Daily roundup 9 July: Maggie Atkinson, Ofsted inspector and abuse inquiry

Maggie Atkinson, former children's commissioner for England, is to join Impower Consulting as a director. Atkinson will join the public service consultancy to focus on its work in children's services.


An inspector for education watchdog Ofsted has been jailed for two years for grooming and making indecent images of children. The BBC reports 48-year-old Adam Higgins of Saffron Walden was arrested by Essex Police in September last year after receiving a tip off from the National Crime Agency.


The independent inquiry into historical child sexual abuse in England and Wales has opened, nearly a year after it was first announced. It will examine how public bodies handled their duty of care to protect children from abuse, reports the BBC. Justice Lowell Goddard, a New Zealand High Court judge, is to chair the inquiry.


A lack of education can knock 10 years off of a person's lifespan, according to research from the University of Colorado. The Telegraph reports that the study, which looked at almost a century's worth of data, found that leaving school without decent qualifications left people at risk from poor diet and worsening mental health.  


Twenty-one London boroughs have agreed to work together to address the recruitment issues in children's social work. London Councils reports that the councils will look at issues including pay and training, and will work with agencies to improve quality and reduce cost.


The Chancellor has confirmed spending figures for the 30-hour free childcare plans. The Treasury will spend £365m in 2017/18 and £640m in 2018/19 to implement the policy, with incremental increases thereafter.