Daily roundup: Child benefit cuts, heart surgery in Bristol, and a ban on two 'legal highs'

Child benefit cuts for families with three children could cost them £50,000 by the time their youngest child reaches adulthood, it has been claimed. Analysis by Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) say the figure represents the equivalent of a year’s salary after tax for those set to be affected by the changes. Families with two small children could lose nearly £40,000. Alex Henderson, tax partner at PwC, said: “Many people affected by the child benefit cuts have probably not considered what the true cost will be to them over time. Our projections show the cost could be substantial, and could ultimately mean many middle income families have to work longer until retirement or until they can pay back debts.”

A Bristol hospital where concerns have been raised about child mortality rates following heart surgery has cutback on the number of operations it carries out after receiving a formal warning from inspectors. The Care Quality Commission found that staffing levels on ward 32 of Bristol Children's Hospital were inadequate and had a “major impact” on the care and welfare of patients. Anne Keatley-Clarke, chief executive of the Children’s Heart Federation said her organisation is “very concerned” with the findings. “We feel that these issues are sympatric of a wider problem in children’s heart care services across the country,” she said. 

Two so-called “legal highs” have been classified as illegal Class B substances by government. The BBC reports that “black mamba” and methoxetamine, often known as “mexxy”, will be banned. Crime prevention minister Jeremy Browne said people who take legal highs take serious risks with their lives. "The UK is addressing the harm caused by 'legal highs' by outlawing not just individual drugs, but whole families of related substances that have the potential to cause serious harm," he said.

Up to 2,500 vulnerable young people in the Thames Valley and North West of England are to benefit from a £7m investment by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The cash will fund two social investment partnerships established by Social Finance to help disadvantaged 14 and 15-year-olds to get into education or training. Katharine Horler, chief executive of Adviza, which will deliver the Thames Valley project, said: “We are genuinely excited about this project as it is a chance to work with young people at a stage in their lives when the support can make a real difference.”

Latest figures show that the number of children on a child protection plan in England have remained broadly the same as last year. Department for Education statistics show that as of 31 March there were 42,900 children on a child protection plan, compared to 42,700 the previous year. The new figures also reveal that there were 369,400 children in need at 31 March this year, a rate of 325.7 per 10,000 children. Throughout the year there were 605,100 referrals to children’s social care services and 451,500 initial assessments completed.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has unveiled plans to make it easier to set up new town and parish councils. Proposals out for consultation today will make it easier and quicker for neighbourhood forums to establish such bodies, which can be used to improve local youth and play services, among other things. “Our proposal to remove red tape, simplify and streamline the current process to create parish councils is common sense,” he said. “We want to give local people a real sense of community control in their areas, giving them freedom to make changes and improvements which best serve their community and area.”