The head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw has said that Education Secretary Michael Gove went against his wishes in removing the chair of the watchdog. It emerged earlier this month that Gove has decided not to reappoint Labour peer Sally Morgan for a second three-year term as Ofsted chairwoman. The BBC reports that Wilshaw said Gove consulted him on his wish "to do something about the chairship", but Wilshaw told him he wanted Morgan to continue.
Children and young people in Wales will be able to stay in foster care up to the age of 21 after Welsh Assembly members backed provisions in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill. The announcement will mean that fostered young people in Wales will be able to remain in foster care, if a local authority decides they need it.
The government has announced a £500,000 fund to provide help, including counselling and advice, to male victims of rape and sexual violence. The Guardian reports the fund is intended to help those aged 13 and over, but will also be available to "historic victims" who were under 13 at the time.
A specialist children’s hospital has failed to meet four out of five safety standards in an inspection by a health watchdog. The BBC reports that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after being approached by staff.
Children's services in Torbay have had a government improvement notice lifted. The Torquay Herald Express reports that children’s minister Edward Timpson informed the authority of the decision in a letter after it made changes to the way it recruits social workers, a backlog of child protection cases was reduced, and an intervention project with families was expanded.
YMCA London South West has unveiled plans for new affordable starter homes for young people unable to either gain a first step on the housing ladder or pay the high costs of private rent. Called Y:Cube, the housing is constructed off-site and provides 26 cubic metres of accommodation which can be built faster and cheaper than using traditional construction methods. YMCA hopes the first Y:Cube housing scheme could open in Merton, south London by the end of 2014, providing 36 homes for local people in housing need.
