Daily roundup 23 March: Knife crime, Telford abuse, and youth loneliness

The Home Office has launched a new advertising campaign to reduce knife crime among young people. The #knifefree campaign will use real-life stories of young people who made the decision not to carry knives to highlight the consequences of carrying a knife and to inspire young people to pursue positive alternatives. The campaign forms part of the government's forthcoming Serious Violence Strategy.


An inquiry into child sex abuse in Telford is being considered by the town's council in the wake of its call for a government-led investigation. The BBC reports that Telford & Wrekin Council said it had not yet identified a budget for it, but it was considering "all the options". It comes after a Sunday Mirror report on "groups of mainly Asian men" targeting vulnerable white teenagers in the town since the 1980s.


Youth charity UK Youth is to work in partnership with the Co-op Foundation to gain insight into youth loneliness and explore how the youth sector can be better supported to identify and combat the issue. The charity will be conducting research with youth workers and youth organisations in its membership network with a report due to be published in the summer.


The National FGM Centre has launched a tool to help social workers assess if a girl is at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM). The online resource takes staff through the questions they should be asking families if they think FGM is a concern. Based on the answers given to the 31 questions, the programme generates a risk level for each case and provides recommendations for the social worker about what action needs to be taken.


Controversial cuts to Bradford Council's children's services have been scaled back in response to negative reactions following a public consultation. The Telegraph and Argus reports that last year Bradford Council announced that it would be cutting its prevention and early help services after a budget reduction of £13m. It had planned to cut up to 240 full-time roles, but 48 of these will now be saved.