Daily roundup 24 March: Child protection, leadership, and benefit sanctions

Hundreds of convicted criminals including child abusers and paedophiles have tried to gain jobs in Birmingham Schools, the Birmingham Mail has revealed. Two separate Freedom of Information Act requests from the Disclosure and Barring Service, showed that over the last two financial years 496 people applying for teaching assistant, teacher or head teacher positions had criminal convictions. An NSPCC spokesman said: “These figures are alarming and show why it is vital that schools are vigilant and take every possible precaution.”


A former Rotherham Council children’s services chief has been moved from her new job following the child sexual exploitation scandal. According to the Rotherham Star, Sonia Sharp, director of children’s services between 2005-08 has been moved from her new job as deputy secretary of early childhood and school education in Victoria, Australia. Sharp has now been moved to the state's department of health and human services while a decision on her future is made.


“Urgent steps” need to be taken to review the impact that the current benefits system has on children and families, a report by the work and pensions select committee has said. According to Anne Begg, chair of the committee, research suggests that benefit sanctions are contributing to food poverty. A survey of Trussell Trust food banks last November revealed over 80 per cent said benefit sanctions were causing people to seek emergency food, ITV News reports.


Police are investigating reports of “inappropriate behaviour” from a 13-year-old boy mistakenly placed in a year five class of nine and 10-year-olds, the Manchester Evening News reports. The incident is reported to have taken place over social media, with officers investigating allegations that the boy encouraged a girl of primary school age to post an explicit image. Manchester Council has refused to comment or explain how the boy ended up in the school.


Pilot community schemes for young people in Wolverhampton have been given more than £150,000 in lottery funding. The Express & Star reports the funding is being given through the HeadStart programme, and if successful Wolverhampton could be in with a chance of getting £10m from a £75m national pot.


A 15-year-old has been brought in to lead Radio 1’s first Youth Council, which aims to bridge the generation gap. According to the Independent, the radio station is trying to reduce the age of its audience but research by the station found just four per cent of those between the ages of 16 and 24 would choose to listen to the radio. The youth council, which will be made up of 10 to 12 young people will aim to give bosses report’s from “the street”, Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper has said.