Daily roundup January 9: Sick leave, youth services, and smacking

There has been a rise in the number of social workers taking long-term mental health leave, an investigation has found. The BBC reports that a Freedom of Information request found the number taking off at least a month rose from 1,537 in 2012/13 to 1,911 in 2016/17, across 135 UK councils.


London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on government to invest in youth services and early years provision in order to tackle knife crime. Getwestlondon reports that the capital is "paying a heavy price" for Tory austerity and public service cuts after four young men died within 24 hours from unrelated stabbings over New Year. "Ministers need urgently to prioritise local services, youth services, early years, community work, mental health services, probation and prisons if we are to bear down on the senseless violence in which four young men lost their lives this New Year," he said.


Parents and carers could be banned from smacking children under legislation proposed by the Welsh government. The Guardian reports that a 12-week public consultation has launched today on plans to remove the defence of reasonable punishment from the offences of assault and battery. Welsh ministers said the changes will give parents clarity about what they can and cannot do to discipline a child. But some parents' and family groups are opposed to the plans, claiming they will criminalise fathers and mothers.


More than 150 police officers have raided properties in Teesside and South Yorkshire as part of a crackdown on people trafficking and sexual offences. The BBC reports that seven people were arrested. The raids followed several young women reporting they had been trafficked and raped at different addresses.


A man who murdered his two-year-old stepson could have his 17-year minimum jail sentence increased after the Attorney General deemed the original sentence too soft. The Liverpool Echo reports that Craig Smith, 28, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years, after a trial in November saw him convicted of murdering two-year-old Teddy Tilston. Attorney General Jeremy Wright has referred the case to the Court of Appeal after reviewing it under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.


A teenager has pleaded guilty to throwing acid at six moped riders during a spree of robberies. The Metro reports that the boy was 16 when he carried out the attacks across east and north London on 13 July last year. He stole two mopeds and tried to steal a further four after spraying victims in the face while they were stopped at traffic lights.


Video game platform Steam has come under fire for hosting a video game that critics claim promotes child abuse. The Mirror reports that the game, Shower With Your Dad, involves players directing a naked boy to a shower in a public bathroom to find the correct dad. Andy Burrows, NSPCC associate head of child safety online, told the Sun online: "We are calling on government to force social networks, including online interactive games, to design child protections into their services."