Daily roundup: Sexual exploitation, joint working, and College of Social Work
Gabriella Jozwiak, Neil Puffett, Tristan Donovan
Thursday, March 28, 2013
200 sexually exploited children are on care waiting lists, MSPs say care systems must work better, and College of Social Work boss named, all in the news today.
More than 200 children who require treatment for sexual exploitation are on waiting lists for care, a study by Barnardo's has found. A survey of 21 specialist services by the charity found 209 children in England and Northern Ireland are experiencing delays. Anne Marie Carrie, chief executive of Barnardo's, said money needed to be spent on expanding provision. “We must do all we can to ensure that expert care and specialist support is available to every young person who has been abused in this way,” she said. Barnardo's services in Scotland and Wales do not operate waiting lists, so these figures in those countries were unknown.
Systems that protect children in care need to improve how they work together, according to a report by the Scottish Parliament's Education and Culture Committee. The committee released the report part-way though its inqiry into whether to take children into care. Committee convener Stewart Maxwell MSP said: “There are many systems to support vulnerable children but these systems can often present a confusing picture to the very people they are trying to protect. We have decided to publish this report part of the way through our inquiry to ask the Scottish Government to inform us of the actions being taken to address these problems.”
The head of children’s services in Bristol is to become the first chief executive of the College of Social Work. Annie Hudson, strategic director of children, young people and skills at Bristol City Council, will start work at the college this summer.
“After a number of very satisfying years as a director of children’s services, it will be good to return more closely to my original professional roots as a social worker and to lead this important organisation into the future,” said Hudson.
A group of elected politicians has been formed to keep tabs on children’s services in Walsall following a damning Ofsted inspection. The Wolverhampton Express & Star reports that the group of councillors will visit parts of the children’s services department to find out how the system works and seek assurances on the improvement process in place. A report will then submitted to a meeting of the council’s children’s and young people’s scrutiny panel later in the spring.
A High Court judge has ordered NHS chiefs to reconsider plans to axe children’s heart surgery in Leeds. The Yorkshire Evening Post reports that the ruling means officials face having to re-run a consultation process over the unit’s future. Sharon Cheng, director of campaign group Save Our Surgery, said they were “thrilled” the decision had been quashed. NHS officials have said they are considering an appeal.
And finally, parents and pupils are being warned about a new playground craze in Sussex where children are “burning” each other with aerosols. The Brighton Argus reports that police are concerned about cases of children suffering frostbite injuries as a result of spraying each other with asthma inhalers.
