Daily roundup 10 November: Mental health, childhood obesity, and neglect

Parts of the country have no places of safety to assess vulnerable children suffering from a mental health crisis, forcing them to be locked in prison cells or police vans for hours at a time. NHS maps reveal the mental health units and hospitals where people can be detained if police believe they are a danger to themselves or others because of a mental health problem show Norfolk, Hampshire and Devon have not one dedicated place of safety for children under 16, reports the Guardian. Another six counties have capacity for one young person.


Increasing numbers of young people are having weight loss surgery such as gastric bands fitted to tackle growing levels of obesity. Statistics released by the National Bariatric Surgery Registry show that 17 morbidly-obese children underwent operations while aged 16 or under. In total, 62 under-18s received the surgery. Doctors say the operations improve the quality of life of most children who receive it but that the NHS is struggling to cope with demand, reports the Daily Mail.


Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has tabled a parliamentary question seeking clearer guidelines governing at what age and for how long children can be left home alone, reports the Sunday Times. He said: “It is not at all clear for how long and at what age children can be left alone. Nor is it clear whether leaving them alone is either not an issue, a child-protection issue or a criminal issue.”


Manchester City Council has appointed Gladys Rhodes White as intermin strategic director for children and families. Rhodes White was previously director of children’s services at Blackburn with Darwen Council.


The Youth Work Foundation has made grants of £27,000 to help support youth workers to study for professional qualifications, it announced today. The foundation, an independent charity supported by the National Youth Agency, has awarded 35 bursaries of £200 and 10 scholarships of £2,000 to help those who want to study for recognised youth work qualifications but where finance is a barrier.


Claire Hubberstey has been appointed chief executive at Safer London Foundation, the independent charity that supports young people affected by violence, crime and sexual exploitation. Hubberstey joined the charity in 2011 as director of projects and partnerships and has been interim chief for five months. Prior to joining Safer London she worked as a teacher and in management roles within the voluntary sector.


The number of children being fed through foodbanks in the south west of England has almost quadrupled in the past three years, the BBC reports. Statistics from the Trussell Trust, a charity which runs 28 foodbanks across the region, show the numbers have risen from an average of just over 430 children a month to more than 1,600 children a month.


The self-esteem of teenage girls has fallen significantly since the start of the economic downturn, according to research published in The Observer. A survey of schools across the country reveals a fall in the number of 14- and 15-year-olds, particularly girls, who say they feel highly confident in their own worth. After years of consistent increases, a sudden and dramatic change occurred after 2007, according to the Schools Health Education Unit, which works with local authorities to monitor the health and lifestyles of pupils.