Daily roundup 8 March: Mental health, Rotherham, and child protection

Some mental health trusts in England have seen “no significant investment” in children’s psychiatric services despite plans by government to overhaul provision, experts have said. The BBC reports that despite government saying that £143m has been handed to services this financial year, the Mental Health Network believes funding may have been used to support other NHS services.?


Ofsted inspectors have begun a visit to the council at the centre of a child sexual exploitation scandal in 2014. Ian Thomas, Rotherham Council’s director of children’s services, said the watchdog is visiting the local authority for two days to review the effectiveness of leadership, management and governance. The council’s children’s services department was rated “inadequate” by the inspectorate in November 2014 in the wake of an independent report that revealed that 1,400 children had been exploited between 2007 and 2013.


?Social services chiefs at Nottingham City Council have been criticised by a High Court judge for the way they handled the case of a baby that staff believed was in danger at home. The Nottingham Post reports that Mr Justice Keehan said the council was late in asking a family court judge or magistrates to make an order that would give staff temporary responsibility for the girl's care. ?


The parents of a girl who had the worst case of head lice a doctor had seen in 30 years have been given a suspended jail sentence. The Daily Echo reports that the pair were found guilty by a jury of cruelty to a child. ?


West Yorkshire Police are still failing to properly record concerns about vulnerable children despite being told to fix the problem in 2014. The Yorkshire Evening Post reports that a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary found the force has improved its child protection work but is falling short in several key areas.


The Department for Transport will invest £5m into new cycle training to teach children safe riding early and encourage family cycling. The move will see 200,000 children across England get training from the Bikeability Plus scheme, which had previously been run as a pilot.


?Sandwell Council has called for more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adopters and foster carers to come forward. Simon Hackett, lead member for chidren’s services said: "We need people with stability, love and resourcefulness who can help a child with whatever needs they may have.”