Daily roundup: Child protection, mental health and early years

A group of academics has written a letter to the Guardian outlining their opposition to government plans to outsource children’s social care services to private companies. The letter, signed by 37 professors from UK universities, says child protection services are too important to be exposed to the “fickleness and failings” of the private sector. It also criticises the six-week timescale for the consultation, which closes at the end of May, as being too short.

Only a quarter of children with mental health conditions are receiving the treatment they need, according to a study produced by NHS England. An internal report seen by the Observer, shows 76 per cent of children aged five to 15 with anxiety or depression are not in contact with services. It also finds that a rise in the number of young people needing treatment for complex mental health conditions has led to a delay in assessments for conditions such as ADHD and autism.