Daily roundup: Youth cuts challenge, summer safety campaign and free school profits
Neil Puffett
Thursday, July 19, 2012
A legal bid to overturn youth service cuts in North Somerset fails, parents urged to keep children safe over the holidays, and calls to allow free schools to generate profit, make the headlines today.
A legal challenge launched against cuts to young people's services in North Somerset has been dismissed by a High Court judge, the BBC reports. The action was brought on behalf of 21-year-old Aaron Hunt, who claimed the council had breached the Equality Act by failing to consult properly on youth service cuts of 71 per cent over the next three years.
The NSPCC is urging parents to “keep kids safe from harm” over the summer, as part of a campaign launched today. The campaign follows a sharp increase in calls about children at risk during last year’s summer holidays, because of issues such as being left home alone or playing in the street unsupervised. The charity is offering advice to parents on keeping children safe and asks them to contact the NSPCC if they are worried about another child.
Free schools must be allowed to make a profit if the number opening is to rise, according to the high-profile founder of a free school in west London. The Times reports that Toby Young believes that under the current rules, and given the complexity of the process, only “a few hundred” free schools will be open by 2015.
Torbay's inadequate-rated children's services department is making "fragile" progress, The Devon Herald Express reports. The Local Government Association's peer challenge team was invited by the council to review its practice. The team found clear improvements have been made in "changing the management approach, staff and systems", but warned imminent changes to the council's senior leadership and problems with retaining social workers could jeopardise this.
Parents and early years professionals have been asked to float ideas about how to improve the accessibility and affordability of childcare. The Childcare Commission, set up by the Department for Education, is calling for evidence and ideas on how to make the service more affordable for working families and reduce “unnecessary burdens” on providers.