Daily roundup: Child abuse, mental health beds and legal aid risk

Prime Minister David Cameron's child abuse adviser has said that a Westminster “chumocracy” prevented investigations into allegations of paedophilia during the 1980s. Claire Perry, MP for Devizes, has told The Telegraph that people with the “same out-of-touch sense of entitlement” protected each other from such allegations.

More inpatient beds will be made available for children and young people with mental health needs. The Guardian reports that NHS England plans to open 50 new beds after a review found widespread shortages, with families in south-west England, Yorkshire and Humberside suffering the most.

The chief executive of The Children’s Society has lashed out at government plans to introduce a residence test to qualify for legal aid. Matthew Reed has said the plan undermines the government’s commitment to protect victims of trafficking and puts vulnerable children at risk.

A 16-year-old has accepted responsibility for the “unlawful killing” of a teacher at a school in Leeds in April. The BBC reports that the student, who was 15 at the time of the killing, admits the manslaughter of Ann Maguire but has not yet entered a formal plea and will stand trial for murder on 3 November.

Dudley Council has revealed that 19 children’s centre jobs are at risk of redundancy. The Express and Star reports that the announcement follows a U-turn on plans to close seven of the town’s 20 children’s centres as part of a bid to save £2.3m.

The deputy leader of Northamptonshire County Council has said the county’s children’s services are still underperforming despite steady improvements. According to the Northampton Telegraph, Heather Smith said the “inadequate” service has too many social workers from employment agencies and receives too many referrals from partner organisations.