Daily roundup 24 April: Louise Casey, mobile phones, and youth custody death

The former boss of the government's Troubled Families initiative, Dame Louise Casey, has announced that she will be leaving government later this year. The government said Casey, who, in addition to spending time as director general of the Troubled Families team and director of the Home Office's antisocial behaviour unit, published an independent inspection into Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council following Professor Alexis Jay's report into child sexual exploitation in the town, has said she intends to take up new opportunities in the voluntary sector and academia.


An overuse of mobile phones by parents disrupts family life, according to a survey of secondary pupils. The BBC reports that more than a third of 2,000 11- to 18-year-olds who responded to a poll said they had asked their parents to stop checking their devices. And 14 per cent said their parents were online at meal times, although 95 per cent of 3,000 parents, polled separately, denied it.


The inquest into the death of a 16-year-old boy in youth custody is due to begin today. Daniel Adewole died in Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution on 4 July 2015. At the time of Daniel's death, the Youth Justice Board stated it was not aware of any suspicious circumstances. Children's rights charity Article 39 said it hopes the inquest will result in "intelligent and humane change" for all children in custody.


A call for help has been made to stop dozens of Wales's youth groups from "disappearing". The BBC reports that the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services said about 30 per cent of the sector was not confident it would make it past the current financial year. The Welsh Local Government Association said it was up to councils consider what is best for their area.


A former school teacher has joined Slough Borough Council as the new strategic director of children, learning and skills. The Slough Express reports that Cate Duffy previously served as director of education at Waltham Forest Council and interim director of education and early help for Brent Council.


Fostering and adoption charity The Adolescent and Children's Trust (Tact) is set to publish a book aimed to demystify the experience for potential new foster carers. Welcome to Fostering, which will be available from 8 May, has been co-edited by Tact chief executive Andy Elvin and Martin Barrow, formerly news editor of The Times and a foster carer himself.