Daily roundup 14 January: Unemployment, social work, and child protection

More than half of jobless young people say unemployment is making them anxious, according to a report by the Prince’s Trust. A survey of 2,265 16 to 25-year-olds shows anxiety over their situation had an effect on sleep and their ability to ask for help, and prevented more than 40 per cent leaving their house. The figures, from the Prince’s Trust Youth Index, found young people’s happiness and confidence was lower this year than in 2014, reports the Guardian.


Gladys Rhodes White, the recently-appointed children's services director at Manchester Council, has criticised the capability of some staff when she arrived at the department late last year. The Manchester Evening News reports that Rhodes White told councillors she had found "significant" issues around the capability and competence of some middle managers, adding that certain people had been "promoted above their levels of capability". In addition, computer records in the town hall safeguarding unit had not been kept up to date, meaning Rhodes White could not see accurate staffing and vacancy levels.


An official investigation by West Midlands Police and councils has found on-street and online child groomers are from different ethnic backgrounds. According to the Birmingham Mail, high numbers of British-born Pakistani men and Pakistani migrants are involved in on-street child sexual exploitation while the majority of online groomers are white middle-aged men. Police and council officials are deciding what parts of the investigation should be made public.


A shortfall in space has given local authorities only nine months to open schools or build classrooms for tens of thousand of school starters. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan admitted that finding sufficient school places was a problem. The Times reports Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt criticised Morgan, describing her classroom size decisions as “shocking”.


The Children’s Services Development Group (CSDG) has called for the introduction of an outcomes framework for all looked-after children, in the wake of a critical report on the care system by the National Audit Office. The CSDG also said outcome indicators must urgently be established for fostering and residential care, as they are for adoption. The group, an alliance of providers of care and specialist education services for children and young people with complex needs, said the NAO report highlighted the need for the government to improve the measurement of efficacy of the care system.