The spiralling cost of social services is eating into the budgets of England’s largest councils to the extent that many will soon be forced to abandon “nice to have” functions such as arts and youth clubs and Sure Start centres.
Council leaders are concerned town halls are at risk of becoming “care authorities” focused primarily on the provision of care packages to an expanding number of at-risk children and frail adults at the expense of other services.
Read the full article in the Guardian here.
Father jailed after threatening family court judge
A father who threatened a family court judge has been sentenced to four months in prison for contempt of court. Read the full article in
Covid inquiry unearths more school pandemic ‘chaos’
The government lacked “leadership and determination” to get children back to school as lockdowns were lifted, Baroness Anne Longfield, the former children’s commissioner, has told the Covid inquiry.
20% increase in ‘draconian’ Deprivation of Liberty orders over the last 12 months
Deprivation of Liberty orders vastly outnumber applications to place children in registered secure accommodation as a severe shortage of secure children’s homes bites say The
