Childrens services
Stephenson steps down after post axed
Derbyshire CC’s chief executive has stepped down after the council agreed to abolish the post along with that of assistant chief executive and strategic director of corporate resources.
Government accepts Prevent strategy criticism
The Home Office has praised a report that criticised public bodies’ failure to thwart the radicalisation of vulnerable youngsters before they turned to terrorism.
The children below the threshold
A new Action for Children report warns of a worrying trend that could be leaving as many as 140,000 children and young people without the help they need. Sam Clayden reports.
Councils forced to turn away 140,000 vulnerable children
Up to 140,000 vulnerable children were turned away from statutory care services last year as overstretched councils miss vital opportunities to intervene early, research has revealed. Action for Children’s report, Revolving Door, found evidence of tens of thousands of children being referred for concerns ranging from neglect and domestic violence to drugs and alcoholism, but who did not meet thresholds for care.
A broken market
There is a real and urgent crisis in this nation’s ability to find placements for looked after children, writes Olly Swann.
Putting youth justice on trial
For many children and young people in custodial settings the picture is bleak. Jenny Coles calls on the sector to work with youth justice partners in tackling safety and wellbeing concerns.
School powers transfer ‘threat to local democracy’
The Scottish Government’s plans to transfer responsibility for school improvement to new regional bodies threaten to undermine local democracy, a senior Labour councillor has claimed.
Council apologises for court order breach
Gloucestershire CC has apologised to the parents of a child after a judge ruled the council breached a court order when it took the youngster into care.
Sparks fly as industrial action at Kirklees fails
Tensions flared between social workers and senior management at crisis hit Kirklees MBC after social workers claimed they had been ‘ignored’ since their two-day strike.
Money is just a small part of the problem
Despite the sector’s hard work, too often we fail kids in care and those we turn away, writes Heather Jameson.
Leader praises Haringey improvements
The leader of Haringey LBC has praised the authority’s long-term response to the ‘Baby P’ scandal on the tenth anniversary of Peter Connelly’s tragic death.
Cat burglars?
Suffolk CC has removed local road signs telling drivers: ‘Cats eyes removed’, amid concerns that children and tourists could become confused by their meaning.
Exclusive: Councils face 'daily' struggle to place vulnerable kids
The state of the children’s care market has been described as a ‘scar on the conscience of our country’ amid warnings over the lack of placements available for vulnerable young people.
From crisis to stability: a decade of children's services in Haringey
On the anniversary of the death of Peter Connelly, Claire Kober recounts the drastic turnaround Haringey LBC has had to make since the tragedy that shook the borough.
Griffin replaces retiring Rickards
Sedgemoor DC has approved a new interim chief executive.
Legal action over data leak
Newcastle City Council is facing legal action over a data leak that exposed the personal details of thousands of adopted children and their parents.
Standalone firm planned for Reading kids’ services
Fresh calls for an ‘independent evaluation’ of children’s services models have been made after Reading Council proposed plans for a council-owned company.
Town hall terror warning
Inconsistency in how safeguarding concerns relating to extremism are recorded is hampering councils’ ability to tackle the threat, a damning review has concluded.
'Slow' progress council to create children's services company
Reading Council has announced plans to transfer its failing children’s services to a council-owned company after inspectors noted improvements were not happening fast enough.
Dispute over child abuse compensation
Lambeth LBC is at loggerheads with a group of child abuse survivors over its proposed victims’ compensation scheme.