Daily roundup 3 November: Domestic abuse, Medway STC, and adoption practice

A funding pot worth £20m to support victims of domestic abuse will be launched by the government today. The BBC reports that local authorities will be able to bid for a share of the money, which can be used to provide accommodation, employment and skills training for women fleeing violence. It is part of the government's wider £80m Violence Against Women and Girls strategy, announced last year.?


A woman accused of assault following investigations into alleged abuse at Medway Secure Training Centre has had the case against her thrown out. Kent Online reports that Rebecca Harold, aged 24, of Grecian Street, Maidstone, was charged following the investigation at the youth jail in Rochester but magistrates dismissed the case.?


??A mother was separated from her adopted son for almost five years after a social worker gave her an ultimatum over his care, an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman has found. The BBC reports the woman, who adopted the disabled boy at a young age, had appealed unsuccessfully for nearby respite support and instead he was placed with a foster family more than two hours away. Northamptonshire County Council apologised to the family and promised a review of its procedures.?


Nearly 1,700 children in the North West will wake up homeless this Christmas, Shelter has warned. ITV News reports the charity has said their investigation has uncovered the harrowing impact of homelessness on families and children in Britain. It warned the number of homeless children in the North West is the highest level recorded since 2008.?


Two-thirds of young people aged 18 to 24 are borrowing money from family and friends just to pay for basic expenses, research by National Debtline has found. The Sun reports the study found that those who had owed money had borrowed an average of £2,248, with parents being the most common sources of informal loans.?


Former X-Factor judge Cheryl has been unveiled as the new face of ChildLine to mark the charity's 30th anniversary. The Metro reports that the charity enlisted the 33-year-old singer, formerly Cheryl Tweedy, to encourage more young people to come forward to ask for help.