Children


Around 58,000 reception-aged children obese, data shows 11/10/2019 New figures from the NHS have revealed that obesity levels among reception-aged schoolchildren in England have increased.
Give councils the powers to restrict takeaways, obesity report says 10/10/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed a proposal to strengthen planning powers to help deal with the underlying causes of obesity.
Majority of children ‘happy’, report finds 10/10/2019 The overwhelming majority of children in the UK are happy, according to an official report.
Councils voice concern over 'alarming' fall in childhood vaccination rates 27/09/2019 An 'alarming' fall in childhood vaccination rates should serve as a wake-up call to parents and authorities about the need for children to be protected against disease, local government leaders have warned.
Over 4,000 young people ‘exploited’ by County Lines gangs 20/09/2019 Figures released by the Mayor of London’s office have revealed that there are more than 4,000 young people involved in County Lines operating out of London.
Whitehall launches £30m fund to fight online ‘predators’ 17/09/2019 The Government has announced a £30m fund to help tackle paedophiles operating online.
Councils accused of acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs 17/09/2019 Lack of money and increasing demand have been blamed after an allegation that councils were unwittingly acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs.
Council criticised after SEN child left without education for over a year 12/09/2019 Worcestershire CC complaints policy has been criticised after a boy with special educational needs was left without appropriate education for 14 months.
Cash-strapped councils struggling to support SEND children, auditors warn 11/09/2019 Auditors have warned that councils are coming under growing financial pressure as the demand for supporting school pupils with the greatest needs rises.
Quarter of a million children ‘unhappy’, charity says 28/08/2019 Council chiefs have called for more funds for children’s services after a charity found quarter of a million teenagers in the UK are unhappy.
Millions of children go hungry over summer holidays, Labour say 22/08/2019 Government funding on holiday hunger supported less than 4% of all children who are currently eligible for free school meals, the Labour Party have said.
Housing crisis forcing 1.3 million children to live in ‘overcrowded’ conditions 22/08/2019 A new study has revealed that more than one in 10 children in England are living in overcrowded homes because of a lack of suitable housing.
Children growing up in ‘B&Bs and shipping containers’, commissioner warns 21/08/2019 Thousands of children are growing up in unsuitable temporary accommodation, commissioner warns – a state of affairs council chiefs blame on a lack of funding.
Air pollution could be causing a third of child asthma cases, study warns 08/08/2019 Air pollution could be the cause of up to a third of new cases of childhood asthma in Europe, according to a new study.
Calls for ugent investment in public playgrounds 05/08/2019 The decline in public playgrounds is ‘pushing’ children away from outdoor play, a new survey has revealed.
System struggling to cope with 'explosion' of older children in care, Commissioner warns 01/08/2019 The system is struggling to cope with the increasing number of older children going into care over the past five years, a new report has warned today.
Over 14 million living in poverty, think tank reveals 30/07/2019 Millions of people, including children and pensioners, are living below the poverty line, new research into poverty has revealed.
‘Primary school’s worth’ of children face homelessness this summer 22/07/2019 Next PM told to make homelessness an 'urgent priority' as research finds hundreds of children face being placed into temporary accommodation this summer.
Charity calls for help feeding children during the holidays 16/07/2019 The Trussell Trust is urging people to donate food to their local food bank to help support families with children during the summer holidays.
Local government cuts forcing children to grow up in poverty, Labour say 15/07/2019 Millions of children are growing up in poverty because of Whitehall cuts to council funding, Labour says after research reveals extent of childhood poverty.
Hinds launches £9m mental health training scheme 12/07/2019 Pupils struggling with mental health are to benefit from more 'joined up care and support', education secretary Damien Hinds has announced.
Deaf children face ‘radio aid lottery’ 11/07/2019 Local authority leaders have hit back against a claim that councils are failing to provide aids to deaf children.
Free HPV vaccination to be offered to boys 09/07/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed an announcement that from boys will be offered the free Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for the first time.
Austerity creating ‘crisis of childhood’, charity warns 09/07/2019 Funding cuts mean support has been diverted away from early help services into protecting children at immediate risk of harm, council leaders have warned.
Stop 'criminalisation' of children in care homes, council chiefs say 09/07/2019 More must be done to stop the 'criminalisation' of children in care homes, according to local government leaders.
Air pollution ‘shortening the lives of children’, report reveals 08/07/2019 A new study has revealed that air pollution could be shortening the lives of children in Birmingham by seven months.
London boroughs warn refugee scheme ‘is not working’ 08/07/2019 The Government scheme for distributing refugee children throughout the country is not working, according to London Councils.
Young people ‘fear for their future’, charity says 08/07/2019 Young people fear for their future and feel ignored by politicians, according to new report.
Primary school children targeted for ‘county lines’ drug trafficking 05/07/2019 The response from statutory agencies to ‘county lines’ drug dealing is ‘too often haphazard’, a charity warns as new report reveals children as young as seven are being exploited by criminal gangs.
Next PM told to invest £10bn in ‘mending broken childhoods’ 04/07/2019 The next PM should put the billions they have promised for income and corporation tax cuts towards ‘mending broken childhoods’, says Children’s Commissioner.
Majority of young people experience mental health issues, poll reveals 02/07/2019 Three in five young people have experienced a mental health problem or are close to someone who has, according to a new survey.
New fund to cover costs of children’s funerals 01/07/2019 Grieving families will no longer have to pay for their child’s burial or cremation under a new government scheme in England.
Children's Play: Winner: Milner Square, Islington LBC 25/06/2019 The winner of this year's Children's Play category is Islington LBC for the new play scheme at Milner Square.
Council-led programmes to fight childhood obesity launched 25/06/2019 The Government is to fund five council-led programmes to tackle childhood obesity.
Children exposed to toxic air inside schools, report warns 18/06/2019 The quality of air inside and outside primary schools must be improved to protect children's health, campaigners have demanded.
Charity warns cuts to children’s services ‘undermine’ mental health agenda 17/06/2019 A children’s charity has welcomed the Prime Minister’s ‘new mission’ to put prevention at the top of the mental health agenda, but warn that cuts to children’s services undermine progress in this area.
Calls for sugar-free schools by 2022 05/06/2019 All schools in London should be sugar-free by 2022, according to health experts.
£15m project launched to support vulnerable families 22/05/2019 A scheme has been launched to try and keep children with their families instead of being sent into care.
Nearly 600 people arrested to tackle county lines drug gangs 21/05/2019 Nearly 600 people have been arrested in a single week for their suspected involvement in drug dealing across county lines.
Children with autism ‘let down’ by system, report finds 20/05/2019 The system of support for young people with learning difficulties and autism is letting down some of the most vulnerable children in the country, according to the Children’s Commissioner.
‘Significant’ variations in rates of dental visits, study finds 17/05/2019 Children living in areas of deprivation are more likely to visit the dentist compared to those in more affluent areas, a new study has revealed.
Hackney publishes guide to banning traffic outside schools 17/05/2019 Hackney Council has launched a new toolkit designed to help local authorities ban traffic outside of schools at opening and closing times.
Child poverty is the ‘new normal’ in Britain, campaigners warn 15/05/2019 An estimated half a million more children are having their lives ‘limited by poverty’ today than at the start of the decade, the UK’s leading child poverty coalition has revealed.
Welfare reforms put pressure on struggling families, report warns 13/05/2019 A new study looking at the impact of welfare reforms on child vulnerability has found that a quarter of children in low income families are unable to make ends meet.
Councils receive extra £30m to care for asylum seeking children 09/05/2019 The amount of funding councils receive to look after unaccompanied asylum seeking children is set to rise by £30m.
Spending Review should put aside £3bn for children's services say MPs 30/04/2019 The Government needs to release at least £3bn of non-ring-fenced funding to local authorities to save children’s services from the ‘crisis’ they are in, MPs have said.
Play as a powerful motivator 26/04/2019 Beth Cooper explores the value of play and green places in preserving the nation’s health.
Councils need more powers to tackle junk food adverts, campaigners say 24/04/2019 Campaigners have called for local authorities to be given more powers to push back against junk food advertising.
More men needed in early years education, minister says 24/04/2019 The Government has launched a new project designed to encourage more men to work in early years education.
Council proposes introducing more smoke-free spaces 12/04/2019 Derbyshire residents could soon be asked to decide on whether they want more smoke-free places in their county.
Thousands of children being taught in illegal schools 12/04/2019 Up to 6,000 children are being educated in illegal schools across England putting their safety and education at risk, a watchdog has warned.
Nearly two thirds of councils cut mental health services for children 10/04/2019 Around 60% of local authority areas have seen a real-terms fall in spending on low-level mental health services for children, a new report has revealed.
Child benefit value at ‘record low’ 03/04/2019 The value of child benefit has fallen to a record low, a think tank says 40 years after the benefit was established.
School children in referral units doubles within a decade 01/04/2019 The number of primary school children in Pupil Referral Units has more than doubled since 2011. according to the Labour Party.
Government is ‘failing’ to combat child poverty, campaigners say 28/03/2019 Campaigners have warned that the economy is not ‘working for everyone’ as the latest statistics show that child poverty in working families is on the rise.
Commissioner appointed to oversee Blackpool's children's services 26/03/2019 Essex CC has been appointed to take over Blackpool Council’s children’s services after an Ofsted report last year found it was ‘inadequate’.
Council chiefs call for ‘urgent investment’ in children's health visitors 21/03/2019 The health visiting service is ‘stretched to its limits’ due to underinvestment and a shrinking workforce, local authority leaders have warned.
Children missing out on ‘vital emergency support’ due to cuts 18/03/2019 New research from a children’s charity has revealed that young people are paying the price of Government cuts in crisis support, with many parents struggling to afford food and clothing.
Children left vulnerable to abuse due to focus on Brexit, report warns 12/03/2019 Councils are failing to protect children from abuse in England due to ‘systematic’ safeguarding failures, a new report has warned.
Councils ‘failing’ children exploited by gangs, report reveals 28/02/2019 The same mistakes that led to child sexual exploitation failings are being repeated with gangs, the children’s commissioner has warned.
Very few young people regularly vape, report finds 27/02/2019 Only a small proportion of young people are regularly using e-cigarettes, according to the findings of a new report.
MPs call for an ‘early years revolution’ in child care 26/02/2019 Members of Parliament have called on local authorities to develop plans to help improve support for children during the first 1,000 days of life.
Childhood poverty set to hit ‘record highs’ 20/02/2019 The proportion of children living in poverty risks hitting a record high by the end of the parliament, a shocking new report has revealed.
Whitehall’s ‘hostile environment’ puts children in danger, charity says 19/02/2019 The Government’s commitment to creating a ‘hostile environment’ for migrants outweighs their commitment to children’s rights, a charity has warned.
Pilot project helps a third of youths quit ‘county lines’ 14/02/2019 Specialist support helped nearly a third of young people in a pilot project to quit 'county lines' involvement with drugs, according to a review.
Only a week left to enter Street Design Awards 14/02/2019 The Street Design Awards, celebrating innovation and best practice in street design schemes, have been relaunched by Local Government News magazine.
Council rolls scooters out in bid to tackle pollution 13/02/2019 Children in Leeds will soon be travelling to school on scooters instead of in cars as part of the council’s push to clean up the city’s air.
Health experts warn about impact of toxic air on children 06/02/2019 Nearly nine out of ten child health experts are warning air pollution is already having a negative impact on children's health in their region.
Front-line workers ‘must get better’ at tackling child exploitation by drug gangs 30/01/2019 Front-line professionals ‘must get better’ at spotting signs that children are being exploited, a children’s charity has said in response to an annual assessment of county lines drug networks.
Government failing to treat children as victims of domestic abuse, warns charity 11/01/2019 Nearly a quarter of a million children should be classed as victims of domestic abuse, the NSPCC has said today.
Nine out of ten councils blow the budget on children's care 09/01/2019 Nearly ninety percent of councils overspent on children’s social care last year, according to figures released by the Local Government Association.
£12m boost for adoptive families 24/12/2018 The Government yesterday announced a £12m funding boost to support adoptive families.
Council chiefs warn of dangerous ‘must-have’ toys 24/12/2018 Local government leaders are warning Christmas shoppers to avoid potentially dangerous and fake ‘must-have’ toys.
Whitehall launches £9m holiday programme for disadvantaged children 21/12/2018 The Government today launched a £9m programme to provide disadvantaged children with free meals and activities during the school holidays.
One in four trafficked children reported missing from care 21/12/2018 Nearly a quarter of trafficked children were reported as going missing from care in 2017, a new study has revealed.
New mental health teams set to support 500,000 children 20/12/2018 Half a million children and young people are set to benefit from new mental health support teams, secretary of state for health and social care has announced.
Health visitors ‘crucial’ for children’s cognitive development 19/12/2018 Thinking skills should be made a priority to prepare children for school, according to a new report.
Early learning gap widens in 50% of council areas 18/12/2018 The early learning gap between children in poverty and their peers has widened in half of the local authority areas in England, children’s charity reveals.
Teachers warn of ‘Dickensian’ levels of poverty 17/12/2018 Teachers have warned they are seeing increasing levels of 'Dickensian' poverty among children in their classrooms.
Council chiefs call for ‘emergency cash’ to support children with special needs 17/12/2018 The Government has announced it will provide £350m to support children with complex needs and disabilities.
A million young children will be deprived of basics this Christmas, charity warns 06/12/2018 A million children face a miserable Christmas without warm clothing, fresh food or celebrations, poverty campaigners have warned.
More than 130,000 children will be homeless at Christmas, charity warns 05/12/2018 The number of homeless children has increased by 59% in the last five years, meaning 131,000 will be without a permanent home this Christmas, Shelter has warned.
Children in care to receive scholarships to independent schools 05/12/2018 The Government yesterday launched a new scheme to help children in care receive mentoring and scholarships from independent schools.
Council call for action over number of operations to remove rotten teeth in children 03/12/2018 Council leaders have called for immediate action to tackle sugar consumption after new figures showed more than 45,000 teenagers and children had teeth extracted in hospital last year.
Southwark commits to 100% treatment rate for children with mental health conditions 30/11/2018 Southwark Council has become the first local authority in the country to commit to a 100% treatment rate by 2020 for children with mental health conditions.
One in eight children have a mental disorder, data reveals 23/11/2018 One in eight children and young people aged between five and 19 have a mental disorder, according to a survey.
Commissioner warns children are being failed by mental health services 22/11/2018 Mental health services for children and young people are generally improving but progress is slow, according to the children's commissioner.
Over 1,000 children referred to social services every day 09/11/2018 Nearly 400,000 children in England were referred and assessed as in need of the support of social services in 2017/18, according to the latest figures.
Councils call for powers to ban junk food advertising 07/11/2018 Local authority leaders have urged the Government to give them the powers to ban junk food advertising as part of the struggle against childhood obesity.
Care and adoption can mean 'heartbreaking' separation from siblings, say lawyers 01/11/2018 Children going into care or being adopted often risk losing touch with their brothers and sisters, according to new research – even though these can be their most important relationships.
Council chiefs warn of ‘detrimental impact’ of nursery cuts 24/10/2018 Local authority leaders have warned that Government plans to cut funding are placing maintained nurseries and support for children with special needs at risk.
Whitehall announces £5m fund to fight knife crime 22/10/2018 Local authorities are being given the opportunity to bid for funding to tackle youth and gang crime in high-risk areas.
Building a secure future for EU children in the UK 19/10/2018 Kamena Dorling explores what impact Brexit may have on European national children living in the UK, especially those in local authority care.
Poverty can lead to self-harm and violent crime, study shows 11/10/2018 Children from poorer families are at ‘significantly greater risk’ of being involved in violent crime and harming themselves later in life, new study shows.
Watchdog warns of 'significant unmet need’ for children’s mental health services 10/10/2018 There is still 'some way to go' before mental and physical health for young people are treated with the same importance, the official spending watchdog warns.
Children’s mental health referrals increase by a quarter 08/10/2018 The number of referrals to specialist children’s mental health services has increased by 26% over the last five years, an education think tank has revealed.
International education spending: a statistical minefield 05/10/2018 Mark Whitehead investigates the Government's 'seemingly casual' approach to data when it comes to education spending.
Government acted ‘unlawfully’ over Dubs Amendment 04/10/2018 The Court of Appeal ruled yesterday that the Government acted ‘unlawfully’ in not giving reasons to children refused entry to Britain under the Dubs Amendment.
Whitehall asks councils for ‘trailblazing’ ideas to fight childhood obesity 26/09/2018 The Government is asking local authorities to apply to its ‘trailblazer’ programme for tackling childhood obesity.
Children with mental health issues face youth services ‘black hole’ 12/09/2018 Three-quarters of young people looking for support for mental health issues become more unwell before they can access treatment, charity reveals.

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Local Government News

This issue of Local Government News explores how councils can tackle modern slavery and trafficking in their supply chains, finds out more about Cambridge's first cohousing scheme and the launch of a new project to build a shared service pattern library for local government.

This issue also contains a special focus on children's services and how councils are protecting children following local safeguarding children boards being abolished.