before taking to the stage at this year’s Stendhal Festival.

A blind woman felt compelled to leave a Wetherspoons pub after staff demanded proof that her guide dog, Rosie, was a genuine guide dog. Joanne Hewitson, 31, said she was “livid” and “shaking” after her experience going for breakfast at a pub in Hartlepool.