The number of children having therapy for anxiety has risen by 60 per cent in two years, new figures show. The Telegraph reports that Childline said growing distress among children and teenagers was fuelling record numbers of counselling sessions, including thousands for children having panic attacks. Their figures show 13,746 sessions in 2016/17 for children suffering from anxiety - including more than 3,304 suffering panic attacks.
A group of 40 terminally-ill and severely disabled children have had their "dreams shattered" after an annual flight with Santa was cancelled just days before take-off. The Daily Mail reports that Jet2 axed the trip for children and carers from Martin House Children's Hospice in Wetherby claiming they had not been told the level of medical care the children would need to fly. The flight had been due to take off from the West Yorkshire airport on December 13 and allow the children to meet Santa while circling in UK airspace.
The number of under-18s in custody has risen by 40 in the space of a month. Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show that, as of October, there were 920 under-18s in custody, compared with 880 in September.
Dorset County Council has agreed to invest £1m to recruit an additional 20 experienced children's social workers in the county. The Dorset Echo reports that the council needs more social workers to help reduce the number of children in care and bring down caseloads for existing staff, so they can focus more on changing families' lives.
A children's unit at a Scottish hospital will be closed on Saturday due to a shortage of doctors. The BBC reports that the children's short stay assessment unit at St John's Hospital in Livingston will reopen on Sunday. The closure follows ongoing staffing and recruitment issues which mean there are not enough doctors available to cover overnight and weekends.
