Daily roundup: Education proposals for councils, Suffolk care figures and LGBT bullying in Scotland

Proposals to strengthen the role of local authorities in relation to academies and free schools are to be considered by the executive committee of London Councils next month. The range of suggestions include plans to enable local authorities to monitor and issue early warning notices to academies, in the same way they can with maintained schools. The proposals also say that government should share information on free school applications with councils.

Latest figures show that numbers of children in care have fallen in Suffolk. The BBC reports that numbers of children with a child protection plan in Suffolk fell from 649 in August 2011 to 401 in August 2012, while the number of children in care fell from 820 in October 2011 to 772 in August 2012. The council also revealed that more than two thirds of its social workers have less than two years' experience. Lead member for children's services Graham Newman said the situation is a result of a decision to recruit more social workers to cut caseloads, which has reduced the proportion of more experienced staff.

More than two thirds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people in Scotland have experienced bullying in an educational setting, research has found. A survey by LGBT Youth Scotland found that 69 per cent of respondents had experienced homophobic or biphobic bullying in school, 25 per cent at college and 14 per cent at university. Fergus McMillan, chief Executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, said teachers, youth workers and other adults working with young people, must act to challenge bullying based on prejudice.

Youth offending teams have a new representative. Lorna Hadley has stepped down from her position as chair of the Association of Youth Offending Team Managers (AYM). Hadley, who left her role as youth offending team manager in Newham earlier this year, is replaced by Gareth Jones, who had previously served as vice chair of the organisation. Jones said: “We are really grateful for the sterling work Lorna has done and I will seek to carry that on into the near future.”

Bolton Council has launched a drive to find 100 apprenticeships in 100 days at a jobs fair being held today. The authority wants Bolton businesses to pledge the apprenticeships in order to provide school leavers with their first step on the jobs ladder. Nick Peel, Bolton Council’s lead member for environment, regulatory services and skills, said: "We want to encourage employers to take on an apprentice and help young people into work a time when finding employment is hard. Due to the economic climate, businesses have thought twice about taking someone on, but there is help out there for them.”