Children's services experts have branded as 'outrageous' the idea that planning authorities are not required to notify local authorities when deciding on applications for children's homes.

Addressing the Association of Directors of Children's Services' (ADCS) annual conference on 5 July, president, Debbie Jones, said: 'Safeguarding considerations must be paramount when making such [application] decisions and, funnily enough, the DCS might be the right person to ask about that!'